SOUTH AUSTRALIA

South Australia is a state burgeoning with history, wine and wildlife. Adelaide, the Festival City, hugs the shoreline of the Southern Ocean, and is a perfect starting point to set out on an exploration of the wine regions, mountain ranges, the Outback, and the spectacular animal sanctuaries on its doorstep.

What to See

Adelaide - One of Australia's best kept secrets, Adelaide is an alluring city known for its churches, parklands, tree-lined streets, side-walk cafes, Victorian architecture and museums. It's grid-like centre and its meandering River Torrens frontage make Adelaide a pleasant place for strolling or cycling around, with stop offs along the way to taste innovative cuisine and some of the best Australian wines.

The Vineyards - Immigrants from the wine-growing regions of Germany have added a romantic twist to the vineyards within easy reach of Adelaide. Pretty hamlets complete with Lutheran churches, fine restaurants and cellar-door tastings can be found in the Barossa Valley and the Adelaide Hills. Together with the wineries of the Clare Valley, McLaren Vale and the Coonawarra they produce premium wines treasured by connoisseurs worldwide.

Animal Havens - Wildlife abounds in South Australia, but Kangaroo Island off the coast of Adelaide is the most remarkable sanctuary of them all. Copious kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, birdlife, penguins, seals and sealions, as well as plenty of other native creatures and impressive scenery make it one of the top destinations in Australia.

The Outback - A stone's throw from Adelaide, the South Australian Outback is a harsh as it is beautiful. Desert, salt pans and sandhills roamed by camels and kangaroos are made more intensely dramatic by the craggy hills of the Flinders Ranges, ghost towns, pioneering history and Outback characters. Don't miss Coober Pedy, a frontier opal-mining town where you can live underground like the locals.

Activities & Adventures

Wildlife and Photography - Kangaroos bounding through the bush, rare birds and budgies in the wild, koalas in the trees, a beach full of sealions, wedge-tailed eagles beside the road, you can't help but be impressed.

Gourmet Holidays - From cutting-edge Modern Australian to German delicacies, you are set for a taste sensation in South Australia. Tour the wineries, sample the wares at Adelaide's Central Market and top-class restaurants, or indulge in a champagne breakfast after a balloon flight across the Barossa.

Great Train Rides - Two of the world's most famous rail journeys cross the South Australian Outback out of Adelaide, The Ghan and the Indian Pacific. Settle down in luxury as you roll through the wide expanses on a journey of a lifetime.

Major events - Fancy some jazz, dance, opera, cabaret, classical music and comedy? Then head to Adelaide Festival Australia's leading arts festival, which takes place in March during even-numbered years. During odd-numbered years it's the turn of the superb 3-day Womadelaide Festival of world music.

Unique Experience

Stay overnight at the famous underground hotel in Coober Pedy, the Desert Cave. Ride a camel through the Flinders Ranges in search of rock wallabies and camp out beside the dry salt pans of Lake Eyre, or alongside the pelicans when it floods.

Time To Go

South Australia is blessed with temperate winters and warm to hot summers, so anytime is a good time to visit. Average temperatures in Adelaide are around 27°C or 81°F in summer and 16°C or 62°F degrees in winter.
Outback temperatures can get very hot in the height of summer averaging 32°C to 90°F, while temperatures in winter are on average 19°C or 66°F in the daytime, but can really plunge at night.