A very warm welcome to Adelaide from Healthstaff Recruitment
When the early colonists began building Adelaide they built with stone, constructing a solid, dignified city that is civilised and calm in a way that no other Australian state capital can match. These days pubs and nightclubs outnumber the churches. There is no denying that the city has a superb setting. The centre is surrounded by green parkland and the hills of the Mt Lofty Ranges and the waters of the Gulf of St Vincent surround the metropolitan area.
Adelaide is the centre of arts in Australia, offering experiences to exhilarate and inspire with its unique blend of innovation, cultural activities and arts festivals that are the envy of the world. From its gently rolling hills to its sparkling blue seas, Adelaide displays a sophisticated heritage, strongly reflected in the beauty and charm of its well planned streets, surrounding parks and gardens, gracious architecture and a special character that makes it quite distinct from other cities of Australia.
Experience the natural beauty of unspoiled beaches, clean, clear blue waters, delightful hills countryside and languid rivers with a mild climate and four distinctive seasons. With its vibrant, cosmopolitan population of one million, Adelaide relishes in an ambiance and exceptional quality of life, with time to feast on a sensational menu of pure, fresh food and unsurpassed premium wines. South Australia’s population is about 1.5 million, with just over a million people residing in the metropolitan area.
View the list of suburbs in Adelaide.
Climate
Adelaide can be fairly hot in summer (December to February). If you’re a festival buff though, you really shouldn’t miss the three-week Adelaide Festival of the Arts, held in late February or early March. Spring and autumn are probably the most pleasant times, with winter (June to August) getting a bit cold and soggy.
Orientation
Adelaide sits on the eastern shore of the Gulf of St Vincent, in the far south of South Australia. The streets of Adelaide’s central business district follow a grid pattern, making it very easy for visitors to find their way around. Victoria Square sits in the centre of the grid, and the main street, King William, runs through it. Although not the geographical centre of town, Rundle Mall, with the big department stores, is the shopping centre of the city. Rundle Street’s eastern end has some of the city’s best dining and boutique shopping. North Terrace, running parallel to Rundle Street, is the city’s cultural centre; a grand boulevard lined with the gallery, museum, state library and the university. The River Torrens separates the city centre from North Adelaide and a green belt of parkland surrounds both areas.
The Adelaide airport is about 6 kms west of the city centre, the interstate train terminal is just southwest of the city centre in the suburb of Keswick, and interstate buses arrive at Central. Most hostels are in the southeastern corner of the city centre; Hindley Street in the city has mid-range options, North Terrace has the top-end hotels. Rundle Street, Hindley Street and North Terrace are the main food centres.
Adelaide Greeters is a volunteer service run by the Adelaide City Council. This is basically a free half day city tour. The best way to register is to complete a visitor’s request form. They will then try to match you with someone who most closely shares your interests and speaks your language. The service is available daily from 9 am 5 pm and is free of charge. Their contact number is 08 8203 7168.
Things to See and Do
Art Gallery of South Australia
The free Art Gallery, next to the South Australian Museum, contains one of the nation’s most comprehensive collections of Australian, Asian and European art. It boasts the largest display of Australian art, including a fine selection of paintings by great colonial and contemporary Australian artists. There’s a magnificent collection of Southeast Asian ceramics, and a lovely display of decorative arts. The gallery also has the second-largest collection of Rodin sculptures in the world.
Festival Centre
The Festival Centre is the home of the Adelaide Festival. Inside, there are a variety of performance spaces and galleries, and there are free rock concerts in the outside ampitheatre on Sundays during summer. One of the most pleasant aspects of the Festival Centre is its riverside setting; people picnic on the grass out the front and paddleboats can be hired nearby.
Sky City Casino
Adelaide’s beautiful old railway station building has just received a complete renovation with the purchase of Adelaide Casino by Sky City. The new management is developing a much more modern feel inside the building, with elaborate lighting effects and a contemporary look throughout.
Glenelg
The magnificent white, sandy beach here is the most popular in Adelaide. There’s not much in the way of surf, but the swimming is certainly pleasant. If sand holds no interest for you, head for the shooting games, scary rides and test-your-luck machines of Glenelg’s old-style amusement park. For the more history minded, Glenelg holds a number of relics from Adelaide’s early days. The Old Gum Tree marks the spot where the proclamation of South Australia was read in 1836. A replica of the HMS Buffalo, the ship that brought the first settlers, is moored in Glenelg’s boat harbour. On board you’ll find one of the city’s best seafood restaurants, and a museum telling the story of the ship’s voyage from England to South Australia. A vintage tram runs from the city centre right to Glenelg beach.
Adelaide Oval
Situated next door to Memorial Drive is Adelaide Oval. The grand oval was established in the 1870’s and is the premier venue for national and international cricket matches. Tours are available to discover the secrets of the scoreboard, the elegance of the Sir Donald Bradman Stand, and to hear the Oval’s fascinating history explained.
Hot Air Ballooning
Experience the sensation of floating and drifting across the beautiful and internationally acclaimed wine country of the Barossa Valley or perhaps the Adelaide Hills. Imagine floating high above the city as you admire the magical views of Adelaide and the coast.
Walking
For the active visitor, Adelaide has plenty to offer. It seems made for pedestrians, as walking trails criss-cross the city and suburbs. There is the famous Heysen Trail, which threads its way through the nearby Adelaide Hills towards the Flinders Ranges. There are also many excellent guided tours and walks through the city and suburbs providing a great variety of scenery and experiences.
For further information on walking trails and maps see South Australian Trails.
There are several bushwalking clubs in the Adelaide area, which organise weekend walks in the Mt Lofty Ranges. There is good sailing all along the Adelaide shoreline of the Gulf of St Vincent. Beaches close to the city, such as Seacliff, Brighton, Somerton and Glenelg offer excellent swimming.
Off the Beaten Track
Hahndorf
The oldest surviving German settlement in Australia, Hahndorf, 29 kms south east of Adelaide, is a popular day trip. Settled in 1839 by Lutherans who left Prussia to escape religious persecution, these days it’s a major tourist attraction. There are many old German-style buildings in town. The German Arms Hotel dates from 1839 and is one of the best pubs in the Adelaide hills. The Hahndorf Academy was established in 1857 and houses an art gallery, craft shop and museum. Buses run to Hahndorf from Adelaide several times a day.
Kangaroo Island
Kangaroo Island is one of the world’s last unspoiled wildernesses. Nature and wildlife abound, and many species of plant and animal found here are no longer seen on the mainland. Located 113 kms south west of Adelaide, it is Australia’s third largest island (4500 square kilometres). Kangaroo Island is a 30 minute flight or 60 minute ferry trip from Cape Jervis. The spectacular coastline is made up of towering cliffs, beautiful beaches, battered rocks and quiet inlets. There are excellent bush walking and fishing opportunities. The island incorporates farmland, remote national parks, bleak rocky cliffs plus snug bays and beaches. Kingscote is the largest town on the island situated on Nepean Bay. Here you can feed pelicans in the afternoon and see fairy penguins come ashore at night.
At the other end of the island is Flinders Chase National Park where you can see kangaroos, koalas, wallabies and possums. Seal Bay Conversation Park is a large sandy beach and dune area where wild Australian sea lions rest and nurse their young. There are beaches to swim at, rock pools to explore, deserted sandy beaches to walk along, limestone cliffs to clamber up, mountains to climb, rivers to wander with and bays to fish in. Sailing, snorkelling and fishing are just a few ways to enjoy the water.
McLaren Vale
Although the Barossa Valley is the best known of South Australia’s winery destinations, McLaren Vale is much more accessible from Adelaide. The area is particularly well-suited to red wines, but a trend towards white wine consumption in the tasteful 70s prompted growers to plant a few of the paler grapes. There around two dozen wineries with cellar-door sales in the McLaren Vale area and about 50 in the surrounding countryside. The first winery was established here in 1838, and plenty of plonk-sellers still reside in fine old buildings. The McLaren Vale Wine Bushing Festival goes on in late October, with wine tasting and tours, finished off with a grand feast. During the festival a bus runs between the wineries, so you can tipple to your heart’s content without worrying about driving. Around three buses a day do the 30 km trip south to McLaren Vale.
Victor Harbour
Victor Harbour, 84 kms south of Adelaide, is the main town on the Fleurieu Peninsula. Victor Harbour was founded as sealing and whaling centre in the 1830s, but the whalers shut up shop in 1864. The town is protected from the angry Southern Ocean by Granite Island, which is connected to the mainland by a causeway. You can ride out there on a double-decker tram pulled by Clydesdale horses, and if you climb to the top of the hill you find great views across the bay.
The island is also a rookery for little penguins. There is an educational program regarding the penguins or you can take an evening walk to watch them come home from fishing. Between June and October you might be lucky enough to see a southern white whale swimming near the causeway, as they pass through here on their annual migration. The South Australian Whale Centre at Victor Harbour operates a whale information network covering sightings up and down the South Australian coast. Tourist trains run to Victor Harbour from the Adelaide Hills, or you can get a bus from the city.
Morialta Conservation Park
Located in the Adelaide foothills, 10 minutes’ drive from the city, Morialta is best known for its waterfalls and has walking trails, picnic areas, excellent views and a kiosk.
Belair National Park
Within easy reach of Adelaide, Belair National Park is South Australia’s oldest National Park. Its features include many recreational facilities such as tennis courts, barbecues and ovals set in scenic surrounds, Old Government House and a diverse variety of plant communities, bird life and native animals.
Para Wirra Recreation Park
Para Wirra Recreation Park via One Tree Hill, approximately 40 kms northeast of Adelaide, is a beautiful bush land setting for a game of tennis, gas BBQ or bushwalk.
Boomerang Arts and Craft
This is located at 716 Anzac Highway and opening hours are from 10 am to 5 pm every day or by appointment. There is no entrance fee and travelling time from the city is about 30 minutes by tram. Take the tram from Victoria Square in the City to Jetty Road, alight at stop 20 and walk 75 metres north to Anzac Highway, then 20 metres left. Boomerang Arts and Craft has one of the largest collections of Aboriginal art, as well as indigenous art from Arnhem Land and from local South Australia.