ADELAIDE
Adelaide is a city of great visual harmony and classical elegant style, superbly set beside the River Torrens between the Adelaide Hills and waters of Gulf St Vincent. The wine and festival capital of Australia, Adelaide is one of the most vibrant, stylish and innovative cities you'll ever visit. It's a place to experience the buzz, culture and convenience of a big city without the frustrations.
The city centre, surrounded by parklands, is a charming blend of historic buildings, wide streets, groovy shops, street cafes and restaurants. And because Adelaide is known as the 20-minute city, you can experience it all on a series of easy short walks.
Your food and wine experience begins right in the city centre with the Adelaide Central Market; the National Wine Centre of Australia; vibrant cafes and restaurants boasting some of Australia's best chefs; and events such as Tasting Australia.
You'll find a mix of restaurant strips dotted right across the city - Rundle Street East for alfresco dining. The Parade at Norwood for great Italian food. Gouger Street for seafood and Asian fare. And anything goes on O'Connell and Melbourne Streets in North Adelaide.
Heart of the Arts Festivals and events occur with remarkable frequency for a city of Adelaide's size. The Adelaide Bank Festival of Arts is one of the most innovative arts festivals in the world, while the Adelaide Fringe is now the second biggest in the world after Edinburgh.
The Clipsal 500 Adelaide V8 race annually attracts more than 200,000 people and has been named Australia's best major event. Adelaide's international music festival WOMADelaide has the Adelaide Botanic Garden as its backdrop. And the Tour Down Under is the biggest road cycling event in the land.
Take a Dip with Dolphins Swim with dolphins just 20 minutes from the city centre on a Temptation Sailing cruise. The 17-metre catamaran, based at Holdfast Shores Marina in Glenelg, is perfect for cruising beside Adelaide's endless sandy shoreline. Afterwards, stick around to explore Holdfast Shores and its many great restaurants, pubs, luxury boats and apartments.
Tram it to Glenelg Ride Adelaide's historic tram from Victoria Square in the city to the beachside suburb of Glenelg. Learn the mysteries of Great White Sharks at the Rodney Fox Shark Experience. Discover South Australia's settlement history at the Bay Discovery Centre and see where the colony's first government was proclaimed under the Old Gum Tree. In Glenelg you'll also find a great beach and wooden jetty and the lively shops, cafes and restaurants of Jetty Road.
Go to Port Adelaide for a look at the hands-on South Australian Maritime Museum and a short cruise to see the divine dolphins of the Port River. Then delight in the seaside village atmosphere of Semaphore, with its majestic Palais right on the water and a long boulevard of antique shops, cafes, bakeries and pubs.