Only minutes from the city centre following Northbourne Avenue, the suburb of Dickson has become a thriving restaurant precinct, specialising in a variety of good value Asian cuisine's. Other quality meals can be found just across the road at the enormous Canberra Trademan's Union Club on Badham Street. Never closed, this enterprising social club also incorporates the Canberra Bicycle Museum, featuring ten restored trams as well as a large collection of old and unusual bicycles. In the adjacent suburb of Downer, the Downer Club also hosts some unlikely attractions including an Antartic igloo, and the excellent Canberra Space Dome and Observatory.

Further up Northbourne Avenue on Canberra's northern fringes, the National Motorcycle Museum and Treloar Technology Centre are located in the industrial suburb of Mitchell. The Motorcycle Museum displays an incredible range of over 250 restored bikes, covering many brands, styles and vintages. Just around the corner, Treloar Technology Centre is a private collection of large war relics such as tanks and aircraft.

On the Federal Highway beyond the outskirts of the city, local wine-makers have transformed the surrounding countryside into a small but celebrated wine growing region. Tastings are available, but not all of the vineyards have cellar door operations, so it's best to tap into a little local knowledge. There are several tour companies which conduct specialised and informative tours throughout the area, or alternatively, pick up the wineries map and brochure at the Canberra Visitors Centre on Northbourne Avenue.