I moved here from Melbourne, and Canberra proved me wrong
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If you know anything about the Southside Melbourne lifestyle, you’d find it oh-so-cliché that I ended up getting a lifechanging call (read: job offer) on a Saturday brunch catch-up, post 5k Croissant Run Club, sitting by the glistening Elwood Beach on a hot summer day. Yes, really.
“How would you feel about moving to Canberra?” the bubbly girl on the other end of the line said to me.
Apart from memories of Questacon when I was 12, Canberra was not on my mind and far from the list of locations in my mind I wanted to move to. London? Japan? Staying in Melbourne? Sign me up. But Canberra? It’s just so…boring.
We are fortunate, and big believers in saying yes to opportunities now, while we don’t have a lot of exterior factors to consider. Apart from our darling dog and moving interstate, we are at the stage of life where we don’t have to consider the stress of changing kids’ schools or having a mortgage, and I know that would be a factor in the future if we didn’t say ‘yes’.
So after running the maths, waving goodbye to loved ones, and cramming as much as we could into our car, we decided to leap headfirst into our new home: the nation’s capital.
And here I am typing this from our apartment almost a year later.
Here is everything that I love and have learned about this leafy city.
Every city seems to have the North / South battle.
11e Cave in Kingston. Photography: Lean Timms
Sydney has it, Melbourne has it, and so does Canberra. The rivalry and divide of the suburbs. Honestly, I don’t take too much to heart with this, but it’s quite funny when people are so passionate about which suburb is best. Southside girlie at heart, I am. After all, I can go to Caribou, Messina, Supabarn, and 11 Cave all in one night!
I do have a soft spot for the Belconnen owl, though.
If you love a hobby like I do, you won’t be short on options in Canberra.
Photography: Andrew Ly
From craft cinema nights to roller discos, run clubs by the lake, yoga, and ice baths (not in the lake, thanks), I have found pretty neat replacements for all my hobbies that I had back in Victoria.
And it’s the perfect way to meet new Canberran friends. Who has been more than welcoming to an ex-Melbournian, even if I don’t follow the AFL, or the rugby.
Canberra actually does keep up with the trends
Look, we don’t have everything here. UNIQLO and Sephora only popped up in the Canberra Centre recently, but strawberry matcha? We got it. And my favourites have to be Good Neighbour & Rosa.
The food and drink scene rivals the big cities
The restaurants and bars have been the biggest shock of all, and it is something that a lot of big names are catching onto. I have had the joy of being able to chow down on cuisines without the commute – Ethiopian, Nepalese, Fijian, Korean, and Peruvian are all commonplace in Canberra’s CBD and close-by suburbs.
From hidden bars like Bar Rochford to fiery ramen at Ramen Daddy, there is something for every tastebud in Canberra.
Ciao to the commute
Photography: Andrew Ly
My little car doesn’t get a workout nowadays and people look at me in repulsion when I say, “Let’s check out this place, it’s only a half-hour drive.” Here, it’s 20 minutes tops. With an almost hour-long commute to my previous job, this change was most welcomed.
From coast to country to wineries close to the CBD, it is a luxury living less than a 15-minute drive away to pick up a bucket of popcorn from the cinema to enjoy at an at-home movie night (guilty).
My verdict?
Canberra is the misunderstood state (well, territory), and what you think you know about it is totally wrong.
From the greenery, good coffee, the fun bars and restaurants, to the lovely people – who knows, I might even be secretly hoping a “Canberra thinks you’re boring too” mug will appear in my Christmas stocking this year.
