Relocating to Canberra
Canberra has located about 150 km (93 mi) inland from Australia’s eastern coastline, close to the Brindabella Ranges. At an elevation of 786 m (2,541 ft), Mount Majura is the highest peak in the city. Other notable peaks include Mount Taylor, Mugaga Muggagah, Ainslie, and Black Mountain. The Molonglo river has been dammed to create Lake Burley Griffin, which divides north and south Canberra. The urban area of Canberra is split into seven distinct residential zones, each with its suburb and central business district.
About the City
Canberra is a comparatively young town. However, the site was selected to be the capital of Australia in 1908 so as not to cause any conflict between Australia’s two most significant towns: Melbourne and Sydney. After the winning bid, the capital was planned by Chicago architect Walter Burley Griffin and his wife, Marion Mahony Griffin. They won an international competition for the plan, and the resulting scheme incorporated geometric shapes, including circular and hexagonal forms, and large areas of native bushland. “Canberra” comes from the Aboriginal word meaning “meeting place.”
Construction began on the city in 1913; however, due to World War I and II, construction was halted for several decades. Nevertheless, development has continued since then.
The city is located in Australia’s largest inland city and is part of the Australian Capital Territory, an independent territory of Australia. The Australian Government is headquartered here, so many employees in Canberra are public servants (government officials).
According to the 2011 Census, 355,596 people were living in Canberra, with 28.6 percent being born overseas. Most of these foreigners came from the United.
Visas for Australia
If you’re planning to visit Australia for any time, whether just visiting or hoping to settle there permanently, you’ll want to get an Australian permanent resident (PR) card. There are various types of PR cards available, depending on your circumstances.
Australia’s immigration department has a program called SkillsSelect, which helps them manage the influx of immigrants based on their country’s economic needs. It also makes applying for visas easier and faster.
To get information, download applications, and apply for visas, go to the Department of Immigration and Customs (Australia).
Finding Accommodation in Canberra
Canberra is a planned city, meaning there are many choices for accommodations. For example, those who live in the center of town will probably live in apartments, while people commuting from outside the city may choose to live in one of the suburbs.
North Canberra includes Ainslie’s quiet suburb and Acton’s busy suburb. South Canberra consists of the bustling suburbs of Kingston and Manuka.
Woden Valley is located in the southeast corner of Canberra, Australia. It is one of twelve districts within the ACT Legislative Assembly. The suburb of Belconnen is
Weston Creek is the least populated district in Australia’s Capital Territory. It has an older population than most other districts, but there are plenty of options for retirees. Tuggeranong is a good choice for people who want to live near the city center, with its lively town center, shops, cinemas, restaurants, and public transport links. There are also some newer developments available in Tuggeranong.
If you are finding a place to settle down, Gungahlin is a good choice because it offers plenty of natural beauty, including parks, playgrounds, and two large lakes. However, Molonglo Valley is a better option if you wanted to be near or can see the city center. It features beautiful mountain views, the national arboretum, a zoo, and an aquarium.
After choosing an apartment, expatriates living in Canberra can take advantage of various resources to find accommodation, including several online real estate sites. It is essential to get pre-approved for financing before buying, and the Australian Federal Government offers multiple programs to help people become homeowners.
Why choose to live in Canberra?
A big hello to open space, convenient transportation, plenty of nature, and many opportunities awaits you when you call Canberra home. You can wave goodbye to the annoyances of big cities, like heavy traffic and air pollution. Canberra not only has top-notch attractions and amenities right outside your door, but it also has vast nature reserves, strict laws protecting the environment and biodiversity, and the cleanest air in the world.
Everyone is welcome in Canberra, and you will love the laid-back atmosphere and strong sense of community. From young professionals and aspirational business owners to families and retirees, Canberra offers the ideal lifestyle.
Residing in Canberra
Because national forests make up 50% of the ACT, Canberra is a beautiful place to live and explore. The majority of Canberra’s suburbs are .ted with leafy streets, parks, bicycle lanes, open spaces, and proximity to nature, making them ideal for hikers, sports enthusiasts, and campers alike. Canberra is known to have Australia’s “most physically active population,” and you can see a love for the outdoors here.
Canberra also has Australia’s highest average income, highest educational attainment, most robust job growth, and lowest unemployment rates. In addition, it has one of the lowest or almost none crime rates worldwide, making it one of the safest cities.
You must first choose a side if you’re moving to Canberra and have yet to decide where you want to live. North and south of the city are separated by Lake Burley Griffin, one of Canberra’s most picturesque landmarks. Similar to other Australian cities, there is friendly competition and banter between the two sides, providing excellent lifestyle options and reasonably priced suburb options.
Canberra’s weather and transportation.
Australians who live in Canberra are the most physically active, and there is another good reason for this. Here, the weather is perfect, and the air quality is excellent.
With an average of 7.7 hours of sunshine daily, Canberra is one of Australia’s sunniest capital cities. You are truly living in “Aussie paradise”—one of the places where it is easiest to breathe—when you combine that with what is arguably the cleanest air in the world.
The warmest month is with an average high of 29°C, in January due to the oceanic climate. In contrast, July is the coldest month, with an average high of only about. 12°C. The most pleasant months are Spring (September to November) when the days are comfortable ‘just right and the mornings and nights are cool. Winter can be frosty, so don’t forget to bring your Ugg Boots.
Because Canberra is so well connected and everything is within easy reach, you will save money on transportation costs here.
Using the MyWay smartcard to tap on and off, you can easily commute around using the bus and light rail networks of Transport Canberra if you don’t have a car or feel like walking. Visit Canberra Metro’s operations page for specific information on light rail frequency.
The free Culture Loop Service is a well-liked bus service that makes getting around the Canberra CBD center easy. It connects you to all of Canberra’s famous cultural institutions, including the Parliamentary Triangle, Henry Rolland Park, the National Film and Sound Archive, and the Canberra Museum, to name a few.
Museums, politics, history, events, and more!
Moving to Canberra, Australia’s capital and political center, shouldn’t come as a surprise because there are many exciting, instructive, and enjoyable things to see and do there. Many of these activities also go deeper into Australian history.
Living in Canberra puts you closer to Australia’s most recognizable and well-known cultural landmarks, galleries, and museums.
Culture, unusual events, and odd facts!
Canberra is a very diverse, prosperous city that is in touch with both the local and more significant global communities and is rich in diversity.
You will find a remarkable cultural diversity in Canberra that further accentuates its unique character and identity. For example, one in four Canberra residents speaks a language or dialect other than English at home, and the city typically welcomes 19,000 international students each year. Visit one of Canberra’s thriving local arts, crafts, or farmers’ markets to taste this.
Get tickets to the annual Enlighten Festival, an outdoor art and cultural event that includes light installations, projections, performances, a short film festival, and the renowned Canberra Balloon Spectacular.
Culture has world-class museums and exhibits, incredible events, and an unrivaled arts and culture scene.
The countryside and the great outdoors!
It’s time to leave the CBD’s periphery and experience what country life has to offer after you’ve finished exploring all of Canberra’s stunning parks, lakes, and recreational areas on foot, by bicycle, by light rail, by bus, or a car.
You have plenty of options for camping and hiking because the ACT is home to 45 national parks. However, we’ll focus on just two places in this article because they are the two places that locals love to visit: Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, where you can see the elusive platypus, and Namadgi National Park, which has excellent hiking trails. They are situated on the northern edge of the Australian Alps, 45 minutes from Canberra, and border Kosciusko National Park and the Brindabellas.
Or, at a bare minimum, take a quick road trip. Famous Australian animals, picture-perfect landscapes, and, why not, a stop at the Deep Space Communication Complex can all be seen on a drive south of Canberra.
Canberra’s breweries, distilleries, and wineries are thriving, award-winning businesses.