ADELAIDE
Once known only for its inordinate number of churches, Adelaide has emerged as a city with far more to offer than an uplifting Sunday sermon. The first completely planned city in Australia, in the first state not to be settled by convict labor, Adelaide Was destined to be different from the other Australian capitals. The one million people who call Adelaide home take pride in the city’s big leafy trees, historic buildings, and flourishing arts scene, and enjoy a big-city lifestyle that belies the lower cost of living. The long list of cultural attractions, headed by the Adelaide Festival of Arts, includes a fine symphony and chamber orchestra, numerous small, experimental theaters, and world-class galleries and museums. With more restaurants per capita than any other city in Australia, Adelaide can satisfy any palate at any budget, and then wash it all down with some of the country’s best wines. For those who prefer a more raucous pace, the nightclubs along Hindly St, the pubs in the city center, and the cafes on Rundle St fit the hedonistic bill.
In the summer months, Adelaide’s coastline becomes a temple of sun worship, with devotion to the deity reflected in the nut-brown skin of its followers. The beachfront suburb of Glenelg is a favorite late night haunt, since many of its pubs, clubs, and restaurants face the ocean. Home to the first colonists of South Australia, Glenelg is now one of Adelaide’s most popular residences for families, fishermen, yuppies, and at least a gazillion seagulls. Be warned, however, that this is very much an urban hangout, and it can be difficult to find your own patch of golden sand. If sand and surf are not your first choice in outdoor activity, the gardens, playgrounds, and jogging trails in Adelaide’s 668 hectares of parkland provide plenty of room to romp. Some of the most visually stunning hikes in the country can be found in the Adelaide Hills, a short drive from die city center. For information on festivals and events, pick up a copy of the Calendar of Events for South Australia at the SA Travel Centre.
Related Travel Information
Fleurieu peninsula
The fleurieu (floor-ee-oh) peninsula has rolling hills and sweeping valleys to justify its sing-songy name. The kauma tell the story of tjilbruke, who carried the body of his slain nephew down the coast to cape jervis from where the adelaide suburb Marion now sits. Each time that tjilbruke stopped along the way and wept for his nephew, a spring welled up from the ground. From these tears grew the lush section of South Australia that stretches southeast from adelaide, encompassing the hills and wineries of Mclaren vale. The fleurieu peninsula also boasts the small-town attractions of victor harbor and
South Australia
South Australia exists in a state of sublime schizophrenia. Alongside vast kilometers of harshest, most uncompromising terrain on the continent, peaceful vineyards sleep lazily and a sophisticated city basks under a steady sun. Capital Adelaide is a stately, serene oasis, well-fed and well-watered by some of the best cuisine and finest wines in the country. Gracious buildings line its streets, world-class festivals crowd its boulevards, and hip cafes occupy its East End. As if in defiance. Adelaide's green parklands challenge the searing heat of the encroaching desert.
This is the driest state in Australia, but also the most urbanized, precisely
YORKE PENINSULA
On this peninsula west of Adelaide, rolling farmland is punctuated by sandy coves, and sheer cliffs plunge into sheltered bays of the Southern Ocean. The northern half of the Yorke primarily features copper mining history. The towns of Kadina, Moonta, and Wallaroo comprise the Copper Triangle, about a 90-minute drive from Ade¬laide's center. These towns offer the most to see and do, with beach access for when you get tired of mining lore. Many travelers head further south, however, for the spectacular ocean views, pleasant surfing beaches, and gorgeous camping of Innes National Park. The Yorke's southern tip is
PERTH
Spread out like a picnic by the tranquil, lake-like Swan River and the eternal surf of the Indian Ocean, everything in Perth is as easily done outdoors as in, in sandals as in shoes. Rumor has it that WA spurns daylight saving time so that business executives can get in a quick surf before work. This mellow attitude is a point of pride for many Perthites, as is their city's status as the world's most isolated capital. (Adelaide, the nearest state capital, is at least a two-day drive away.)
But isolation does not mean desolation, WA's capital, home to 88% of
Kalgoorlie
Kalgoorlie is located 40 kilometres east of Coolgardie, 595 kilometres east of Perth and 200 kilometres north of Norseman. The traditional landowners of the Kalgoorlie area are the Maduwangka people and the name Kalgoorlie is said to mean "Silky Pear Bush" in the local aboriginal language.
European settlement of Kalgoorlie began in June 1893 with the discovery of rich alluvial gold deposits near Mount Charlotte. The three Irish gold prospectors credited with the discovery were Paddy Hannan, Dan Shea and Tom Flanagan. Paddy Hannan later reported discovering 8 pounds of gold nuggets to the mining warden in Coolgardie, and within
