So if you weren’t convinced that Canberra is an awesome place to study based on my previous post about all the amazing foodie options we have, I’m here to offer another reason why you will love Canberra – the outdoors! We are known as the bush capital for a reason…

The top 10 outdoorsy reasons why you’ll love living in Canberra:

1. Canberra boasts a wide range of all year activities. I have friends who rock climb, play social sport, mountain bike and do archery to name a few.
2. There are bike paths and bike lanes everywhere, so it’s bike friendly. Chances are, if you live off campus biking will be the easiest way to get to class.
3. If you like mountain biking, Mt Stromlo has over 50km of awesome tracks. Doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner, or a hard-core BMX rider, there will be a trail for you. 
4. If you’re more into snow sports, we are only a few hours from the Thredbo and Perisher, meaning a day drip is doable.
5. There are also some great hikes in the area, since we are surrounded by Namadgi National Park.  This park has everything from a short 45min walk to lookout, to a one-day, 19km trek into the bush. If you’re a super keen hiker, you can event join the Australian Alps Walking Track…but you’ll need 6-8 weeks to do the entire thing!
6. The bushland means we have lots of good insta photo opportunities…check out Booroomba Rocks, Gibraltar Falls and Mount Ainslie.
7. Being healthy and active easy with places like Mount Ainslie right next to the city. Walking up with some friends after uni and watching the sunset is always a good way to end the day.
8. And if you’ve already done Mount Ainslie enough times, check out Black Mountain or Mount Majura for a different (but equally challenging) after-uni walk.
9. If you’re a fan of water, we have Lake Burley Griffin in the centre of the city. You can walk, ride or run around the lake, or even go kayaking, rowing, dragon boating or stand up paddle boarding. I don’t recommend swimming though!
10. If you would like to swim, we have local ‘beaches’. My favourites are out near the Cotter Dam.

Claire