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Canberra was my home for many years, and there's a lot to love about it. It has a small population with a strong sense of community and is top-heavy with interesting, highly educated, socially progressive people - the opposite of the stereotypical image of dull public servants.

When you're asked/told to come to Canberra by your Prime Minister, in the country I grow up in, you obey that.

Because each are going to blame each other. The thing that Canberra has to really get right is the sharing of the resource. But my problem with people in the government who are there for a short time is that there's no consequences for some of these decisions they make.

That's a lot of words about the weather, but in Canberra you can't help but be aware of the seasons, and there is something wonderful about that. Okay, so there's a distinct lack of beach, but aside from that, the place grows on you.

I had some vague memory of visiting Canberra as a lad, when we came up with my father by car. But when I made the long train journey from Sydney to Canberra and arrived at the little stop, I did wonder slightly whether this really was the national capital.

The idea of having Australians upset at me is just awful.

While Melbourne and Sydney fight about who wears Australia's cultural crown, Canberra just gets on with it.

Australians are a fantastic bunch of people but the attention can be overwhelming for someone like me.

Australians are pretty blunt and we say things how they really are.

Australians don't have a preconceived notion of what things have to be... we can go on a fantastic journey.