The awe-inspiring Parliament House, the National Gallery of Australia and the Australia National Botanic Gardens are the chief picks.

BBC: SPORT | Rugby Union | Rugby World Cup | Venues Guide | City guide: Canberra

Julia Gillard, the prime minister of Australia, scored a political victory when the lower house of parliament passed the controversial Minerals Resource Rent Tax, which will subject mining companies to a higher levy on annual profits.

ECONOMIST: Politics this week

Australia's lower house of parliament has narrowly passed a bill for a controversial carbon tax.

BBC: Australia parliament passes divisive carbon tax

It is also trying to make political capital out of the fact that Mr Howard will not be in Australia when the tax begins but leading a party of former Australian prime ministers and officials to Britain to mark the centenary of the act of Parliament on July 9th 1900 that set up Australia's federation.

ECONOMIST: Australia

The Speaker's chair - with a lighted canopy - was originally a present from Australia and is the only wood of its type in the Houses of Parliament (d).

BBC: COMMONS' CHAMBER