Hoping someone out there can help! I\'m looking to head to South Australia for a week and all I keep hearing from my aussie mates is that Adelaide is the \"city of churches\' - don\'t bother about it etc etc. But hey, I think since it\'s a capital city it must have something else going for it right???
I\'m keen to check out Adelaide as well as any other areas people might suggest. Any ideas??
Thanks all!
Reply to this I can't remember seeing that many churches when I was in Adelaide 😊. As a capital city in Australia admittedly it doesn't have half as much to offer as places like Melbourne and Sydney. Probably because it's more the gateway to the desert and the red centre.
It's quiet compared to other cities, but it has one or two things worth seeing for sure - the main museum and art gallery were two of the most interesting I saw while I was in Australia. It also has quite a good Aboriginal cultural centre and art gallery. Also a chocolate factory - bit disappointing in the reality but you can do a tour of it, though you have to book ahead in order to do this.
You can also head to Glenelg on the tram, which is a little seaside suburb of Adelaide - not hugely exciting, but a nice afternoon out with some good cafes.
You can head west or north of Adelaide to hit some desert areas that I think are quite interesting (didn't stop at any myself as I took the ghan railway straight up the red centre) - A place called Coober Pedy (north and towards the red centre) is meant to be an interesting place to visit, and I think it's reachable within a day of Adelaide on the bus.
If you have time though, it's really worth heading up the red centre to Uluru - you'll get to Alice Springs (and then 30 minutes by plane or a few hours on the bus to Uluru) in 24 hours on the Ghan railway (which is also a great journey in itself). If it's worth going as far as Adelaide, it's definitely worth going as far as Uluru 😊
Reply to this Adelaide is totally underated! I had a fun time there - only spent a few days, but they were a good few days!
Day trip awesome idea - go to Victoire Harbour. There are lots of tour companies that offer trips out there that aren't very expensive. It's a really pretty town and you get the chance to go over to Granite Island which is beautiful. If you spend the night there, you can do a night penguin tour (you won't see penguins in the day). I didn't stay for the night but if you have time it'd be fun.
The tour included a stop at Mount Lofty which you should visit regardless - there are gorgeous views of the hills and the city.
Some other places nearby that I didn't get to go to include the Barossa Valley, where you can do some wine tours and, if you have a lot of time, Kangaroo Island (from what I hear you should at least do a 3-day tour, it's a big island).
In the city there are some GREAT museums and art galleries which I strongly recommend. I believe they were free as well. I had a fun time just wandering the city looking for entertainment. The downtown is very nice, and is surrounded by parks, so walks are always really pleasant. For shopping, head to Rundle street, which is a pedestrian outdoor mall. Highlight - check out Mall's Balls, these two metal balls. There are fun photo opportunities! (ok it's dorky but I loved it) Oh and you'll probably see a church or too while there. I was told not to go to any, but I decided to head into one just for kicks and it was pretty. But still just a church.
I saw a movie in the Botanical Gardens while there, they do screenings outside in the summer. Look into it if you'll be going in the summer.
As Deb mentioned, Glenelg is a seaside suburb of Adelaide so if the weather is nice it's a good spot for a beach day. I've been to way better beaches in Aus, but it was still fun. Lots of cute shops and things.
Hope that helps! And I hope Adelaide treats you well so that you can spread the good word like I did after my trip 😊
-Dafne
Reply to this Awesome - thanks so much for your advice guys, much appreciated! You've both convinced me to check it out and see the place for myself!
Reply to this Adelaide is really beautiful-- I agree with everything said above. But as a total foodie and wine lover, I have to really highlight the Barossa! Definitely a must-do and even if you dont have time for an overnight, there are plenty of day tours (like the
Grand Barossa Day Tour ) that leave from the city. And that way you don't have to worry about drinking and driving... cheers!
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