Australian Capital Territory Shopping and nightlife

Shopping in Australian Capital Territory

A wide range of goods, including Australian arts and crafts, are available from department stores and specialist shops. Galleries and museums are good for souvenirs and crafty pieces and are usually open seven days weekly. The National Gallery has a good choice of art books.

The Westfield Belconnen Mall (www.westfield.com.au/belconnen) in the suburb of Belconnen is the place to go for low to high-end stores, with a range of restaurants and chain brands. The 300+ speciality shops in the Canberra Centre (https://canberracentre.qicgre.com) in the civic area of the CBD are also worth a visit, with a smorgasbord of quality retailers. Boutique lovers should make a beeline for the fashion shops in Manuka. For a more unique experience, Old Bus Depot Markets (https://obdm.com.au), located down the road from Manuka, has a variety of shops and stalls ranging from food and drink to clothing to books.

Shopping hours

Opening hours for most stores in the city are Mon-Thurs 0900-1730, Fri 0900-2100 and Sat-Sun 1000-1700.

Nightlife in Australian Capital Territory

Despite the daytime orderliness, the large range of pubs, restaurants, nightclubs, live music venues and jazz, piano and wine bars actively promote a lively nightlife. There are an estimated 70 bars in the city, and popular nightclubs include Mooseheads Pub and Nightclub (tel: +61 2 6257 6216;www.mooseheads.com.au) and Mr Wolf (tel: +61 2 6230 7493;www.mrwolfclub.com.au), both located in the CBD. However, the southern part of Northbourne Avenue is the place to start your evening with a good number of drinking dens in this area.

For a change of pace, The Casino Canberra (tel: +61 2 6243 3700;www.casinocanberra.com.au) in the city centre is the place to go if you fancy your chances. Also, with a choice of several cinemas and the Canberra Theatre Centre (tel: +61 2 6275 2700;www.canberratheatrecentre.com.au), there is always something new to watch in Canberra.