The best family-friendly hikes and walks in Jerrabomberra Wetland Nature Reserve

This large waterfront park has a lot to see. From the large car park there is a restaurants, like the Water's Edge Canberra and Portrait Cafe, and a huge mowed lawn and public restrooms. There is history to read up on like the Women's Reconciliation Place Artwork, and Commonwealth Place. There is a waterfront jetty and paved path and so much more!

The Captain James Cook Memorial commemorates Captain James Cook's first sighting of the East Coast of Australia. Aside from the globe sculpture, the giant water jet is part of the memorial. This jet shoots about six tons of water 152 metres at random times.

On the north shore of Kings Park sits the Australian Merchant Navy Memorial, honouring the Australian Merchant Navy's deployment in World War I and World War II. The monument was created by Daryl Jackson Alastair Swayn.

Lennox Gardens is a well-manicured lakeside park on the southern shore of Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra’s Parliamentary Zone. The gardens include several international friendship spaces, notably the Beijing Garden and the nearby Canberra Peace Park, which celebrate Canberra’s sister-city relationships. With open lawns, ornamental plantings, and walking paths along the lake, it is a popular place for picnicking and enjoying the beautiful views across the water.

Canberra Peace Park is a beautiful memorial garden along Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra’s Parliamentary Triangle, near the National Library of Australia. The park was created during the United Nations International Year of Peace in 1986 and formally dedicated in 1990 as a place for reflection and commitment to peace. Its central monument features the word “Peace” inscribed in the official languages of the United Nations and the Ngunnawal language, set within formal gardens overlooking the lake formed by the Molonglo River.

The East Basin is part of Lake Burley Griffin, spanning from the Kings Avenue Bridge towards the Jerrabomberra Wetlands and Dairy Flat. While walking or biking around East Basin, there are often rowers, windsurfers, dragon boaters, and stand-up paddleboarders on the water.

In 1964, the Molonglo River was dammed, creating this wetland. Today, these 260 hectares of land, forest, and waterways are protected. Within this park are the Kells Swamp Loop, Woodland Walk, and Billabong Walk. Keep your eyes peeled for platypuses, rakali, and micro-bats, and from the bird blind, you may see a few of the 200 bird species that visit this wetland every year.

The National Carillon sits on Queen Elizabeth II Island, a memorial dedicated to the same queen for her relationship with Australia. This huge tower stands 50 meters tall, with 57 bronze bells inside, and it is lit up at night.