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 because its outback is so inhospitable. In SA's gargantuan, sparsely populated top half, indigenous pitjantjatjara and colonial farmers alike subsist on land which may see rain only a few times a decade, and miners at Cooper Pedy must literally extract a living from the earth. The tenacity of these pioneers is plainly evident to the adventurous traveler who traverses the rugged Flinders Ranges or goes "back of beyond."
Some of SA's more civilized attractions ferment farther south. The majestic Murray River, Australia's largest waterway, winds through the lowlands east of Adelaide and irrigates the state's famous vineyards before emptying into the Southern Ocean. Of South Australia's seven distinct wine regions, those of Adelaide Hills are most accessi¬ble from the capital, while the Coonawarra, southeast of Adelaide, produces Austra¬lia's finest reds. Slightly more removed, die fertile valleys of the Murray River and the grassy knolls of McLaren Vale also earn recognition from connoisseurs. North toward the outback, the famous Barossa and Clare Valleys comprise the central wine regions. The gently undulating vineyards of the Eyre Peninsula lie farther northwest.
South Australia's coastline weaves a jagged path in and out of peninsulas, providing the most beaches for your buck. The rolling lulls and beach towns of the Fleurieu Pen¬insula provide quick getaways southeast of Adelaide, and access to the wildlife won¬derland of Kangaroo Island. North of Adelaide the country towns of the Yorke Peninsula wind on down along a sandy coastline, and the Eyre Peninsula's juxtaposed rough surf and quiet coves reward those travelers who venture on.
South Australia is a state of extremes. Traveling here may require a swimsuit and surfboard one day, a corkscrew and distinguishing palate the next, and a spare tire and 20-gallon water jug for the upcoming stretch of road. It's a long way, physically and figuratively, from the sun-and-booze-soaked east coast backpackers' route, but those looking for an escape from that party scene love it here. Throughout SA, the local flavor rules, and the hidden sap of Australia can be tapped most sweetly by those who detour off the beaten track.
South Australia Highlights
- Adelaide's Central Market, the ultimate in ripe fruit and sensory overbad—you can wander around for hours
- Camping along the glorious oceanfront at Innes National Park
- Negotiating the curvy roads and dainty hamlets of Adelaide Hills to gaze through the fog or clear skies from Mt. Lofty Summit
- The quandong fruit, an outback original
- Bushwalking the Heysen Trail in Deep Creek Conservation Park
- The view of the Flinders' WHpena Pound from St. Mary's Peak
- Savoring the bouquet of the McLaren Vale's rich wines
- The iush greens of Port Lincoln Harbor after a pounding storm
- Dodging mineshafts to enter the painted, barren, inverted canyons of the Break¬aways Reserve outside Coober Pedy
- Fur seals and crashing surf at Admiral's Arch, Kangaroo Island
- The spectacular geological formations of the Naracoorte Caves