Discovery Drive
We start this tourist drive at Parliament House on Parliament Drive. From here, turn right onto Melbourne Drive, right onto State Circle and left onto the upramp to Adelaide Avenue. At the top of the ramp you’ll find The Lodge on the left hand side. It is not open to the public so you’ll have to make do with a drive or walk past!
Continue along Adelaide Avenue and take the ramp up to Kent Street. Take a left and then an immediate right onto Denison Street. Follow the road around to the Royal Australian Mint. If you visit on a weekend, you may see skydivers landing on the ovals behind it!
Return along Denison Street the way you came, and take a left onto Kent Street. Turn left at the roundabout onto Dudley Street. Turn right through the lights onto Cotter Road and right again into Dunrossil Drive. At the end of the road you’ll find Government House, the residence of the Governor General. It is not open to the public.
Back onto Cotter Road, take a right and continue along until you find Mt Stromlo Road on your right hand side. Head up the top for not only a great view but also the Mt Stromlo Observatory. Destroyed in the 2003 bushfires, it is being redeveloped.
Return down the hill to Cotter Road and take a right. Further along you’ll find the Camp Cottermouth Recreation Area. Slightly further up the road you will also find the Cotter Reserve.
Getting onto Paddy’s River Road, take a left into Discovery Drive to see the Canberra Deep Space Centre, which played an important part in the 1969 Moon Landing.
Back onto Paddy’s River Road, take a right into Tidbinbilla Ring Road and check out the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve. Guided walks, wildlife and much more can be found here.
From here, take a right Tidbinbilla Road and then another right onto Corin Road. Here you’ll find Corin Forest. One of the closest places to Canberra that one can find snow! The bobsled, flying foxes and water slides are great fun. Plans for the future of Corin Forest include snowmaking, chalets, mountain bike courss and more! Further down Corin Road are the picturesque Corin Dam and Gibraltar Falls.
Head back up to Tidbinbilla Road and take a right. You’ll soon come to the village of Tharwa – a step back in time! Take a right down Naas Road if you’d like to visit Cuppacumbalong Crafts, otherwise take a left and cross over Tharwa Bridge.
On your left you’ll come to Lanyon Homestead and the Nolan Gallery.
Continue along Tharwa Drive, take a right at the roundabout to continue on Tharwa Drive and then continue onto the Monaro Highway. Take a left onto Isabella Drive and left into Hogben St and check out the Rose Cottage.
Finally, returning onto the Highway, take a left onto Hindmarsh Drive and left again into Jerrabombera Avenue, you’ll find Geoscience Australia.
This page was last updated on 7 April 2012
