On the outskirts of the city, the outer Belconnen suburb of Nicholls is home to the Gold Creek Village, a collection of some of Canberra's most loved attractions, as well as an impressive array of speciality shops, craft outlets, art galleries, and places to eat. The first of it's main draw cards is the National Dinosaur Museum, a private collection boasting a 300 exhibit display including 10 full- size replica skeletons. Across the road, visitors can get up close and personal with some modern day dinosaurs at both the Australian Reptile Centre, and The Bird Walk's walk-in aviary.

On the fringes of the Gold Creek Country Club opposite the reptile park, Cockington Green is Gold Creek's most charming and unique attraction, featuring detailed model buildings from around the world set amongst stunning landscaped gardens. The highlight is the quaint English village, complete with trains, a river, and lots of tiny country folk going about their business. Lookout for the little guy trapped under the cow pat.

Forming the other half of the Gold Creek complex, Federation Square is the collective name for the majority of the village's speciality shops and galleries, many of which are housed in colonial buildings dating back to the late 19th century. Enhancing the square's historical flavour is the beautiful tudor-styled English pub, perfect for a refreshing ale after an interesting afternoon of sight-seeing.

Towards the middle of Belconnen, Lake Ginninderra creates the scenic centrepiece of the area. The northern shores of the lake are dominated by a string of grassy reserves and recreation parks, while the opposite side marks the beginning of Belconnen's extensive shopping district. The campus of the University of Canberra is also nearby.

Closer to the city, the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) was born out of a major national form slump in the seventies. Located on Leverrier Crescent in the suburb of Bruce, the institute's influence has worked like a charm, leading it to be recognised as one of the world's trailblazers on sports technology. Interesting guided tours of the state-of-the-art training facilities are often lead by elite athletes, providing sports fans with an excellent chance of bumping into one of their heroes. A tour highlight is the interactive museum Sportex, allowing visitors to put their own fitness levels up against those recorded by Australia's Olympians. The AIS also hosts the action of most of Canberra's biggest sporting events, including home games for the Canberra Raiders, ACT Brumbies and the Canberra Cannons.