Adelaide Travel Guide

Adelaide City

The majority of South Australia’s population live in Adelaide, it’s capital. Adelaide, is located on the River Torrens and is a picturesque city that is surrounded by parklands. It has an abundance of cafes, restaurants and a thriving night club scene. There are a variety of activities and things to see within close proximity to the city. These include, the Adelaide Zoo, Art Gallery of South Australia, the casino, and the South Australian Wine Centre. Outside the city limits are the Adelaide hills. This area offers vistas of the surrounding market gardens, orchards and vineyards.

A short drive north is the Barossa Valley which is renowned for the wines it produces. South of Adelaide it the Fleurieu Peninsula, ideal for day trips or relaxing holidays. The Eyre Peninsula is a rugged coastline that stretches to the Western Australia Boarder.

Get Around

Metropolitan train, tram and bus services are contracted out by the State Government under the unified brand name “Adelaide Metro” and use a unified ticketing system, “Metroticket”. Single trip tickets can be purchased on-board any bus, train or tram and allow the passenger to move freely around the transport network for two hours.

The Passenger Transport InfoCentre (corner of King William & Currie Streets, Adelaide) is the place to visit for timetable and route information. Economical “multi-trip” tickets containing 10 trips are available, and you can save even more by traveling only between 9am and 3pm on an “interpeak” multi-trip ticket. Tickets and route information can also be obtained from many newsagents, delis and post offices.

The city centre is compact and can be easily covered on foot, but for the leg weary there are free buses and tram travel within the city centre is also free. The City Loop (#99C) bus runs Monday-Friday 7:40AM-6PM every 15 minutes, Friday 6PM-9:20PM every 30 minutes, Saturday 8AM-5PM very 30 minutes and Sunday (and public holidays) 10AM-5PM every 30 minutes. It has clockwise and anticlockwise routes each with about thirty stops taking in all the major cultural and commercial centres, beginning at Victoria Square and including Adelaide Railway Station. The buses feature ground-level access ramps.

There is a tram that runs from North Terrace to the popular seaside suburb of Glenelg. Stops within the city centre include Adelaide Railway Station and Victoria Square. Tram travel within the city centre is free, as is travel confined to Jetty Road in Glenelg. Otherwise the standard ticket system applies and the whole trip takes about 30 minutes. Tickets may be bought in advance or purchased from the conductor.

Be warned that bus and train frequency declines sharply after 6pm, with hourly intervals being typical in the suburbs. Some services cease operation before midnight, so check your timetables and expect to catch a taxi if required if you are out after this time. Some special ‘After Midnight’ bus services operate either half-hourly or hourly after midnight on Saturday nights.

Visitors from Japan and Western Europe should be warned that the local and interstate train services are not quite up to the speed and standards of their own train systems, purely due to the fact that there is not enough population to justify the cost of a modern, European style upgraded light rail or high speed network. The system is still quite clean and functional though, and (mostly) punctual!

Taxis are provided by several companies and can be hailed on the street or arranged by phone. There is a common rate of flagfall and a per-distance/time charge, both of which are increased at night and on weekends.

The Adelaide Metro website [adelaidemetro.com.au] contains comprehensive information about public transport in Adelaide. Accurate transit instructions, including transfers and complex cross-city travel, can be obtained using the travel planner, or using the “transit” directions in google maps.

NGO “Bicycle SA” [bikesa.asn.au] provides a range of bicycle services, including free-to-use tourist bikes, from its offices at 46 Hurtle Square. Tel +61 8 232 2644.

To See

• Historic beachside suburb of Glenelg offering a jetty, the ‘Grand’ (a quality hotel) and many restaurants and cafes. Catch one of the historic trams from in Adelaide’s CBD on weekends and holidays (or new ‘light rail’ trams other times).
• Montefiore Hill in North Adelaide (provides a spectacular view of the city, especially at night)
• Adelaide Hills, including the Mt Lofty Summit which provides spectacular views of the Adelaide plains, Adelaide metropolitan area, Adelaide CBD, Glenelg and surrounding areas. There is a restaurant at the Mt. Lofty summit, which is moderately priced and there is a souvenir shop which also offers tourist information. The summit cannot be accessed by vehicle between late evening and early morning hours, however the lookout is still accessible by foot.

Other lookouts include Windy Point along Belair Road, and Skye at the end of Kensington Road.

• Hahndorf German settlement, a short drive up the freeway, attractions include a small chocolate factory, the Beerenberg Strawberry Farm (where you can pick your own strawberries for very reasonable prices!) parks with barbeque facilities and a playground plus many small stores selling all manner of products.
• Walking North Terrace will take you past the Casino (Railway Station below), Parliament House, Government House, the State Library, Migration Museum (free entry), Art Gallery (free entry), Adelaide University, University of South Australia, Royal Adelaide Hospital, the Botanic Gardens. A worthwhile trek!
• Catch an O-Bahn bus out to the North East suburban shopping centre of Tea Tree Plaza. The O-Bahn is a 12Km long guided bus way, where special street buses run on guided tracks at up to 100Kmh and uses the unified metroticket system mentioned above.
• During mid-March, the Clipsal 500 supercar racing event is very popular, sporting massive street parties, huge concert line-ups and many fanatic Adelaidians.
• During late Feb-March, the Adelaide Fringe Festival (second largest of its type in the world) and Festival of Arts bring the city alive with music, arts, dance and culture from all over the world. Both are large and very popular events visited by people from all over the world. WOMAD (World of Music Arts and Dance) is another hugely popular music festival now held every year in March. People come from all over Australia and overseas to be at this very special event. Adelaide at its very best.
• Lazy walks along white sandy beaches.
• Picturesque Victor Harbor and Granite Island, just an hour or so drive south of Adelaide. Granite Island is one of the few places you can see Fairy Penguins in their natural habitat.
• The stunning Flinders Ranges begin just one and a half hours north of Adelaide.
• Whispering wall at the Barossa Reservoir.
• Conservation parks such as Cleland and Warrawong Wildlife Sanctuary, Cleland is a good stop on the way down from Mt. Lofty. The park offers gas BBQ facilities (Entry fees apply).
• See the Rundle Lantern light display (Cnr Rundle St and Pultney St). From dusk to midnight every night with 750 light panels.

Museums and Galleries

• Migration Museum is located on Kintore Avenue, Adelaide (behind the State Library). [Migration Museum] Open everyday 10am-5PM, except Good Friday and Christmas Day.
• Art Gallery of South Australia is located on North Terrace, Adelaide (half way between Kintore Avenue and Frome Road in between the South Australian Museum and the University of Adelaide), 8 8207 7000, [artgallery.sa.gov.au]. Open everyday 10AM-5PM, except Christmas Day.
• South Australian Museum is located on North Terrace, Adelaide (next to the Art Gallery of South Australia). [samuseum.sa.gov.au] Open everyday 10am to 5pm, except Good Friday and Christmas Day.
• Port Adelaide Lighthouse
• Port Adelaide SA Train Museum
• Glenelg Museum & historic tram
• Gawler Museum, via Gawler train line
• The South Australian Maritime Museum is located at 126 Lipson Street, Port Adelaide. Contact telephone number: 08 8207 6255. Adult: $8.50 Concession: $6.50 Child: $3.50 Family: $22 (2 adults & up to 5 children)
• The National Motor Museum is located in Birdwood, less than an hour’s drive from the city centre. [history.sa.gov.au]
• The National Wine Centre in the city centre [wineaustralia.com.au]
• Adelaide Central Market, a vibrant hub of fresh food delights and one of the world’s largest undercover markets. [adelaidecentralmarket.com.au]

National parks

• Belair National Park is a national park of 835 ha, located 11KM south of Adelaide City. Due to its history as a “Recreation Park” it has many good trails for bushwalking, as well as tennis courts and grassy areas available for hire, and a good adventure playground for children. Old Government House, the colony’s first official Vice-regal summer residence, is located within the park. [environment.sa.gov.au] A vehicle entry fee applies to cars entering the park, or else its western parts can be accessed from the Belair line train, a 35 minute journey from Adelaide city. The park gates are open daily from 8am to sunset, everyday except Christmas Day.

• Cleland Conservation Park is a large National Park of 992ha, located 20 minutes from Adelaide City. Although it lacks the picnic and sports facilities of Belair, Cleland offers greater opportunities for tourists to get up close and personal with Australian native fauna. Visitors can feed and wander at their leisure among kangaroos, wallabies, Emus and waterfowl. Displays of Dingoes, reptiles, Tasmanian Devils, Wombats, Echidnas and Koalas allow easy viewing access, or stroll through the aviaries. Visitors also have the rare opportunity to be photographed holding a Koala, under supervision from Parks and Wildlife Officers. There is also an Aboriginal cultural tour.
• Morialta Conservation Parkis located 10 km north-east of the CBD, where the suburbs meet the Adelaide hills. It covers 533 ha, and contains numerous walking trails of various levels of difficulty, including trails that pass by three major waterfalls, and provide panoramic views over Adelaide itself. There is also a popular rock climbing area within the park. Note that the waterfalls only flow in the winter months, and are usually completely dry by Christmas.

• Warrawond Wildlife Sanctuary is a privately run wildlife sanctuary, strongly fenced off from the outside, allowing it to remain completely free of feral plants and animals, especially cats. Warrawong offers unguided day, and guided day and night tours for tourists. As well as allowing visitors to get up close and personal with well known animals like the Kangaroo, Warrawong also offers a unique opportunity to see a number of very rare or less well known native Australian animals, such as the Platypus, Tree Kangaroo, Quoll, Bettong, Potoroo, Pademelon, Bandicoot, Bilby and Possums.

To Do

• Check out the wineries, beaches, whale watching, fairy penguins and other attractions south of the city on the Fleurieu peninsula.
• The Adelaide Casino on North Terrace, adjoining the Festival and Convention centres. Adelaide Casino is South Australia’s only licensed Casino, and offers not just great gaming, but also three restaurants, and four bars, including the LOCO nightclub and Grandstand sports bar. Valet parking is also available.
• The Adelaide Botanic Gardens are FREE to enter and are a worthwhile visit; the gardens are quiet and relaxing even though they’re in the heart of the city. They contain many large grassed areas ideal for relaxing, and just outside the gardens are the city parklands where ball games and picnics can be held. There is a cafe in the gardens and a conservatory.
• The Bicentennial Conservatory is not free, but it is a worthwhile visit, simulating a tropical rainforest with mist falling from the roof. Be warned, it is quite humid so if you have difficulties breathing or can’t tolerate warm temperatures you should not enter.
• West Beach is ideal for family walks and swimming – it is close to both Glenelg and Henley Beach. At Henley Beach there is Henley square which hosts some 15 restaurants – an excellent dining venue. Beaches south of and including Semaphore are all excellent white sand beaches, some with public toilets and cold water showers. If you want to ‘wet a line’ there are jetties at (suburban beaches, from north to south) Grange, Semaphore, Henley Beach, Glenelg, Brighton and Port Noarlunga.
• During the summer months get down to the Adelaide Oval for a cricket match. Australia plays host to a couple of touring nations each summer and they will play a few matches at this beautiful ground which is just minutes from the city centre. Tickets for internationals tend to be snapped up quickly, but domestic matches (South Australia play their home matches in Adelaide) are frequent and equally exciting.
• The local sport is Australian Rules Football. Home games for the local teams the Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide Power are played at AAMI Stadium in West Lakes, usually referred to by its old name of “Football Park” or “Footy Park”. Getting tickets shouldn’t be a problem – check out the AFL website [afl.com.au] for more details.
• Soccer is increasingly popular in Australia, although certainly not yet at the level of Aussie Rules or (in other states) rugby. The local team in the national A-League is Adelaide United, who play home games at Hindmarsh Stadium.
• Take a tour of the Coopers Brewery [coopers.com.au], the only remaining large family owned brewery in Australia, well known around the world for their bottle conditioned ales. Founded by Thomas Cooper in 1862, the Brewery is currently run fifth generation Tim and Glenn Cooper. All proceeds from the tours go to charity.

Accommodation

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