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The Canberra Times

National

Amy Martin

Lonely Planet names Canberra's ultimate tourist experience - and it's not the AWM

Lonely Planet Canberra National Museum of Australia Sitthixay Ditthavong British Museum National Museum

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What is Canberra's ultimate tourist experience?

According to Lonely Planet's new book, Ultimate Australia Travel List - which ranks the top 500 experiences in Australia - it's the National Museum of Australia.

Coming in at number 48 nationally, the cultural institution was included for bringing "the nation's story to life through its incredible collection of more than 210,000 objects representing Australia's history and culture", as well as hosting blockbuster touring exhibitions.

The latest of these blockbusters, Ancient Greeks: Athletes, Warriors and Heroes, is set to come to a close on Sunday, with the National Museum extending hours this weekend to allow more people to see the exhibition before it ends.

Featuring more than 170 objects from the British Museum's collection of Greek treasures, with artefacts dating from 800 BCE to 200 CE, it explores how life compared to that of today.

National Museum of Australia director Mathew Trinca at the opening of Ancient Greeks. Picture: Sitthixay Ditthavong

"We've got a long-standing relationship with the British Museum, we've brought other shows from them in the past, but this one really has been a knockout," National Museum of Australia director Mathew Trinca said.

"People have really responded to it strongly and a lot of people in April came in from interstate - down from Sydney, or up from Melbourne - and that's precisely what the shows to do.

"We continue to develop and expand our reputation as a major cultural destination in this country, and that's why I was so pleased to see Lonely Planet put the museum as the top Canberra destination.

"It's recognition of the work we've done at the museum over recent years, and more generally, the work that's been done in Canberra to make us appeal as a cultural tourism destination."

Other Canberra locations that got a mention in the Lonely Planet's Ultimate Australia Travel List were Namadgi National Park (at number 65 nationally), Australian War Memorial (68), the National Arboretum (71) and the National Botanic Gardens (81).

Meanwhile, Uluru in the Northern Territory took out first position, followed by the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) in Tasmania, and the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland.

"I think this is the city's moment and we've got to grasp that and be confident about it," Dr Trinca said.

"Not only do we have great places that we who live here love, but increasingly Australians realise how fabulous it is to visit the city, to visit these key national cultural institutions like the museum.

"It's why it's so pleasing to see it come first amongst those attractions, but it's a whole web of experiences, not just the museum, that you can have Canberra that makes the city such a fabulous destination and that's been the big change that we've felt over the last 20 years or so - the city is coming into its own."

National Museum of Australia exhibition Ancient Greeks closes on Sunday. Picture: Sitthixay Ditthavong

Since opening in December, Ancient Greeks has seen more than 100,000 people come through its doors, which - considering the Omicron outbreak just after the exhibition - Dr Trinca said was a great result.

But as well as having the exhibition's range of Ancient Greek artefacts to draw people in, the museum also hosted two popular Greek festivals, and this week saw Greek-Australian slam poet Luka Lesson premiere his latest one-man hip-hop show Agapi and Other Kinds of Love.

"This is just another story of the way that Canberra has turned out for what are these great cultural experiences and we're appreciative and delighted to see how well it's gone," Dr Trinca said.

Ancient Greeks is at the National Museum until Sunday. For tickets go to nma.gov.au.