photographer (not a terrorist)...
I forgot to mention that while at Parliament House I was briefly approached by security while taking photos of the central atrium (which is directly below the glass pyramid visible in the previous post). The exchange lasted only moments before the guard realised he had his wires crossed, but it goes to show how sensitive people can be these days about photography in public spaces.
For comedic effect, pretend I used the phrase "post nine eleven world" somewhere in the preceding sentence. The photo didn't even turn out that great.
Speaking of which, I found it difficult to take photos of any well-known area or building in Canberra without it being a cliché or at least reminiscent of a tourism brochure. Partly this is because everything in Canberra is iconic, but I also felt the symmetry present everywhere suggests strongly the framing that a shot should have. Being a designed city it simply looks best from the places it was designed to look best from. Ironically this makes it a bad subject for photography, a bit like taking a photo of a painting: the photo is a redundant exercise that will never be as good as enjoying the original work of art in the flesh. Sometimes the occasional cliché is OK though, and I'll post just such a shot in the next entry.
The above view is of the National Museum, which should be visited if only for its architecture and "big spiral thing".
Given that water restrictions are in effect, most of the large fountains and water features had been drained and turned off. Above, the nozzles and lights of one of several silent fountains in front of Old Parliament House. This is a bit of a half-hearted gesture when the nearby Captain Cook water jet is seen throwing tons of water into the air ;)