March 25 2025 | CanberraDigest

Hello Canberra,

📆 Today: Free leaf bags + this week’s foodie news.

⛅️ Weather: 28° and partly cloudy.

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🍽️ Canberra Eats

This week’s foodie news:

Canteen at Terra: Chef Eddy Tsai, known for some of Canberra’s best ramen at Canteen in Dairy Road, will be taking over Terra for one lunch as part of their ‘Saturday Substitute’ series on April 12. Details here

Bagel Station: There’s a new way to get your hands on authentic bagels in Canberra. Bagel Station delivers fresh bagels every Friday, with flavours including plain, blueberry, black olive, everything, and salted butter. Details here

Rye Cafe Closes: It looks like Rye Cafe on Lonsdale Street has gone into liquidation 😔.

Pandan Leaf Malaysian Restaurant: A new Malaysian spot has opened at the Capital Food Market in Belconnen. The halal-certified menu features dishes like Hainan Chicken, Roti, and Laksa. They’re open Wednesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner. Details here

Shaw Estate’s New Restaurant: The new restaurant at Shaw Estate brings a refined yet relaxed Mediterranean dining experience to Murrumbateman with handmade pasta, wood-fired seafood, and rustic shared plates. Details here

Parlour: Parlour Wine Room in NewActon is under new ownership and has launched a brand new menu. See it here

This Weekend: ⛲️ Open Gardens

Open Gardens Canberra is back with their autumn season. This weekend, two inspiring gardens will be open to explore—and both are free to enter. In Whitlam, you’ll find a climate-wise garden featuring native plants that thrive in local conditions. In Cook, the community garden run by the Canberra Organic Growers Society will be open, with 56 allotment-style plots to explore. There’ll be talks on beekeeping, starting a garden, no-dig gardening, guided tours with gardeners, a sausage sizzle, and more. Details here.

Friday: The Volunteering Expo

Ever wondered how to get into volunteering in Canberra? Discover volunteering opportunities at the 2025 Volunteering Expo, happening this Friday at the UC Refectory. More than 50 organisations will be there, ready to chat about finding your ideal volunteering role. Details here.

Tidbits and News

Northside Hospital Progress: A contract has been awarded to Multiplex to work on planning and design for the new Northside Hospital. Multiplex also worked on Canberra Hospital’s new Critical Services Building. Construction is set to start in 2027. More.

Leaf-Bag Giveaway: The ACT Government is once again giving away free leaf bags this autumn. Use them to collect and store leaves for compost or mulch. By collecting leaves before they reach the drains, you’ll help protect our waterways—leaves and grass clippings leach nutrients and cause toxic blue-green algae blooms in the lakes. Details here.

Sporting Grants: $3.2 million in grants has been awarded to 36 sporting projects in the ACT. More.

Something to do: Pétanque in Canberra

Pétanque is a French game where players throw metal balls through the air toward a small wooden jack. It’s a social game—tactical, with a bit of luck involved. Canberra’s local club is Capital Pétanque, and they play at the piste in Weston Park, Yarralumla. New players are welcome to come and try the game on Sundays. Just turn up and put your name on the board. Details here.

Classifieds:

Naked Wines: Get 6 delicious wines handmade by independent winemakers for just $60. Naked Wines works directly with winemakers to offer insider prices. Details here.

Classifieds are paid ads that support Canberra Digest