Adelaide (Australia) > Reviews > Livin' It Up in Lovely Adelaide (The Long Story)

Author's product rating:   

Value for Money
Shopping
Nightlife
Ease of getting around
Family Friendly

Advantages:	Fantastic Wines, Excellent Pubs, Cultural Atmosphere, Fab Public Transport
Disadvantages:	none

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Wow, this is one long review! Sorry about that, but it took this much to hit everything. The categories I've covered are:
Quick Facts, Lifestyle, Restaurants, Cafes, Coffee/Tea Shops, take-away, Clubs and Pubs, Wineries, Shopping, Museums, Galleries, Libraries, Tourist Destinations, and Public Transport and finally Geography. One more quick comment about the review. The average daily budget could be as much or as little as you wish to spend and I've lived here for a few years so any time of year is what I've been referring to. I didn't use any season specific events in this review.

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The City of Churches and Wines: Adelaide, South Australia
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I first came to Adelaide in 2002 at which point I was working on a master of education degree at the University of South Australia. It was a big change from what I was used to as I had been living in small town America. The obvious differences are the new location, new country, new situation and environment. The less obvious difference is the language. Yes we both speak English; no it's not exactly the same type of English. All in all it's made for a wonderful, fun, interesting, and sometimes even frustrating and exasperating experience. I wouldn't trade it for the world. At first I came to Adelaide as a tourist, and I fell in love with the city and its people. Now I call Adelaide home and I can't imagine being anywhere else and being this happy. So why is Adelaide so great? I hope to give at least a few ideas here so sit back relax and enjoy the sights and sounds of Adelaide, South Australia.

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Some quick facts about Australia and Adelaide:
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States and Territories:
New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Queensland, Northern Territories

Capital Cities:
Sydney (NSW), Melbourne (VIC), Adelaide (SA), Perth (WA), Hobart (TAS), Brisbane (QLD), Darwin (NT)

Capital of Australia:
Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory

Population of Australia:
Approximately 20,300,000 (To get the exactly population number go to the Australian Bureau of Statistics; you can find their webpage at http://www.abs.gov.au/)

Population of Adelaide:
Approximately 1.1 million people as of 2001 so more than likely it's risen since then.

Nickname of Adelaide:
The City of Churches, though surprisingly that doesn't reflect the amount of religious people in Adelaide, and it is no more religious than any other city. (In fact, quite a few of the old churches have been turned into pubs, nightclubs, chemists, community halls, etc)

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Adelaide Lifestyle:
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While Sydney and Melbourne are the more "pumping," "in your face," "flurries of activity" cities in Australia, Adelaide takes a laid back, relaxed, "big country town" feel. That is one of its biggest selling points for me personally. I love the fact that there is never the feel of hustle and bustle you get in most big cities. People are very friendly in Adelaide and quite easy to talk to. Even though you'll occasionally hear locals putting it down they do take pride in it, and many truly love their city. The younger age groups (high school through university age) are the ones who generally complain more, but that's because they would prefer the faster paced lifestyle of some of the eastern states bigger cities. Those are definitely not for me or for people who, like me, want a little peace and quiet while still having an excellent, active, social and cultural lifestyle. I mean, Adelaide lets you enjoy parties, clubs, shopping, music gigs, festivals and the like just as much as Sydney or Melbourne without the whole fast-paced, big city atmosphere. In truth, Adelaide is one of the most overlooked cities in Australia, especially considering how wonderful it is.

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Adelaide's Restaurants, Cafes, Coffee/Tea Shops, and Take-Away:
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The restaurants here are fantastic. In fact I've heard that it's got more restaurants per head of population than any other city in Australia. Suffice to say that you can get excellent food of any type your heart could desire here. In fact, there is a street located right in the heart of the city called Gouger Street that is basically lined with restaurants of all sorts. It's easy to find Italian, Thai, Argentinean, American Themed, Sushi and Japanese, Chinese, Indian, Indonesian and Malaysian, or even a good old fashioned pub food. If you can't find what you're looking for on Gouger Street it is easy to travel to any of a number of other locations similar to that with more choices. In one of the beach suburbs named Glenelg you can find several excellent Mexican, Fresh Seafood, Thai, Japanese, and Indian restaurants. Again that is very much like Gouger Street in the city but with other choices. No one could possibly find Adelaide lacking for a preferred type food at a restaurant. There's something for everyone.

If you're looking for a café to sit back and relax at then this is also the city for you. Cafes line many of the streets with plenty of chairs and friendly waiting staff. It's easy to spend an afternoon sipping lattes and nibbling tasty treats while watching people stroll by. Adelaide is wonderful for this type of café lifestyle. Some of the best places to go for a fabulous brunch are Café Bravo in Norwood, which is a suburb just beside the main city centre, Tin Cat Café, Serves You Right, and 66 on King William Street. Or if you're looking for a place to do a bit of shopping after a nice break at a café, there are numerous exquisite cafes located right in the city by the shopping district and at the central markets.

Coffee shops are another popular "ritual" in Adelaide lifestyle. They love their coffee and tea here! There are several fantastic chains here including Cibo, Gloria Jeans, The Perfect Cup and Billy Baxter's, and those are just the chains! There are several smaller, privately owned little shops that are fantastic to stop in for morning tea. You can see how well liked these little shops are by the number of locals that stop in for a coffee/tea and cake.

Finally, Adelaide has excellent take-away places for foods if you'd prefer to eat at home or in your hotel. There are "chook shops" where you can by BBQ chicken and chips (fries) everywhere. You can stop at take-away fish and chips shops and get any type seafood you want as well. There are several bakeries where you can get take-away breads and pastries. Most restaurants and cafes also have a take-away option though that is not guaranteed. Some places even have delivery. That is on top of the typical Americanized fast food take-away industry such as McDonalds, Hungry Jacks (that's what Burger King is called here), Subway, and Quiznos.

All in all there is a restaurant, café, coffee/tea shop, or take-away place suited to every possible taste. After writing this I may have to go and sample some of the goods at the bakery down the street, I'm starving!

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Adelaide Clubs and Pubs:
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While I enjoy a good club every once in a while they're not my main venue. There are several here in Adelaide which are very popular and I can honestly say I don't know much about them, though I do know where they are! If clubs are your thing the best place to look here in Adelaide is Hindley Street. That's where most of the hopping, pumping, open all night clubs are located and where the youth of Adelaide flock to in order to hang out with mates, get the chicks/blokes and basically have a good time. No, it's not all just the "youth" there are a load of other people of all ages out there as well so if you're interested give it a go and check out the clubs.

The pubs of Adelaide are a bit of a specialty of mine. I adore pubs, I like good beers and wines and good company, there's nothing that can beat it anywhere in the world. I've done quite a bit of "research" in this area as well. I also love the pub band scene and the fact that it's a place where you can dance or sit back and relax and talk and listen to the band. My personal pubs of note in Adelaide are:

The Brecknock which is a real Irish pub with fantastic locals, good beer and great bands several nights a week. On the band nights you'll often hear the whole pub singing along with well known and loved Irish tunes. It's mostly a traditional sort of crowd and one of the best places in all of Adelaide to sit back, relax and enjoy a fine drink and dinner. It's located very close to the city centre as well so at an easy to reach location. The Brecknock has a fabulous beer garden with two pool tables and a jukebox located in the back of the building, several tables in front of the pub for other patrons who wish to sit outdoors with their drinks and enjoy people watching, and a small gambling/gaming area beside the front bar. It also has a few private function rooms. There is accommodation that is owned by the Brecknock just behind the beer garden, and I've heard, though I've never stayed there, that it's pretty nice and reasonably priced. Again I have not stayed or inquired about the price so that is just hearsay. (I'll admit that this is my favorite pub and I highly recommend anyone visiting Adelaide to stop in and see for themselves.)

Finn MacCool's in Norwood is just a short bus ride or taxi ride from the city. It's an excellent Irish Themed pub that has live bands and good food. It's louder than The Brecknock, and has a little dance floor so that you can boogy if the mood takes you after a few beers. Friday and Saturday nights it's usually packed! During the day it's much more quiet and an excellent place to stop for lunch. It's got two open fires during the winter, and a fantastic set of private function rooms as well as an outdoor seating area on a side street beside the pub. There is a big gaming and gambling venue attached to Finn MacCools as well.

The Archer I a pub in North Adelaide that is absolutely brilliant as well. It's got several different rooms with different functions and many private function rooms. (Confusing isn't it?) Suffice to say, there's a front bar, a no-smoking back bar, a wine bar, dining bar, outdoor dining, bistro, etc. It's a great pub to spend an afternoon in with friendly staff and nice food.

I've only listed three here, but there are many many more. In fact there are about 75 pubs in the city square mile alone! While I was wandering aimlessly through pubs recently I found a fantastic free publication called Shout! Publocator. (www.publocator.com.au) which is a complete guide to the pubs of South Australia. Of course I couldn't pass that up. It details many pubs, gives history on the area of the pubs and tells you highlights. It's an excellent resource to plan your pub crawling adventures and hey it's even got maps to give you directions!

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Adelaide and South Australian Wineries:
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This section could be entirely too long (as could the pub section) so I'm going to make it short and sweet if I can. South Australian wines are some of the best in the world. Before coming here I was never much of a wine drinker but that has changed and I know what I like and what I don't. I've had the opportunity to go wine tasting at several different vineyards which has been brilliant, and if you come to the Adelaide area and are of age to drink and you don't take the opportunity to try this then you're missing out.

The Penfolds Grange winery is located very close to the city. It's got excellent wines to taste and you can buy Penfolds the world over, it's even better on location! Also there are the famous Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale wine regions very near Adelaide. They're worth the drive, or taxi ride. They have some excellent accommodation, fabulous restaurants and nice tasty wines.

If you're looking for wine tours you can book bus tours that have nibbles on the way and wine tasting at a number of wineries, and even something as exotic as a camel back wine tour. I haven't gone on these tours, but I plan on booking one when I have friends visit! It'll give me the opportunity to try it out! I'd suggest anyone visiting do the same!

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Adelaide Shopping:
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While Melbourne is more well known for shopping than Adelaide, that's not to say that there isn't the opportunity to shop at all here. There are a couple large shopping areas. Marion Mall has loads of stores and great places to buy whatever you could possibly want. Tea Tree Plaza also has quite a few shops though isn't quite as large. Right in the city itself is Rundle Mall which has a lot of good stores and loads of choices for the willing buyer! In most suburbs there are small areas with shops, and they are always excellent to wander around. Norwood, Burnside, Hyde Park, Unley to name a few, have storelined streets that sell everything from household goods to clothes to alcohol to jewelry. They are all easy to reach, and easy to find.

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Adelaide Museums, Galleries and Libraries:
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Adelaide has a very nice museum located on North Terrace. It isn't quite as big as some museums I've been in, but it is a good size and it's easy to spend an afternoon looking around. It's got the typical Australian attractions, Aboriginal historical items, Animals and Birds, Dinosaur bones, and the kids favorite attraction a model of a giant squid that stretches over two floors.

There is a fantastic art museum/gallery that has all of the famous Australian artists. I love going here for an afternoon and spending time looking at it all. Many are so beautiful and realistic I can't believe they are painted. There is also a modern art section and some sculpture. Recently (and I'm not sure how long it will still be an exhibit) they've added a tapestry section which was fascinating and stunning as well. If it's a rainy day, and you're interested in seeing some Australia art this is the place to go.

The State Library doesn't sound like "the place to hang out" but it's pretty cool actually. There is the typical library which isn't what I'm referring to. You can bypass that and then go into the historical big of the library, and it's almost like you've walked into Trinity College in Dublin. The bottom floor has all sorts of Australian historical displays with everything from Toys and games to footy (Australian Rules Football) uniforms and pieces of the first ships that landed on Australian shores. The upper two stories are lined with old books, most are beautifully leather bound volumes. There are tables and chairs and some more comfortable seating all with lights for anyone who wishes to study in the quiet and impressive atmosphere of academic excellence. The geographical society is also located in this area, and I have found that the secretary there is informative, interesting and very nice and helpful. There's also a section in the library that shows old journals and diaries of explorers, it's got a whole wall dedicated to all things Australian. The cases are all made of different Australian materials and labeled. It's very interesting. It's basically a wall of history from those early explorers through today's car racing Clipsal. Very cool stuff here, it won't take long to check it out and it's worth the look.

The Museum, Art Museum/Gallery and Library are all FREE with no entry fee charged unless you choose to go to special exhibits in the gallery. They're all located on North Terrace literally side by side so there's no travel time between them. It's ideal for tourists or people on foot.

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Adelaide Tourist Destinations:
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Adelaide has quite a few destinations either located in the city or a very short distance away. I've already mentioned McLaren Vale and the Barossa Valley, Glenelg I also worth visiting. It's a beach suburb with a great restaurant and shopping area. If you're interested in shipping Port Adelaide is the place to go. The Adelaide Hills are the homes of Mt. Lofty which is the highest point in Adelaide and Cleland Wildlife Park. Cleland is an absolute must for any visitor who wishes to see Australian wildlife up close. Here you have the opportunity to feed and pet kangaroos, wallabies, emu, and even hold and cuddle koalas. I have always loved visiting Cleland and had the opportunity to meet the head koala keeper which was pretty cool! They've also got all the other Aussie animals to look at though you can't touch. These animals include dingoes, and the various gorgeous and colorful birds/parrots. Cleland also has a reptile house so you can see those animals that you should avoid at all costs if you want to remain upright and walking. *shudders* If you're into hiking there's a beautiful conservation park where you can see a lot of Australian flora and fauna in its natural setting. There's a pretty waterfall here (depending on the time of year) and some great trails. I've often seen koalas in the trees eating leaves. It's pretty cool!

For some reason I can't think of any more specific tourist destinations right this second, but sometimes just finding out cool places to go, nice things to see, great pubs and restaurants and stuff like that is part of the fun of traveling to a new place. Adelaide has plenty of wonderful little things hidden away.

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Adelaide Public Transportation:
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The last thing I want to mention with regards to Adelaide is its fantastic public transport system. Sure we all complain if a bus is running late, or we get aggravated if we miss a tram or train, but all in all it's pretty darn good. The website is well put together, even if it is in PDF format so it takes a while to download timetables, you can get timetables free at most news agents and at the actual Adelaide Metro information and ticket office right in the city. They've got a phone number to call if you have any questions. You can call their number any time from 7AM till 8PM every day, and I have to say that they are some of the most helpful individuals I've ever spoken with. If you need to know what bus/tram/train to catch and which stop to get on and off at, and times… well they've got it for you, and they do it quickly and are very nice about it as well. It never fails to impress me how good the Public Transport is here. And last but not least, all public transport uses the same ticket. There is an off-peak and peak price for tickets. I will not include ticket price here because it does occasionally change, though it is quite reasonable and there's a brochure that tells you the current information that is easy to pick up if you're in Adelaide.

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Adelaide The Bits I Left Out The First Time Round- A little on Geography:
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Finding your way around Adelaide is simple. It is one of only a few "planned" cities. The centre of the city is basically a square with the city in the middle surrounded by massive parklands. It's actually quite beautiful and well thought out with playing fields, and general "green" areas that are excellent to walk through. The city center is bounded by North Terrace (home of the museums, galleries, library etc), South Terrace, East Terrace and (you guessed it) West Terrace. All roads are basically either parallel to each other or perpendicular. It is very helpful if you've never been here and are trying to find your way around. In the centre of the city you can catch a tram that will take you all the way down to the beach suburb of Glenelg. The tram itself has been around since 1929 and is quite quaint and cute, though they are getting new trams at the end of this year to replace the old ones. Another excellent beach suburb just down from Glenelg is Brighton. There's a jetty there as well and some very nice restaurants in the area. While Adelaide is quite spread out as far as size, it is not hard to travel through or in, or to find your way to locations you're trying to visit. The roads are not nearly as busy as those of Melbourne or Sydney, and are fairly easy to drive on. Though as I've mentioned, don't be afraid to take the public transport.

I briefly mentioned the central markets above in the food related section, but here's a little bit more. The central markets are in the heart of the city. They're excellent and the best places to get fresh food, fruits, veggies, and basically anything you'd shop at a regular grocery store to buy. They've got some coffee shops, restaurants, excellent brunchy places and other little shops inside as well. The central markets also border on Chinatown. If you like Asian food and Asian culture, this is the place to go. It's excellent.

All in all, no matter where you go or what you're looking for you can find it in Adelaide. Whether you want parklands to stretch your legs and kick a ball around, restaurants and cafes to fill your tummy, or beaches to swim and lounge in the sun. Adelaide is a city that deserves so much more praise than it gets, and it's a fantastic destination for a holiday.