Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

10
Adelaide & South Australia
by Marc Llewellyn
Adelaide (pop. 1 million) has a major
advantage over the other state capitals
in that it has Outback, vineyards, wetlands,
animal sanctuaries, a major
river, and mountain ranges virtually on
its doorstep. Meals and lodgings 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 restaurants, 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
numbers 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 multicolored
rocks, rough-and-ready characters,
and even camel treks in the
semi-desert. On the other side of the
mountains, the real Outback starts.
The South Australian Outback is
serenely beautiful, with giant skies,
wildflowers after the rains, red earth,
and little water. Out here you’ll find
bizarre opal-mining towns, such as
Coober Pedy, where summer temperatures
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 Northern
Territory (see chapter 8).
EXPLORING THE STATE
VISITOR INFORMATION The South Australian Visitor & Travel Centre,
18 King William St., Adelaide, SA 5000 (& 1300/655 276 in Australia; fax
08/8303 2249; southaustralia.com), is the best place to collect 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, SA 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