Australian House & Garden - 09.2019

AUSTRALIAN HOUSE &GARDEN| 135

(nga.gov.au),cocktails, dinner and free wifi.

We indulge in a pizza night at agostinis, the

pumpingItalian restaurantjust off the lobby.

Snuggled into our leopardskin booth we

devour the Gamberi pizza with prawns,

cherry tomatoes, chilli, parsley and fior di

latte, accompanied by a bottle of local

Collector Wines shiraz.

Food amnesia is the condition needed

for a winter weekend at east, because by

morningwe are all ravenous again and

devour the spiced plum brioche French

toast at Muse, the hotel’s bookshop/cafe

combo. By night this space converts into

a cool wine bar.

after breakfast, we head out to explore

thecity. there is handy educational signage

everywhere – just likean outdoor museum.

First stop is the magnificent ‘Monet:

Impression Sunrise’exhibition at the NGa.

then we swap Impressionist waterlilies for

theexcellent carrot cake at theNational

Portrait Gallerycafe (portrait.gov.au).

Family travel is often about compromise,

but Canberra doesn’t feel like one at all.

It’s so walkable and cheerfulthat everyone

is thoroughly enjoying themselves.

We begin day two by fuelling

up atMocan and GreenGrout

(mocanandgreengroutcom.wordpress.

com), a New acton cafe that serves the best

baked eggs with sumac and chevre. this

was the first cafe in Canberra to look likea

1970s potter’s shed, full of plants and lovely

ceramics. It’s not at all cynically hipster – this

place has soul. Caffeineated, we pounce

on the incrediblePod Playgroundat the

National Arboretum(nationalarboretum.

act.gov.au), an adventure playground in the

middle of a botanical garden devoted to

growing trees for conservation and scientific

research. Next is geek paradiseQuestacon

(questacon.edu.au), the iconic hands-on

museum wherescience is interactive and

outrageously amusing.

On our last night at east we book in for

thea tavola feast, a menu with something

for everyone, from the seven-year-old’s love

of french fries to the husband’s need for an

aged rump. the wine list is heavy-hitting.

there are several rock-star barolos, but to

get a real taste of the region we also sample

grapevarietals from nearby Collector and

Murrumbateman. Canberra! Who knew

you could be so sensual?#

Photography from bauersyndication.com.au (NGA), Scott Hawkins/bauersyndication.com.au (National Portrait Gallery) & Alamy (Monet).

WHAT’S ON

The ‘Monet: Impression Sunrise’

exhibition is on at the NGAuntil

September1. The painting that gives the

show its name (Impression, Soleil Levant)

rarely leaves the Musée Marmottan

Monet in Paris. Following the Monet

exhibition is a voyage into the world of

Pop Art with ‘Lichtenstein to Warhol: The

Kenneth Tyler Collection’, opening on

September 7and free of charge.Floriade

(floriadeaustralia.com), the city’s annual

celebration of spring is on from September

14 to October 13. The floral displays and

cultural events are not to be missed.

WHERE TO STAY

The East hotel in Kingston offers a

Weekend in Canberra package (tickets

to the Monet exhibition at the NGA,

accommodationin a one-bedroom East

Apartment, cocktails, dinner, free parking

and wifi); $380for one night or $580for

two nights.*Price valid until September 1.