Adelaide Attractions
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Planning your holiday to Adelaide and you are trying to find what there is to do while you are here! Well apart from Australia’s finest wineries located in the area you can also take in some of the Adelaide attractions that people come from all over to experience.
At Adelaide's back door is the McLaren Vale Wine district , a beautiful part of the Fleurieu Peninsula tucked between the Mount Lofty Ranges and placid waters of Gulf St Vincent. Forty kilometres from the city centre, the area has been a wine-producing district since the very early days of South Australian settlement. Its climate is moderate, and especially suited to grape-growing. Frosts are rare, as are droughts. The water's never very far away. From the vineyards in the foothills, or those very near the coast, the waters of the gulf make a splendid blue curtain to the fertile green vines.
Time your visit for winter's end, and you'll be able to revel in orchards of almond trees in full blossom, especially around historic Willunga. There are some 40 wineries in the district, many of them around McLaren Vale. Most are relatively small, family-owned boutique wineries which give the district that special diversity of character it's known for. Because it's so close to Adelaide, the McLaren Vale Wine district is ideal for a one or two-day break, getting to know the area's special character and tasting some of the many fine wines made here. Many wineries have attractive settings and BBQ facilities for visitors; all offer cellar-door sales. True to the spirit of celebration common to all South Australia's wine districts, McLaren Vale's winemakers celebrate the release of the new vintage every October with the Elizabethan-style Bushing Festival.
Just 25 minutes from Adelaide, nestled in the beautiful Adelaide Hills is Warrawong Wildlife Sanctuary. Endangered species like bettongs and potoroos inhabit the sanctuary. There are many ways to explore Warrawong. You can take a dawn walk, daytime walk, nocturnal walk or even stay overnight, and really discover the Australian bush at its natural best. Also at Warrawong; Gift Shop and Bilby Café.
The Art Gallery was officially opened in 1881. The entire collection is divided into four areas: prints and drawings, Australian decorative arts, European and Asian decorative arts, painting and sculpture. Highlights of the collection include Australian art from the 18th century (with an emphasis on the art of South Australians) and European and British art from the 16th century to the present day.
The Tate Museum houses an international collection of rocks, minerals and fossils and a stratigraphical collection of South Australia. Also displayed is memorabilia from the Antarctic expeditions of Sir Douglas Mawson.
The Performing Arts Collection of South Australia is living history, representing the rich heritage of the performing arts in this state. The collection holds over 40,000 acquisitions including programs, posters, photographs, puppets, masks, video tapes and much more from all fields of the arts including ballet, opera, drama, circus, vaudeville and radio.
South Australia's history comes to life at the Migration Museum, housed in the restored remnants of Adelaide's old Destitute Asylum. Here you can learn the story of South Australia's migrants: who they were, why they came, their skills, culture and visions for the future.
Old Parliament House, built in 1855, has been superbly restored and operates an award-winning museum. It was the first permanent site of the South Australian Parliament and now provides an ideal introduction to the state's history, with displays and an audio visual program.
Adelaide Central Market, buzzing with sounds, colours and wondrous smells is truly the destination for food lovers. Offering not only fresh fruit and vegetables, most of which are grown within one hours drive of the market, you will also find one of the largest ranges of meat and fish along with the gourmet specialities introduced by the waves of immigrants and their families who call Adelaide home. Every stall has its own special story making your visit to the Adelaide Central Market a wondrous journey. The Adelaide Central Market commenced trading on Saturday, the 23 January 1869 with a small group of market gardeners, carts laden with produce, making their way to the site located between Grote and Gouger Street. Reflecting the heritage and character of the market and the brick remains of the Grote Street facade of 1900, which still remains. Easy access to a myriad of delicious fresh food, gourmet shopping and cosmopolitan dining is at Adelaide’s food centre, the Central Market.
Grab a bicycle to get around the Adelaide city centre, from the Adelaide City Bikes Scheme. It's a fun way to explore Adelaide's parklands, wide boulevards and bustling market district. Take the scenic bicycle track along the River Torrens. Skirt our broad city perimeters at your own pace. This free bike scheme allows you to travel anywhere within Adelaide's city limits. All you need is a drivers licence, proof of identity card or passport.
Adelaide Zoo is home to over 3,400 animals and almost 300 species of exotic and native mammals, birds, reptiles and fish exhibited in magnificent botanic surroundings now expanded to eight hectares. Adelaide Zoo focuses on endangered and rare animals from continents which made up the super continent Gondwana - South America, India, Africa and Australia (also South East Asia). The Zoology and Botany of these continents show interesting similarities and are the regions represented in the Zoo’s major exhibits; South East Asian Rainforest, Seal Bay, Australian Rainforest Wetlands walk-through aviary, Africa, South America, India, Nocturnal House and Reptile House. The Zoo is the second oldest zoo in the nation and represents a significant and important part of South Australia’s heritage and social history. It is unique among Australian zoos as it has retained many original and significant architectural features giving it a style and character all its own.
Adelaide's Underwater Heritage Trail interprets four shipwrecks located in Gulf St Vincent - the Grecian, Zanoni, Star of Greece and Norma. These wrecks represent a variety of vessels associated with trade and development in South Australia during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and span the period of British shipbuilding from 1841 to 1893. The remains demonstrate the four major types of materials used in sailing vessel construction during that era - wood, composite (wood and iron), iron and steel. This trail, which extends from the Star of Greece, off Port Willunga, to the Zanoni, about 15 kilometres south east of Ardrossan, includes a brochure and four underwater plaques placed adjacent to each wreck.
Only a 25 minute drive from Adelaide in the picturesque Adelaide Hills, South Australia's oldest park is a favourite with locals and a lifetime away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Fancy a hit of tennis, a spot of cricket or a game of golf? Belair includes more than 50 bushland tennis courts, several ovals, grassy picnic areas, gas barbecues and even a golf course and caravan park nearby.
And then there's an adventure playground that will keep kids entertained for hours, with a huge wooden fort, tunnels and poles on which to balance. Heritage pavilions and an ornamental lake add to Belair's nostalgic charm, as does an avenue of heritage listed trees leading to Old Government House, the former summer residence of South Australia's early Governors. Guided tours are available Sunday afternoons and by appointment. Spot koalas in the trees or delicate wildflowers on the ground, visit the lovely State Flora Belair Nursery which sells 1,200 species of native plants or enjoy a leisurely stroll or bike ride around Playford Lake.
These are just a small collections of the great attractions that you can visit while you are in Adelaide, so call one of our staff today to begin arranging your Adelaide attractions and accommodation for your getaway.
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