Lennox Gardens

Lennox Gardens, set on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin, offers beautiful views of Black Mountain, the Brindabella Ranges and the city centre. Kids love the expanse of lush green grass and there’s plenty of space to picnic, have a barbeque or just relax under the shade of towering trees. Lennox Gardens is home to two landscaped gifts from Japan and China; each celebrating the sister city links between Canberra, Beijing and Japan’s ancient capital, Nara.

The Beijing Garden is designed in the imperial Chinese garden style of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912); a style symbolic of luxury and refinement. It features a traditional Chinese welcome gate, paths that meander past Chinese stone sculptures and a Chinese pavilion offering a place for quiet retreat to enjoy the garden’s serenity.

Canberra Nara Peace Park is the home of the annual Canberra Nara Candle Festival held in October. It features a small Japanese themed garden, traditional wooden gate and gazebo, and a number of iconic cherry blossom trees. A distinctive feature of the park is its “borrowed landscape” or the extension of the park’s boundaries to encompass landmarks such as Lake Burley Griffin, Black Mountain, Mount Ainslie and Lotus Bay.