For those of you who've read my other Aussie ops...g'day again to you. For those of you who are new to my Aussie ramblings...grab a drink, sit back, and I hope you enjoy the read. I’m writing/editing this following my third trip to what I describe as the finest city in the Southern Hemisphere…
~HISTORY~
The city was named after Queen Adelaide, wife of William IV. Like Melbourne, Adelaide was NOT established as a penal colony, but was founded by free citizens mainly from Britain. Captain John Hindmarsh led the first settlers and they landed from their ship the HMS Buffalo in Holdfast Bay (now known as the City of Holdfast and incorporating Glenelg, which is Adelaide’s main beach area) in December 1826. The surveyor-general, Colonel William Light, with these first settlers, chose the site for the colony and it was he who planned the city amongst other areas of South Australia. He did an excellent job as the city has wonderful wide streets (on a grid layout), squares and parks and gardens surround the whole city centre.
~THE BASICS~
Let me start this by giving you all a basic guide to Adelaide. Adelaide is the capital city of the state of South Australia. Looking at a map, it's right down at the bottom of the country, not quite in the middle. To the West of the City is the Gulf of St. Vincent, to the East are the Mount Lofty Ranges (known to Adelaidians as the Adelaide Hills), to the North is the Barossa Valley and to the South is the Fleurieu Peninsula and McLaren Vale. Its population is around 1.5 million, which makes it Australia's fifth largest city although no one quite knows where they all are as the city is never that crowded or busy… Adelaide lies on the Torrens River, but more about that later. Bush fires like in the area around Sydney do not plague this area, their last major fires were 20 years ago. Reports that this summer would bring large fires proved to be unfounded thank goodness.
Adelaide has to be the most overlooked city in the whole of Australia. I have to say that this fact is a shame, because in my opinion it is a true jewel in their crown, and deserves far more attention than it actually receives. The city centre itself is only 1-mile square, which means everything is well within walking distance. Adelaide is a very 'familiar' city. There's just something about it that makes you think European, but on the other hand it's more than obvious you're actually a long way from home. It's scrupulously clean and tidy which is wonderful and although it has some high rise buildings, there's not nearly as many as in say Melbourne, and the wide streets really do stop any claustrophobic and closed in feelings some cities can produce.
Adelaide enjoys a very Mediterranean style climate with warm dry summers and cool winters. The average rainfall is 580mm and most of this falls between the months of May and August. Periods of continuous are rare but I have seen them (boy was August 2001 wet!). Average temperatures range from 15 degrees C in July up to 30 degrees C in January. Of course these are only mean temperatures, trust me it can be colder than that in the winter as well as much hotter in the summer…
~GETTING AROUND~
This is one city where the airport isn't miles out of town, in fact it’s roughly only 4 miles from the city centre area. The Domestic and International Terminals are currently separate (but in the same place if that makes sense!) but in a couple of years there should be a brand spanking new ‘joint’ terminal. The journey by road into the city takes approximately 10 minutes and a taxi costs around A$14. There is also a Skylink bus available and fares for this are A$7 per person, one way. This bus can also take you to the Interstate terminal and the fare for that is A$3.50.
Local public transport is excellent and most importantly cheap! Two-hour public transport tickets cost A$1.90 between 9am and 3pm Monday through Friday, A$3.20 at all other times and day tickets cost roughly A$6.00. These tickets are valid on all city area buses, the O-Bahn (an odd sort of bus that runs some of the way on rails), local area trains, and of course the tram from Victoria Square to Moseley Square in Glenelg. There are also 2 FREE buses, the 99B (the Beeline) and the 99C which run set routes around the city centre, with buses leaving Victoria Square every five minutes or so. All buses in Adelaide run on natural gas, very environmentally friendly.
At the Interstate Train Terminal in Keswick (about halfway between the airport and the city) you can get one of those world famous 'huge' trains to Melbourne, Sydney, Perth or Alice Springs. There's also the Central Bus Terminal on Franklin St, where you can get State buses, Interstate services and also many tours leave from there including the Sealink bus to Cape Jervis for the ferry to Kangaroo Island
~ACCOMMODATION~
For those of you who are interested, while there I always stay at the Adelaide Backpackers Inn on Carrington Street (just south of Victoria Square). All I'm going to say here, is it's the best hostel in Adelaide and I have written a separate review of the place… There are of course plenty of other hostels in the City and the YHA is on Waymouth Street right next to Light Square.
For those on a better budget than I am ever on, Adelaide has loads of hotels of all star-ratings. There’s the Hilton International in Victoria Square and the Hyatt Regency on North Terrace for those who like to live in luxury, but of course there are also plenty of smaller/cheaper hotels, motels and lodges. I personally prefer to stay in hostels, not only because they’re so much cheaper, but also because you can actually get to mix with people in a hostel…
~THE CITY IN DETAIL~
Let me start my tour of Adelaide on King William Street, the main thoroughfare through the city, which runs in a North-South direction. It's the widest of all the streets (42m, 140ft in old money). It continues as King William Road after crossing North Terrace and heads out over the Torrens River and into North Adelaide. All street names change as they cross King William Street, except for North and South Terrace and there’s a good historical reason for this. When William IV gave permission for his name to be used for the main thoroughfare he ordered that the streets crossing it changed names, as Commoners’ may NOT cross the King’s Highway. It was confusing to begin with for me, but I soon got the hang of things and I’m now an expert!
In the centre of the city, at the intersections with Flinders Street and Franklin Street to the north and Gouger Street and Angas Street in the south, King William Street opens out into Victoria Square. In the centre of this square is the obligatory statue of Queen Victoria! In the northern part of the square is a beautiful fountain with 3 spouts representing the three rivers of South Australia, the Murray, the Torrens and the Onkaparinga. The square is laid out with gardens, and in the Southern part of the square is the tram terminus (which runs to Glenelg).
Just to the west of Victoria Square is the Central Market, which has entrances on both Grote Street and Gouger Street. This place is fantastic! You can get everything here you expect from a market, fresh fruit, veg, meat, poultry, fish, cheeses, flowers, plus a wide selection of household goods, books, souvenirs, clothes etc. It also houses loads of cheap little cafes and food stands. There's also a Chinese food court, which serves very cheap and excellent food. It's open Tuesday and Thursday until 5.30pm, Friday until 9.00pm and only until 1pm on a Sat. As I travel as a backpacker with limited funds, this place has always been a godsend to me. Everything is very cheap and it certainly keeps me from starvation.
Right next to the Central Market on one side (and on Gouger Street) is Coles, a supermarket. Open from midnight until 9pm Monday through Friday and from 9am until 5pm Saturdays and Sundays it’s another good place to stock up on all essentials. Please bear in mind though that Australian supermarkets DO NOT sell alcohol at all… On the other side of the Market is Chinatown, a positive hive of activity at most hours of the day and night and the best part about it is the scores of restaurants, the best of which in my humble opinion is The Hong Kong Noodle Bar on Grote Street…
A few blocks north of Victoria Square is Rundle Mall. This is the place to come if you're even remotely interested in the art of shopping! It runs eastwards from King William Street to Pultney Street and is pedestrianised for it's entire length. The whole street is lined with shops, and there are also many little arcades to explore, with yet more shops, cafe's and food courts. The best of these is the Myer Centre, four floors of shopping including the department store Myers itself and a large food court. There’s also another supermarket here, a branch of Woolworths. Another attraction in the Mall is the artwork; there’s bronze pig statues, a cute little fountain and 2 giant silver balls… I’m still lost at the purpose to those in particular, but they sure make for a memorable meeting place! The Mall also frequently hosts outdoor fashion shows and mini music concerts.
Across King William street from Rundle Mall (remember I said that street names change) is Hindley Street. This is known as the Downtown area and it’s kind of a mini Kings Cross for those of you who know Sydney. There are also good restaurants here, as well as some pubs and a multiplex cinema (which I have visited several times…).
Tandanya, the National Aboriginal Cultural Institute on Grenfell Street is a pretty unique place to meet indigenous people and to experience both traditional and contemporary Aboriginal culture through music, drama and art. Each day at 12 noon there is a digeridu performance and the centre has an arts and crafts shop that naturally only sells genuine Aboriginal gifts. There is a small admission charge – A$4 for adults and $3 concessions. Well worth the money, as this place is fascinating.
North Terrace is the home of the State Library, which is now re-opened following substantial re-furbishments, art galleries, and the Museum of South Australia. This museum houses the world’s largest collection of Aboriginal Artefacts and helps to show the Aboriginal way of life through video shows and interactive displays. The Museum also has impressive whale and dolphin skeletons in the main entrance area as well as good general South Australian displays and a collection of Egyptian relics. The last time I was there, there were also several temporary displays including an excellent watercolour painting display by artist Helen Leitch and ‘Culture Shock’, a series of paintings by Aboriginal artist Lawry Love.
The Zoo, which backs onto the river Torrens and has its main entrance on Frome Road, costs A$15 admittance and all the animals are housed in very natural settings. Next to the Zoo are the Botanic Gardens. The main attractions here are the old Palm House, which sits in front of a pretty lake and the Bi-centennial Conservatory which contains plants from he Asian area and is basically an Indoor rain Forest. Another excellent place to go and relax.
A short walk down King William Road brings you to the Torrens Lake, which leads into the Torrens River. The lake is complete with a small fountain and there are boat trips available either just up to the Zoo, or as a round trip (up to the zoo and back again). The trip up to the zoo costs I think A$5.50 and the round trip is A$8.00. I have taken a trip up to the zoo and the boat driver I had was extremely friendly and just as interested in learning about British history as I was in learning about all things Adelaidian! I made the trip up to the zoo all on my own, just me and the boat driver. It was like having my own personal taxi service! If you don’t fancy a boat trip, the walk along the river is relaxed and easygoing and as the river isn’t that wide and surrounded by greenery it makes a very pleasant walk. Bicycles can also be hired here and it is possible to ride up into the hills in one direction and down to the beach in the other and all by the river.
Slightly further up King William Road is St. Peters Cathedral. This has spectacular stained glass windows and is a great place to rest and think. In roughly the same place as the cathedral is the Adelaide Oval, the place where the cricketing legend Sir Donald Bradman hung his cap.
Lights Vision on Montefiore Hill is a great place to go to take photographs of the city. The place is a tribute to Colonel Light whose plan of the city is so clearly laid out before you from this spot. Find this piece of green beauty with its spectacular view at the corner of Pennington Terrace and Montefiore Road, North Adelaide.
Now back to that tram. It is Adelaide's only surviving tram, dates back to 1929 and the journey down to Glenelg takes approximately 25 minutes. The beaches here are clean and safe, this area of the coast is quite sheltered so it's no good for surfers. There is a replica of the HMS Buffalo here, but it's been turned into a restaurant, which kind of spoils your photos. Glenelg in general is just another over-touristy place, but if souvenir shops are you're thing, then you'll be spoilt for choice! There is however a good selection of pubs and restaurants, most of which have outside seating; great for just watching the world go by. May I at this point recommend the Pier and Pine on the seafront?!! Good food, even better beer and all with a view of the sea! Glenelg has to be my favourite place to head to when the sun’s shining... ~FURTHER AFIELD~
The outer Adelaide area boasts way more attractions though than just Glenelg. Cleland Conservation Park on the slopes of Mount Lofty (around 10 miles east of Adelaide) is a great place to get close up's of koalas, kangaroos, wallabies and various waterbirds. The Mount Lofty Gardens, have a higher than surrounding areas rainfall, so rhododendrons thrive here as do ferns. There are also lakes (artificial) and rock gardens. At the summit of Mount Lofty is a lookout area, which affords spectacular views over the entire city and is best visited at night time to see the Adelaide lights. It is cold up there though…
The Blackhills Conservation Park, 8 miles to the North of the city is a Mecca for nature lovers. Here you will find some absolutely beautiful unspoilt gorges and waterfalls; lovely to walk through/past. Roughly 20 miles to the east of Adelaide is Hahndorf, a German settlement that dates back to 1839. It retains all of it's German past perfectly, with half timbered houses, tree lines streets and quaint little churches with spires. The population is still mostly German or of German decent and visiting there is like stepping back in time.
At Murray Bridge there is Dundee’s Wildlife Park, which although not large does still have a good collection of various Australian animals, and allows opportunities to hold crocs, snakes and birds. I can now personally say I’ve held a Saltie (ok so it was only a baby), a carpet python (which I can assure was NOT a baby) and had parrots and all manner of other birds literally eating out of my hand. They also have a fully licensed self service restaurant where, for a set price, you can help yourself to all manner of good food and as many helpings as you like!
As Adelaide is literally surrounded by vineyards and wineries it makes sense to include these here also! The famous Barossa Valley is roughly 60kms north of the city, then there’s the Clare Valley to the north west and the McLaren Vale to the south. There’s also vineyards in the Adelaide Hills and along the banks of the River Murray (known as the Riverlands) towards Beri and Renmark.
Kangaroo Island, Australia’s third largest island lies to the south west of the Fleurieu Peninsula and 120kms from Adelaide. It is separated from the mainland by the narrow Backstairs Passage. There are ferries between Cape Jervis on the mainland and Penneshaw on KI but be warned; Sealink have a monopoly not only on the ferry service but also on the bus service that takes you from Adelaide to the Cape. This fact makes this possibly the most expensive ferry in the world when you calculate the price it costs per kilometre travelled. There is also no public transport on the island which is why the best way to see Kangaroo Island is by tour, most of which run from Adelaide and last between two and three days. The island is an area of outstanding natural beauty so it’s worth the trip over if you get the chance.
~FINAL THOUGHTS~
In writing this I feel there is so much more I could sit here and write about Adelaide, I've barely even scratched the surface. But, I hope I've at least whet people's appetites and shown that there's way more to Australia than just Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.
The city is so clean it’s very clear that the locals have a great pride in where they live. This pride is almost infectious, well it was for me! The streets are all wide and whilst they do get busy at peak hours there’s not the traffic problems of, say Sydney. There’s certainly not the smog that Sydney gets… The parklands that surround the city are all protected and so can never be built on or changed. They truly give the city a very ‘open’ feeling and help the city ‘breathe’.
Adelaidians, in fact South Australians in general are very friendly people and their welcome to their city/state is a genuine one. Everyone’s always smiling and living there, who can blame them?! South Australia is known as the festival state, which possibly accounts for everyones general sunny disposition; give ‘em any excuse at all and they’re partying! There’s city festivals, WOMAdelaide, Clipsal 500 (the opening race in the V8 car race season held on the old Grand Prix circuit in the city centre) which is held every March and this year was the first Adelaide International Film Festival. Of course there are way more festivities than this but I couldn’t possibly list them all here!
In short, Adelaide is somewhere I will keep returning to and it’s my dream to live there one day. I urge you all, if it’s at all possible, to visit there yourselves. I believe you’ll love it…
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