Adelaide Travel Guide

Adelaide (South Australia)

Adelaide, capital of South Australia, is an elegant city where people make the most of the good life. Its gracious Victorian and Edwardian buildings and homes of the colonial era are lovingly preserved, their verandahs and ironwork intact. Home of one million-plus people, with a Mediterranean climate, street-side cafes, designer shopping and vibrant night life, Adelaide has much to offer. The vineyards that surround the city produce some of Australia’s finest wines.

Must see and do in Adelaide                                       

Central Market: On gouger and Grote Streets. This historic market was established in 1870 and today houses a variety of stalls: fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, fish and poultry, and gourmet items. There is a good selection of Chinese vegetables and Asian grocery shops, variety stalls and entertainment.

Haigh’s Chocolate Factory: Established in 1915, Haigh’s Australia’s oldest chocolate manufacturer. Located at 154 Greenhill Road, Parkside, you can learn how chocolate is made from raw cocoa beans, which have been carefully selected from plantations around the world.

Ayers House: This gracious establishment is the former home of Sir Henry Ayers, premier of South Australia. Today it is part-museum,part-restaurant.

Parliament House: An imposing building of marble and granite, the public galleries of Parliament House are open during sittings.

Botanic Garden: North Terrace. This historic garden contains many heritage buildings, the oldest glasshouse in an Australian botanic garden, the museum of Economic Botany and the Bicentennial Conservatory with tropical plants from the Asia Pacific region.

Glenelg :For many visitors, the fun begins just getting to Glenelg travelling by tram from Victoria Square, in the heart of the city, for the 10km f\ride to Moseley Square at the seaside resort of Glenelg , where modern South Australia began.Others like to start their holiday experience at Glenelg, for it’s a city in its own right with a grand hotel and restaurants, where a short stroll takes you from the shops and the fun spots to 32km of white sand and blue sea.

Wildlife and theme parks in Adelaide:

Adelaide Zoo: located at Frome Road. The zoo has more than 1,500 native and exotic animals.

Cleland Wildlife Park: Summit Road, Mount Lofty, Adelaide Hills. Thisopen-range wildlife park is dedicated to the conservation of Australia’s unique fauna. The park is home to a variety of Australian native animals and birds.During the afternoon display sessions visitors can cuddle the koalas. Come and pat kangaroos, visit the walk-through aviaries and join the nocturnal animal walks.

Magic Mountain: Colley Reserve, Glenelg, Located off Moseley square and on the sea front, Magic Mountain offers great fun for young and the young at heart.

Mt Thebarton: Port Road, The Barton. This is the world’s only indoor ski, skate and toboggan centre. With ski slopes, skating rinks and all the necessary equipment for hire, it’s ideal for all ages in all seasons.

Night life in Adelaide:

After-dark activities concentrate around Hindley Street NorthTerrace and Rundle Street East with a wide selection of clubs, pubs, cafes, restaurants and hotels. Don’t miss a chance to visit the Adelaide Casino,housed in a classic 1929 sandstone building offering full gaming facilities,nightly entertainment and excellent restaurants.

Adelaide Festival Centre, king William Road is a modern performing arts complex in King William Road housing five theatres to stage music, dance,drama, opera, mime and film events as well as conventions and trade shows. It is a main venue for the biennial Festival of Arts, the largest arts festival in Australia. 

Excursions and day tours from Adelaide:

Adelaide Hills: A rim of hills along the city’s eastern border, also known as the Mt Lofty Ranges. The Mt Lofty summit (as well as light’s Vision lookouts in North Adelaide) offer splendid views of the city. A trip to Mt Lofty is worth combining with visit to the Cleland Wildlife Park.

Hohndorf: A German heritage town, nestles in the Adelaide Hills 29km south-east of the city and features German coffee shops and restaurants, museums, art and craft shops and even a strawberry farm where you can pick your own berries, The Hohndorf Academy. 68 Main Street,Hohndorf is an art gallery, museum and working studio. The gallery features exhibitions and works by South Australian artists including Sir Hans Heysen.

Torrens Gorge can be reached via a scenic drive \along the River torrens. Attractions along the way include The Big rocking Horse at Gumeracha, the National Motor Museum at Birdwood and Melba’s Chocolate factory at Woodside.

Barossa Valley is situated 70km north-east of Adelaide. It is the most famous of the Adelaide. It is the most famous of the State’s wine-producing regions with approximately 48 wineries and cellar door outlets. This picturesque region was first settled by German migrants more than100 years ago and many building,shops and restaurants reflect the European heritage. Coach and limousine tours to the area depart from Adelaide daily.

Clare Valley, a two-hour drive north of Adelaide, is a premium wine-growing region.It features character villages with carefully preserved architecture dating back to the 1840s. Many of the old buildings are now used as restaurants and guest houses. The wineries surrounding the area vary from the small, innovative boutique-style establishments to the famous brand leaders. Handicraft shops are abundant and well worth taking the time to explore.

Victor Harbor is 80km from Adelaide. It is an historic whaling port, with restaurants, craft shops and good accommodation as well as attractions such as the Whale centre and Penguin Centre, granite Island, connected to the mainland by a causeway where you can catch the famous horse-drawn tram,is home to a colony of Fairy penguins.

Kangaroo Island, located 113km south-west of Adelaide, is a resort island of beautiful bush, national parks and abundant wildlife, including a permanent breeding colony of sea lions. Access is by vehicle ferry from Cape Jervis, the nearest point on the mainland (one hour), or by passenger ferry from Cape Jervis (1/2hour), or by plane from Adelaide (1/2 hour). Day and extended tours are available. The range of accommodation includes motels, self-contained cottages,bed and breakfast and farm stays.

Murray River cruises: the Murray, Australia’s largest river; meanders through South Australia’s heartland to the coast. Take a day trip or an extended cruise on a modern paddle wheeler, stopping off at river towns along the way. Extended cruises leave from Mannum and Murray Bridge. Day cruises leave from Goolwa, Mannum and Murray Bridge, or you can hire a houseboat for an extended visit and travel this picturesque waterway at your leisure.

Coober Pedy is South Australia’s oldest and largest opal mining town. It is credited with having the most opal shops with the greatest display of these fiery gems anywhere in the world. To escape the heat, a large number of its population lives underground. Visit a church, a home or opal mining display…allocated underground!