Have a capital time

Walk through history
Parliament House is a very interesting design to walk through, as is Old Parliament House, which sits in front of the new building, and just in front of that is Lake Burley Griffin. But unless you have a particular interest in Australian politics or history, it wouldn't be a way to spend your few hours if you're short of time. If you've only got the chance to make one visit, among all the official places in Canberra I'd recommend the Australian War Memorial. It's a beautiful building, positioned down the end of Limestone Avenue, with a great view back towards the two Parliament Houses. Inside there are some great displays depicting Australia's wartime history and some really touching memorials.

The National Library is a fantastic place to go if you're looking to sneak away and do a little bit of studying while in Canberra. It's definitely the preferred place to study for most students because it adds a certain credibility to spending an afternoon in the library when it's the National Library of Australia. The National Portrait Gallery has some interesting exhibitions as well, so that could be worth a visit.

Mooch around
Manuka and Kingston are neighbouring suburbs on either side of Manuka Oval. Both have thriving café and restaurant scenes. If I was at Manuka Oval, I'd head towards Kingston for a coffee and lunch at Me and Mrs Jones on Giles Street, and maybe on the way stop at the local park, a beautiful rectangular garden that heads down towards Lake Burley Griffin.

Sample the dumplings
The Shanghai Dumpling Café in the city near Australian National University is a really great place. It's very high-quality, authentic Chinese food and the dumplings are sensational. It's relatively casual but worth a look.

Tongue and Groove in the city is a popular place for evening drinks or dinner. There's always a good, friendly atmosphere in there.

Take a hike
Lastly, my favourite thing to do: run/walk/drive to the top of Mt Ainslie in the afternoon. Enjoy the bird's-eye view of the peculiar geometry of Canberra's parliamentary triangle, then perch yourself on the western face to watch the sun set behind the Brindabellas.