Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, is very relaxed. The city is centrally located on the Saint-Vincent Gulf in the south of Australia and has shed its sleepy image in recent years and is now considered a cultural and festival city that attracts many young people.
If you want to get an idea of the extent of Adelaide with a view of the Indian Ocean, you should climb the Lookout on Mount Lofty. At 710 metres, it is the highest peak of the Adelaide Hills mountain range south-east of the city. At its foot is the Cleveland Wildlife Park, a popular wildlife park only 20 minutes from the city centre. The old settlement of Gumeracha is also well worth a visit, with several wineries and the world’s largest rocking horse. Wine lovers can taste excellent wines in the Barossa Valley, close to Adelaide, while nature lovers are more likely to take a trip to Kangaroo Island.
Facts about Adelaide
Adelaide consists of the City of Adelaide, a business district surrounded by a park ring, and a further 18 so-called Local Government Areas. Adelaide has a population of around 1.25 million and has not developed from a colony of convicts like many other cities on this continent, but as the arbitrary capital of South Australia, a new English colony. In keeping with its history, the city was named after the wife of the then British King William IV after its foundation in 1836.
Glenelg
The only tram still operating in Adelaide takes you to the suburb of Glenelg, located on Holdfast Bay of the Gulf of Saint-Vincent. Here you will find a long white sandy beach, lively shops, several hotels and street cafés. In addition to swimming, diving and snorkelling, you can also go on dolphin watching tours by boat from here. A visit to the Shark Museum, which is run by Rodney Fox, should also be interesting. He survived the attack of a great white shark in 1963, seriously injured, and then devoted himself to safe diving and observing white sharks from a cage. Today he is considered one of the most active and popular animal welfare activists worldwide.
Fourteen kilometres north of the capital of South Australia lies the idyllic port of Port Adelaide. The South Australian Maritime Museum and the National Railway Museum are among the attractions here. To the east of Adelaide is the rolling Adelaide Hills. The landscape is characterised by picturesque villages surrounded by vineyards. The village of Hahndorf, listed since 1988, is famous for its bee sting and Black Forest Cherry Tart.
The small village of Birdwood has dedicated itself entirely to the history of mobility. The National Motor Museum exhibits motorbikes, trucks and classic cars. Every year two veteran races are held here: “The Bay to Birdwood Classic” and the “Bay to Birdwood Run”. About 15 kilometres south of Adelaide is Belair National Park, the oldest nature reserve in South Australia. Amongst others, rosella-tailed parakeets, lorikeets and kangaroos live here.