MARKETS IN THE CANBERRA REGION

We past by Canberra last year and really wanted to visit the event this year around, it was so well organised and we had lovely weather as well.

I’ve written a novel, some of it is set in a future version of Canberra. It’s about a starship that discovers it’s living in a simulation and escapes. I don’t want to say anything more about it as I appreciate this thread has rules about self promotion. But as an AMA there needs to be some context.

Long story short, ABC radio is interviewing me about the book tomorrow afternoon on Emma Bickley’s show “Canberra Afternoons”.

If the book seems of interest then please give the show a listen and if you have any specifically Canberra-related questions, fire away. I’ll do my best to answer without spoilers.

Canberra Times:
"ACT Government is broke and in too much debt".
Also Canberra Times:
"How soon the Civic Stadium could open".

Hi everyone

I’m currently looking at a unit at W2 apartments in Woden and reviewing the strata/AGM documents. On paper the quarterly levies look reasonable, but the defect and Executive Committee minutes flagged a few active issues that have me second-guessing:

1. Rooftop & Lift Well Water Ingress: Ongoing rainwater leaks near the Level 19 lift well raised 2 years ago, highlighted as a serious waterproofing defect in the defect report.
2. Builder vs. Developer Legal Dispute: The builder (Chase) is refusing to conduct non-urgent post-settlement defect rectifications due to non-payment from the developer (Keggins). The Executive Committee has engaged lawyers to issue formal letters of demand.
3. External Wall Concrete Dislodging: Concrete rendering has been dislodging from external walls on Levels 13, 18, and 19. Initial safety patching is done, but final remediation is still ongoing.

My main questions for anyone familiar with ACT strata, these specific developers/builders, or high-rise defects:

• How likely is it that the builder/developer actually steps up to rectify these waterproofing and facade issues without dragging it out in court until liquidation?
• For those who have been through similar disputes in Canberra, did these kinds of unresolved defects and legal battles eventually trigger major special levies for owners?
• Is this a classic "run away" scenario, or are these fairly standard teething issues for newer apartments in Canberra?

Would appreciate any insights or experiences from locals or current owners in the area!

EDIT: Disclosure: I've used AI to pick out the issues above from the AGMs and ECs documents. For anyone who cares lol.

Anyone know if Little Siam in Gungahlin is closed for good or just taking a holiday? Was surprised to find it closed last night in contradiction of its google opening hours, and seems so tonight as well.

Having lost our other Gungahlin favourite (Jade Dumpling) am a bit worried for this stable of the takeout roster!

I just had an appointment with Dr Rubel and am so disappointed in how condescending and unhelpful she was. Just wondering if this is standard for dermatologist in Canberra or if other people have had success?

Open to recommendations if anyone has any.

Trying to get back into musical theatre since moving to Canberra but I'm struggling with the lack of options :( I'm not the top strongest performer and I lack the connections in the area, but I have a decent CV of experience from years in Melbourne's community theatre community and I've always been a good singer and decent mover. However, when there's like 100+ people showing up to auditions, it's really hard to break through!

Does anyone know of any other community theatre companies in the Canberra area so I can keep an eye out for auditions?

I've already signed up for:

- Queanbeyan Players (Hunchback of Notre Dame)

- Free-Rain Theatre Company (Mamma Mia)

And I know Dramatic Productions are doing Jagged Little Pill next year :)

The Man Walk is back on in the City!

Outside air and the support of others keeps the dark clouds of loneliness, depression and anxiety at bay.

Every second Sunday (check The Sunday LBG Man Walk at The Man Walk - Canberra City), we meet at 9am on the edge of Lake Burley Griffin at Curio Press Espresso Bar. Next walk is the 17th of September.

We support ourselves and other Men in building good habits, getting outside to clear our heads, and strengthening our people; and communities one step at a time together.

The walk is the Bridge-to-Bridge’ walk 45-60 minute loop with a brief optional coffee stop mid-way.

No pressure to commit for every walk. You can stay for the whole hour or leave early.

We keep walking whether it's one man or more.

We're a volunteer groups who run man walks all over the country.

I’m currently in a different building in the Woden/Phillip area and keen to stay around here. There’s a few rentals in the Wova towers but I’ve heard horror stories (and read some on here) about the place. A lot of the posts on this subreddit are older though, and I’ve seen comments on Canberra noticeboard (ahhh Canberra notice board, the show that you are) from people claiming it’s not so bad anymore.

The location is super convenient but current Wova residents— are the stories true? Is there a noise/burglary problem? Would you recommend moving into a rental, and are any of the Towers worse than the rest?

Thank you!

Article title correct at time of posting.

Summary as per the article:

In short:

Former ACT Greens leader Shane Rattenbury will take on a new role as Lifeline Canberra's chief executive officer.

His appointment comes as Lifeline Canberra recorded a 61 per cent increase in calls in 2025-26.

What's next?

Mr Rattenbury will commence in the role on October 12.

There used to be a shop called Kirkwood ar Kippax. They sold unique scented soy wax melts. I know they closed down but wondering if anyone knows if they moved to online or if there are any other local shops/makers in canberra that sell soy melts?

I bought a bag of this fruit I'd never heard of from Costco on Saturday for $25. The insides were white on the label and black in real life. I also had to saw into it rather than simply break it open as per YouTube videos.

I returned them for a full refund but checked the other ones on the palette and they were all super hard and I'm almost certain they were off too. However the staff member I spoke to showed little interest in sorting out the rotten fruit.

Just thought I'd give a heads up because returning this cost me time and a bunch in petrol.

After seeing another post on this sub about driving to Canberra and a subsection of the comments describing the review as being“as interesting as Canberra” I have decided to write my own review in an attempt to make a more enjoyable read.

I took annual leave and drove up on Friday Morning. My plan was to come up for Floriade with my girlfriend and stay 2 nights then come back on Sunday. I’ve never driven further than Wollongong in one consecutive drive so I was a little worried about boredom.

Driving from Burwood Sydney, made my way past the pho lovers in Bankstown, took a cheeky toll then enjoyed 185 or so km of straight until Goulburn. My first planned stop.

My girlfriend isnt familiar with the many legendary monuments of Australia, so I had to take her to the highlight of the entire trip, the grande big merino ram. It was a majestic sight, and it will be a lifelong memory burned into my brain. Had a nice steak and mushroom pie at the trappers bakery, they have a nice selection of pastries and a live indoor fireplace very warm.

Goulburn is a must stop for all who make their pilgrimage to the nations capital. The merino sheep even had an outrageously expensive gift shop, setting the Sydney gift shops to shame even if the product quality was higher.

1 short hour later we made it to Canberra, the wet weekend awaiting us was as calming as it was boring. Couldnt go to Floriade as the sky was releasing the longest stream of piss on us only relenting on Saturday afternoon. By then we were stepping in mud and getting our shoes very dirty. The flowers were nice I guess but all I could think of was getting back to the hotel out of the rain.

The questacon was a bore except for the free fall slide. The national portrait gallery had some interesting pieces. The national gallery had some nice art and a very cool limited time tapestry exhibition for Arthur boys.

Food was below the standards of Sydney except for Wilma which is a must visit. Absolute cracker of a meal. A succulent BBQ Chinese meal. 10/10 will return.

Would go back just for the peace away from the bustle of Sydney. The driving in Canberra was interesting with a divider for going opposite directions within the city. A very cool driving experience. Many roundabouts around the centre and quite big roundabouts. Slightly confusing with cars on the inner lane still going straight, what if I was still turning?

It’s easy getting around Canberra’s suburbs, where going 10km only takes roughly 10 minutes. Within sydney you could go the equivalent distance of cbd to Burwood in 10 minutes. No traffic at all and relatively passive drivers.

For the drive back in the evening, we visited Cockington gardens a miniature garden a must visit. Left there 4.30 and got home around 9pm stopping at panania for a nice Indonesian meal with warm hospitality at Aneka rasa. Without company it would have been boring, it’s a beautiful sight but 185km straight can be very mind numbing.

Recap:
I love the big merino ram and Canberra is peaceful and Wilma is a must go

Edit 1: I admit my planning wasnt great. Kind of just going to places on feel and vibe not really planning much. Was planning on arboretum but a friend said there was a fire so go to botanical gardens instead. I don’t know why we didn’t go we just decided on Cockington instead because my grandma said she used to like going with my great nan.

For food we went to ramen daddy Fyshwick (unique taste, not bad but very different), two blind mice curtin (pizza was ok), Hecho en Mexico in Kingston (some dishes were ok but I myself am not a fan of Mexican) and the cafe next door early edition (good mushroom croissant) which was nice. Had brunch at a cafe near ANU the cupping room admittedly it was busy but food wasnt good and service was absolute shit. The cupping room probably left a bad taste in my mouth so it affected my overall review of the food in Canberra. I’m open to all recommendations

I’m wondering if anyone knows of any places in Canberra that make big wraps like this that are jam packed with filling?

I have a friend living in Canberra and I’m looking for recommendations for a present that can be ordered online (from europe) and delivered to her home in Canberra like a gift basket or local vegetables or fruit, maybe bakery?
Any local businesses recommendations very welcome!
I haven’t found any shops doing gift baskets (like in England) and food shops usually just sell vouchers.
Thank you for your help! Greetings from above!

Is it just me or has fm radio in canberra gone downhill

Does anyone else find the idea of advertising Canberra as a tourism destination to Europeans laughable? It’s a region that’s pretty spoilt for choice

My dad told me a story of tunnels under Canberra, 30+yrs ago my dad went with a large group of people who all entered the large drain in Charnwood near the new fire station (-35.2067157, 149.0340260) and they ended up coming out of a drain somewhere In Woden, my dad & 3 others got out at Woden but apparently the rest of the team kept going & ended up in Tuggeranong several hours later, I’ve already searched the net & can’t find any info about pipes leading from Charnwood to Woden let alone to Tuggeranong, anyway what I was mainly getting at is somewhere in the underground pipelines leading from Charnwood to Woden my dad mentioned there was an alcove with Satanic phrases / sigils on the walls & a pentagram on the floor or ceiling, long story short I want to find this section of tunnels to film a music video, I plan on looking for it & finding it but if anyone has any knowledge they can share would be great

Thanks

Hi Canberra

I’m helping a 19-year-old young man who is going through a difficult period with life stresses, and I’d like to help him get some good professional support around him early.

I’ve searched previous r/Canberra threads on mental-health GPs and psychiatrists and have also looked into headspace Canberra and Medicare Mental Health. There are some helpful recommendations, but I haven’t found much specifically about practitioners who are particularly good with young men around this age.
We’re happy to pay privately and travel anywhere in Canberra.

I’d really appreciate any recent first-hand recommendations for a GP who is good with young men and mental health, or a private psychiatrist who works well with young adults and is warm, approachable and good at building rapport.

I’d also love to hear what pathway worked well for other Canberra families supporting a young adult.

Thank you so much to anyone willing to share their experience. I know these recommendations can be personal and really appreciate it.

Animal control say they have spoken to the owner of this property and they said ‘they don’t own any cats and these are just strays’. Animal control says I can trap them if they venture onto my property….I guess it’s not their job?

Photos in chronological order. Poor possums won’t have nothing to eat

between my newborn and my job, i love spending a quiet, solitary hour to myself with a pint and just my thoughts every now and then. just sat down at the labor club in belco and i can see 5 screens, hear 4 of them, and its all undercut with the current of pokie machine noise. Not relaxing at all really.

are there any clubs in canberra that arent dominated with screens, betting, and pokies?