Bearing the name of Walter Burley Griffin, the American architect and stickler for symmetry whose 1912 landscape designs for a fledgling national capital remain as the blueprint for Canberra, Lake Burley Griffin stretches from the recently minted Kingston Foreshore all the way out west towards the National Zoo & Aquarium. But it’s within Griffin’s Parliamentary Triangle where you’ll find some of Canberra’s, and Australia’s, heavyweight institutions including the National Library, National Gallery, High Court and Parliament House (current and former). The lake provides a placid forefront for such a significant location, but also offers many recreational experiences, ranging from the light fun of paddle boats and bikes available for hire to more bold activities including fishing and rowing, while its winding paths and bridges make it an ideal course for runners. For something less intensive there’s nosh at the lakeside Regatta Point or a chance to explore the neighbouring Commonwealth Park and its winding trails which play host to Floriade each springtime.

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