Fine food, great wine, a sense of history and the good life - can all
be found in the elegant city of Adelaide - the capital of South
Australia and home to more than a million people.
Adelaide is a feast in every way. In fact it's said there are more restaurants per head of population here than anywhere else in Australia.
Known also as the City of Churches (Holy Trinity Church 1838, St
Peter's Cathedral 1869 and St Francais Xavier Cathedral,1856 - to name
a few) Adelaide features traditional stone architecture and wide
encircling parklands, with a picturesque natural backdrop formed by
the Adelaide Hills. Designed by Colonel William Light in 1836 he laid
the city out on a square mile grid pattern of wide streets and airy squares, with a buffer zone of green parklands encircling it. Lights vision has been kept alive and the Torrens Lake in the northern parklands add to the city's charm.
North Terrace is a cocktail of galleries and museums, with the
Adelaide Casino thrown in for spice. Housed in a beautifully
restored train station, the casino prides itself on being at the boutique end
of the Market. Apart from a wide range of gambling facilities
(including a two-up game) there are 3 bars and 2 restaurants (see
Nightlife, Casinos)
Parallel to North Terrace lies the bustling hub of the East End, Rundle Street.
Lined with cafes, bars and restaurants, catering to the young bohemian set, you will encounter many
students forgoing
lectures in nearby Adelaide University in favour of lattes and
cappuccinos.
You can shop at leisure in Rundle Mall, take in the enticing tastes
and smells of the Central Market and at the end of the day, enjoy the
stimulating nightlife of Hindley Street and the West End (see Nightlife).
Besides a lively music and gambling scene, Adelaide has many old pubs
for casual drinks and cinemas for movie buffs.
For a real Aussie experience, late-night snackers should visit the
Pie Carts outside the Adelaide Train Station on North Tce or beside
the GPO on Franklin st. for the infamous Pie floater - an Aussie meat
swimming in thick pea soup topped with tomato sauce - A south
Australian original.
Every two years, the Adelaide Festival of Arts and the Festival Fringe
bring the City a world-class extravaganza of cultural delights - these
and other festivals dotted throughout the year, give Adelaide its title
as the "Festival City".
If this all sounds a bit much and you feel the need to escape the hustle
and bustle of city life, just a short
stroll from the city centre (towards North Tce, East of Elder Park)
finds you on the edge of The Botanical Gardens.
Twenty-hectares bursting
with native and exotic plant species including some beautifully established
lakes,
a Bicentennial Conservatory (considered to be the largest in the
southern hemisphere) as well as Palm House an extensive nineteenth
century glass house that recreates a tropical rainforest environment.
Free guided tours taking about
1 ½ hours leave from the kiosk on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday at 10.30
am.
Adelaide caters for every taste, if you can't find what you are looking for in the city centre head to Glenelg
for the beaches, head to the hills for the bush walking or head to the Barossa for the wine tasting.
