Adelaide Overview
Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia, is built on the Torrens River and is the only city in Australia entirely surrounded by parklands. This contrasts starkly with the rugged desert terrain which is not that far away.
See Adelaide Region Map.
Only a few kilometres to the west of the city are a strip of white sandy beaches and the seas of Gulf St Vincent.
Adelaide is perhaps most well known for its fine dining, wine (as the Barossa Valley is nearby), festivals, theatres and boutique shopping. Many tours operate to the nearby wine regions
The city also has a strong sense of history portrayed in its well preserved 'low rise' heritage buildings, churches and Edwardian mansions, some of which have been converted into tourist accommodation .
The Torrens River
The Torrens River dissects the parklands in which the city sits and separates North Adelaide from Adelaide. Boat trips can be taken along the river and to the nearby Adelaide Zoo.
As there are waterside restaurants and pleasant riverside walks through expansive parklands the area is ideal for recreation and relaxation.
Between Montefiore and Elder Park the River Torrens widens slightly and forms what is known as Torrens Lake.
Adelaide Festival Centre
The world famous Adelaide Festival Centre sits in Elder Park on the banks of The Torrens River.
Adelaide is celebrated for its festivals (South Australia is known as The Festival State) and the Adelaide Festival is held every even numbered year.
The centre includes a 2000 seat auditorium, several theatres, an impressive outdoor amphitheatre, sculptures and artworks.
It is regarded as one of the best live performance venues in the World.
Biggest Shopping Mall In The Southern Hemisphere
Adelaide's Rundle Mall is the biggest pedestrianised shopping mall in the Southern Hemisphere and includes over 800 shops and 14 interconnected arcades.
The centre was created in 1976 as the first street mall in Australia.
As well as the household names such as David Jones, there are specialty shops, boutiques, restaurants and cafes.
A scattering of buskers and street performers adds to the convivial atmosphere.
Rundle Mall is the venue for many outdoor events and attractions such as fashion parades and media launches and is located south of the River Torrens between North Terrace and Grenfell Street, from Pulteney Street to King William Street.
Birthplace of Modern Australian Cuisine
In the 1970's The South Australian Government implemented a 'Restaurants Policy' as an attempt to improve the standard of cuisine, and Adelaide was made its focus.
The policy was an undoubted success and today the city is justifiably regarded as the 'Birthplace of Modern Australian Cuisine' and Australian food is recognised throughout the world for its inventiveness and fusion of flavours and cultures.
Adelaide has always maintained its position at the for-front of this cooking revolution.
Quality restaurants and eateries are everywhere in the city. You can find everything from small crowded places serving great food at a fast pace to more traditional restaurants in heritage settings.
The common denominator is that the food is usually of a very high standard.
The famous Gouger Street is located off The Central Markets and is a must if you visit Adelaide.
There are over thirty restaurants and eateries featuring food from all over the World.
Whether you are looking for a quick snack or a long leisurely lunch or dinner, you will find it here.
Adelaide accommodation
Adelaide has a large selection of hotel accommodation of all standards
See our general Adelaide accommodation for hotels and resorts and our Backpacker accommodation for hostels.
Location
Adelaide is located in the south east of South Australia and has a Latitude of 34.9°S and a Longitude of 138.6° E.
Driving To Adelaide
Some approximate driving times to Adeliade:
20Hrs From Sydney (1400Km)
10Hrs From Melbourne (730Km))
See Route and Distance Calculator for more accurate driving times and routes from additional locations.
Flying To Adelaide:
Adelaide Airport has both international and domestic terminals and is around 6km (4 miles) west of the city. By car, the journey into the city should take approximately 30 minutes depending on traffic conditions.
Taxis, hire cars airport buses are available.
As a guide, the approximate flying time from Adelaide
to Perth is 3.25 hours,
to Sydney 2 hours
to Melbourne 1.25 hours
to Brisbane 4.5 hour
to Cairns 6 hours.
Times do not include travel time to and from airports and adequate time prior to check in etc.
White Sandy Beaches
Only a few kilometres to the west of Adelaide is a strip of white sandy beaches bordering the clear blue seas of Gulf St Vincent.
Glenelg is the most famous and can be reached by the heritage tram ride from the city centre.
Glenelg is in Holdfast Bay which also includes Brighton, Seacliff and Kingston Park.
The beaches are also well served by good restaurants with Greek, seafood and Mediterranean (to suit the climate) food being the specialities.
Small sailing boats and wind surfers can be hired at most beaches.
South Australia School & Public Holidays
New Years Day Tue 1st Jan.
Australia Day Mon 28th Jan.
Adelaide Cup Day Mon 10th March
Good Friday 21st March.
Easter Monday 24th March.
Anzac Day Fri 25th April.
Queens Birthday Holiday Mon 9th June.
Labour Day Mon 6th Oct.
Christmas Day Thu 25th Dec.
Boxing Day Holiday Fri 26th Dec.
(End and start school on preceding and next week day (Mon - Fri) respectively)
Easter Holiday 10th April To 26th April.
Winter Holiday 4th July To 19th July.
Spring Holiday 26th Sept To 11th Oct.
Summer Holiday 12nd Dec To Jan 26th
Starts Sunday 5th October
Ends 5th April 2009
Note: Dates for guidance only. Always check with your individual School as variations may occur for individual education authorities or establishments and dates may be subject to change. Always check with relevant State or Territory education department to confirm holiday periods at the commencement of each school year. Not all Public Holidays for individual regions within each state and territory are shown and public holidays falling on weekends are not listed. Not all Public Holidays may be applicable to all employers, organisations etc so always check with your employer, education authority etc which public holidays are applicable.
Adelaide Climate
These figures are for guidance only:
Approximate Max Average Temperature
Deg C/ Deg F
Winter(June-Aug):15 / 60
Spring(Sep-Nov):21 / 69
Summer(Dec-Feb):27 / 80.5
Autumn(Mar-May):22 / 71.5
Approximate Average Monthly Rainfall - mm
Winter(June-Aug): 65
Spring(Sep-Nov): 40
Summer(Dec-Feb): 21
Autumn(Mar-May): 45
