But despite the dewy ground and some soft clouds overhead, the shade proved unnecessary.

It was the first weekend Canberrans could enjoy all of the ACT's nature reserves and national parks since lockdown commenced six weeks ago.

Mr Kumar said it was a welcome reprieve from being inside.

"It's pretty long since we've been stuck in lockdown, and with the little one we were really missing going out. We wanted to take some time off from his iPad, so we came here," he said.

"There's still lots of distance so we can stay away from everyone," Ms Kumar said.

Nature reserves and national parks that were previously closed opened up on Friday for recreational purposes - but not camping - as part of eased restrictions.

This included Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, Uralla Nature Reserve, Namadgi National Park, Lower Cotter Catchment, Uriarra Crossing and Googong Foreshores.

The Kumar family said they hope it is one step towards eased border restrictions, as they wait to see family in India.

For the Baron, Lewis and Backhouse families, Saturday marked their first opportunity to see each other for weeks.

The children of three cousins are very close. They attend the same school and have become almost de facto siblings.

They said they relished the opportunity to finally see each other again.

Na Cei took her children, five-year-old Alexander and two-year-old Elisabeth, to Tidbinbilla to enjoy nature.

The trio admired the kangaroos lounging about in the sun.

"We've been locked in the city for six weeks, so I think it's good for us to come out a little bit with the kids," she said, adding the weather was surprisingly sunny.

'We love to be in nature and take a walk."

Wright resident Lizzie Whiting said she had waited five years to get back into hiking because of a foot injury - but not soon after she had gotten the go-ahead from her doctor, Canberra went into lockdown.

"I feel almost a bit like I'm in prison," she said about being in lockdown.

While nearby Mt Stromlo was open, she said she was desperate to go for a longer walk with dog Gracie.

"I've been dying to get out and go for a hike. And when I go hiking I make YouTube videos, so I haven't had that creative outlet that I used to have," she said.

"It was kind of a way to de-stress and relax and to stay creative at the same time."

Ms Whiting also welcomed the time increase, which has extended the time members of ACT households are allowed to be outside from two hours to four.

"It just makes all the difference," she said.

"You can actually go and do some summit hikes now."

She said Gracie could "walk all day", so she and her partner would take her out separately to maximise her exercise time.

READ MORE:

"The time limits are really tough, having the one-hour time limit. My partner and I would literally go out for an hour each [with the dog]," she said.

As of Friday, groups of two people are allowed to visit another household in the ACT, and members of one household or up to five people can gather together outside for a maximum of four hours.

Outdoor bootcamps and personal training can also recommence with two people, not including instructors.

Our coverage of the health and safety aspects of this outbreak of COVID-19 in the ACT and the lockdown is free for anyone to access. However, we depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support. You can also sign up for our newsletters for regular updates.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: