December 17

Hello Canberra,

Hello Canberra,

📆 Today: It's Tuesday, December 17.

⛅️ Weather: 34° and partly cloudy. A small chance of a shower. Tomorrow will be cooler.

🍽️ Canberra Eats:

This week's foodie news:

Chefs Eat Canberra Podcast: Hosted by Chris Hansen, author of the Chefs Eat Canberra cookbook, the new Chefs Eat Canberra podcast features interviews with some of Canberra's most beloved chefs. The first episode, now available on Spotify, features Louis Couttoupes, owner of Onzieme in Kingston. Details here.

QT Christmas Feast at Home: Need a hand preparing Christmas lunch? QT's prepared Christmas feasts include all the classics, which are ready to be plated at home. You can order the entire meal or select just mains, entrées, or desserts. Details here.

Free Food at Akiba: A reminder that Akiba will be celebrating 10 years in business with an evening of free food on December 23. Details here.

Bourbon Infused Coffee Beans: In a collab with Lonsdale Street Roasters, the Canberra Distillery has made bourbon infused coffee beans. They're available from the distillery or pop-up shops.

Monster Christmas: Still searching for a Christmas lunch? Monster’s Christmas Buffet has bookings available. The menu features a seafood spread, including oysters, scallop ceviche, octopus, and more. For the main course, enjoy porchetta, whole chickens, striploin, brisket, and lamb shoulder. Details here.

Coming Up: 🪙 The Last and First Coins

Celebrate the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025 at the Mint, where you can mint the last and first coins of the year. On December 31, visitors can enter a raffle for a chance to win one of the final 10 coins minted in 2024. Then, on January 1, another raffle will be held for the first 100 coins minted in 2025. Details here.

Looking Ahead: 🎶 Sarah Blasko

3x ARIA Award-winning singer, songwriter, and producer Sarah Blasko will be coming to Canberra on February 1. She's touring in celebration of her seventh solo album I Just Need To Conquer This Mountain. Details here.

Kids: 🎅 Santa's Safari Extravaganza

The National Zoo & Aquarium will be hosting an evening of festive fun on Thursday. Snap a pic with Santa and his elves, bounce on the jumping castle, stroll through the snow and roast marshmallows. There will also be live music, a magic show, and giveaways. Details here.

Tidbits and News:

✈️ Qatar Returns: Qatar Airways is resuming international flights to Canberra. The airline previously operated flights to the city but suspended them during the global pandemic. The daily service will include a short stop in Melbourne (no disembarking required) before continuing to the airline's hub in Doha, offering connections to over 170 destinations. Flights are set to commence in December 2025. More.

City Walk Upgrade: City Walk between Ainslie Place and Allara Street will be getting an upgrade. You can see the designs and have your say here.

With events winding down for the year, issues this week will be a bit shorter. This Saturday will be the last issue of Canberra Digest for 2024.