Canberra in autumn is like no other place in the country, says pet photographer Kerry Martin from Puppy Tales Photography. Each year during the cooling season she, her husband and their two dogs, Keiko and Summer, pack up the van and leave Melbourne to head to the nation’s capital. Here, she spends two or three weeks capturing the perfect memories of local pets and the owners and making their own together in the coloured falling leaves.
“Just going for a walk every day really encourages that lifestyle, it’s a bit more balanced because you’re out getting some fresh air and some green space usually, or autumn colour. They’re just fun animals to have in your life, they’re goofy and no judgement,” says Ms Martin.
Ms Martin shares 5 of her favourite places around Canberra to walk your pooch and snap a shot or two for the ‘gram.
- The National Arboretum Canberra, Molonglo Valley
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A beautiful on-leash area with plenty of walking tracks, each offering a different experience – walk through the forests or soak up a stunning Canberra view.
“You get lots of viewpoints, you can see Black Mountain, Telstra Tower, back to the lake in areas and over the hills, it’s beautiful … for how beautiful it is and close to the city, it’s quite a quiet area.”
The Yarralumla park contains gentle walking tracks around the lake, plenty of grassed areas for adventures and an autumn forest for exploring. Better yet, when you and your pooch start feeling peckish, dog-friendly cafes are only too happy to offer you both a snack.
Ms Martin says the man-made lake has many great spots to take your best friend; the bridge-to-bridge 5km walk is gentle and often a great chance to meet other pooches. The Carillion with its eye-catching yellow willows is a great spot for a relaxing stroll. There is also the National Gallery and its sculpture garden, Reconciliation Place and many more.
“You can do the walk around the lake, but you can also walk up to the door of Parliament House with your dog, you can’t take them in,” smiles Ms Martin. “You can walk around Parliament, you can walk between the lake and Parliament, so that takes in Old Parliament House – the gardens are quite amazing,”
- Lennox Gardens, Yarralumla
Lennox Gardens offer international garden experiences with an English formal with rose beds, a Spanish war memorial planted with olive trees, and a Chinese garden fitted with a traditional gate and sculptures. Explore the gardens with your pup on leash and snap a shot in Ms Martin’s favourtie section, the Nara Peace Park.
“They plant some nice trees there. Because it is those oriental feeling gardens, you’ve got some maple trees, some colourful trees, there is a little garden and some oak trees which are quite beautiful.”
A quiet street lined with deciduous trees, close to the residence of the Governor-General, the path leads you one of two ways. The photographer suggests heading down Lady Denman Drive to catch glimpses of Scrivener Dam and snap the perfect shot of your pooch.
Whether you want to follow Ms Martin’s guide or find your own spot with your pooch, the photographer says it is about making the most of the time that you have with them.
“I feel like by including them in so much and having them as part of our life, I won’t look back in regret … They’ve enhanced my life amazingly, we’ve both had a really good life in the time we’ve had together.”
Find more of Kerry Martin’s shots in Puppy Tales at puppytales.com.au
