Adelaide city guideAdelaide is a city of culture and relaxed-living. It's also a spacious city with wide streets and a green belt of parklands encircling the entire city. You may easily forget that almost one million people live in this city. Adelaide is far more 'down to earth' than most other Australian cities. There aren't very many top attractions in and near the city, so one day here is usually enough for most travellers. Luckily however the city has countless fun cafés and pubs (especially near Hindley street) to visit while you're here. If you have enough time, don't forget to visit the Barossa Valley and its famous vineyards and go for a (day)trip to the Fleurie Peninsula. |
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Adelaide attractionsAdelaide has several historical buildings that are worth having a look at: Government House, City Hall, Ayers House and the Edmund Wright House. These buildings, as well as churches such as the Holy Trinity and the St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, give the city a colonial atmosphere. If you enjoy visiting museums, don't miss the Migration Museum. This interesting museum has quite detailed information about the more than 100 nationalities of people who now call Australia home. Adelaide also has a botanical garden and a zoo. They're nice to see, but not a must when visiting. |
Adelaide shopping and entertaimentThe main shopping and entertainment area is located near Rundle Mall and Rundle Street. Bars, restaurants, terraces and all types of shops, large and small, can be found here. East End Market and its hundreds of stands with food from every corner of the world is also nearby (open Friday through Monday and on holidays). There's also a flea market on Orange Lane where you can find lovely second-hand curiosa. |
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Transport and transfersIt won't take you long to reach the city after you arrive at Adelaide airport, it's only 7km away. The easiest option is to take a taxi cab. The same applies to those who arrive at the bus or train station.The city centre is easily accessible on foot. There is plenty of parking space all around the city, so it won't be too difficult to find a spot for your hire car if you have one. Most hotels are located on the edge of the city centre. They can be easily be reached by car. Taxi cabs aren't too expensive, in case you choose not to hire a car. There's also the Bee Line bus, a free bus that drives around the city centre and departs every five minutes. Other alternatives would be to go for a ride in one of the historic trams or to hire a bicycle for a day. |
Tips & TripsThe famous vineyards of the Barossa Valley are located 70km north of the city. Visit the vineyards during a relaxing day trip. Dozens of famous and less famous wineries can be visited. We recommend visiting the Valley on your own and not during an organised trip, it's much more fun that way. Visit the wine cellars of Jacob's Creek (they make more than simple box-o-wines) or Yaldara, a popular historic vineyard (which does however attract quite a few tourists). Naturally it's also just as much fun to head out in search of smaller, less well known vineyards. The friendly ladies who work at the local Tourist Information Bureau will give you detailed information and a map of the area. |
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Fleurie PeninsulaThe Fleurie Peninsula is located 110km south of Adelaide and very much just as interesting for a day trip as Barossa is. There are beautiful (surf) beaches on the Golf of St. Vincent and you'll find 25 vineyards in McLaren Valley, some of which date back to the 19th century. There are plenty of great wines to taste here. If you would like to visit some of the smaller vineyards, it's best to have your own transport. If you take it slow an easy on a day like this, the entire trip will take you a full day. |
Kangaroo IslandKangaroo Island, an island that is more than 7 times as large as Singapore (150 x 20km), is easily accessible for instance by ferry from Cape Jarvis. The island has beautiful natural bush land, incredible wildlife and great beaches. Since the island is some what isolated, all of its natural beauty has been preserved. This is a great place to spend several hours walking through nature and along the coastline, especially if you've spent a lot of time sitting in a car before arriving here. While on the island there's a very good chance that you'll see penguins, seals, koala bears, wallabies and dozens of different sea birds.There are places where you can book an organised day trip to Fleurie or Kangaroo Island all over Adelaide. Your hotel will have brochures available and booking a day trip is as easy as picking up the telephone. Naturally you can also choose to hire a car and explore the island on your own, this will also very do-able. |
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