Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
10
Adelaide & South Australia
by Marc Llewellyn
A
delaide (pop. 1 million) has a
major advantage over the other state
capitals in that it has Outback, vine-
yards, wetlands, animal sanctuaries, a
major river, and mountain ranges vir-
tually on its doorstep. Meals and lodg-
ings are cheaper in Adelaide than in
Sydney or Melbourne. If you plan to
travel outside the city, then a trip to
one of the wine-growing areas has
to be on your itinerary. Of all the
wine areas, the
Barossa Valley
is
the most interesting. Centered on
Tanunda, the Barossa is known for its
German architecture as well as its
dozens of pretty hamlets, fine restau-
rants, and vineyards offering cellar-
door tastings.
If you want to see animals instead
of, or in addition to, grapes, you're in
luck. You're likely to come across the
odd kangaroo or wallaby near the
main settlements, especially at dusk,
or you could visit one of the area's
wildlife reserves. Otherwise head out
into the Outback or over to
Kangaroo
Island,
without a doubt the best place
in Australia to see concentrated num-
bers of native animals in the wild.
Another place well worth visiting is
the craggy
Flinders Ranges,
some
460km (285 miles) north of Adelaide.
Though the scenery along the way is
mostly unattractive grazing properties
devoid of trees, the Flinders Ranges
offer an incredible landscape of multi-
colored rocks, rough-and-ready char-
acters, and even camel treks in the
semidesert. On the other side of the
mountains, the real Outback starts.
The
South Australian Outback
is
serenely beautiful, with giant skies, red
earth, little water, and wildflowers
after the rains. Out here you'll find
bizarre opal-mining towns, such as
Coober Pedy,
where summer temper-
atures can reach 122°F (50°C) and
where most people live underground
to escape the heat.
If you prefer your landscape with
more moisture, head to the
Coorong,
a water-bird sanctuary rivaled only by
Kakadu National Park in the North-
ern Territory (see chapter 8).
EXPLORING THE STATE
VISITOR INFORMATION The South Australian Visitor & Travel Cen-
tre,
18 King William St. (
&
1300/655 276
in Australia; fax 08/8303 2249;
southaustralia.com), is the best place to find information on Adelaide and South
Australia. It's open weekdays from 8:30am to 5pm and weekends from 9am to
2pm. Also try www.southaustralia.com.
For general information about South Australia's national parks contact the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources Information Centre,
Australis House, 77 Grenfell St., Adelaide 5000 (
&
08/8204 1910
). It's open
Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm.
GETTING AROUND
South Australia, at four times the size of the United
Kingdom, has a lot of empty space between places of interest. The best way to
