Adelaide - Australia's Underrated GEM (Adelaide (Australia))

Member Name: Kayteehee

Product:	Adelaide (Australia)
Date:	17/06/09 (18 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Diverse, beautiful and fun.

Disadvantages: It's quite expensive to get to from England :(

I spent five months living in Adelaide., South Australia whilst I was studying abroad in Australia. It was part of my nine months in total of staying Down Under.

So many people miss out on Adelaide when they go travelling around, and believe me, they ARE missing out.

Adelaide is a fantastic city. It has everything, the city skyscrapers, the shopping, the beach, the mountains. There is a large botanic gardens which is fantastic for walking and picnicking. Next to that is Adelaide Zoo which doesn't seem to be well publicised but is absolutely outstanding. According to the website, there is over 1,800 animals with around 300 different species. You can also go in and pet some of the animals like the Kangaroos and the baby chicks which were absolutely adorable. The pricing is quite competitive, with a family ticket (2 adults and 2 children) costing $60AUD. For students, which I was, the price was only $16. We spent almost a whole day there.

Shopping is fantastic in Adelaide, Rundle Mall is the well known street, where you can view the 'Malls Balls' sculpture as it is fondly nicknamed. There are numerous shopping malls dotted around the streets. Central Market is THE place to shop for your groceries. From Antipasto, to coffee, to chinese speciality foods, exotic flowers to plain old potatoes, it is the best place to find high quality fresh food at bargain prices. Go there around 5pm for the best deals. There are also some touristy shops for cheap souvenirs. The Asian foodcourt there is brilliant where you can pick up a whole plate of buffet food for around $5. There is even a purely vegetarian buffet.

There are also some fantastic galleries located in the city centre, it is a place where arts are in abundence. There are also plenty of street entertainment around Rundle Mall. On Sundays there is a great crafty street market on Rundle Street. Many of the attractions are free, there is a free tour around the famous 'Haigh's' Chocolate Factory with free tastings (remember to book)

It is a great place to live as the locals are really friendly, there is always something to do and the public transport is fantastic. It is also a fantastic place to study with so many discounts for the students at the two universities.

I lived in Magill where is was a fantastic local sports centre with a full size outdoor swimming pool which is fantastic in the summer. I also took part in kickboxing lessons where I met more friendly locals and got fit!

Just out of Adelaide there is the beachside suburb of 'Glenelg', famous and historical, you can catch the old tram there on weekends or the normal tram during the week. There are lots of interesting places to visit there and it's great for kids. The beach is beautiful and unspoilt, and many people play beach volleyball. The pier is beautiful to walk along though don't copy all the crazy teenagers who get a thrill out of jumping off it in summer in to the beautiful clear water below. There is also 'The Beach House' which is a huge indoor amusement centre for kids, with arcade games, dodgem bars, crazy golf and water slides. I went there without any children with my friends in their 20's, and we still had a fantastic time! Glenelg is also renouned for it's dining culture and nightlife, the Grand Hotel is the most famous spot there.

Another place just out of the city is Mount Lofty, where you can see panoramic views of the city and see it's original 'mile long square' format in which it was built around. Next to that is Clealand Wildlife Park which is absolutely fantastic. It costs about $13 to get in, and for that you get to wander around, hand feeding kangaroos, see tazmanian devils, and hopefully even get to touch a koala! (Cuddling them cost extra because they can get overheated and the park want to minimise them being handled) Don't go during the real heat of summer as you won't be able to touch a koala.

Back in the city, the dining and nightlife is also excellent. The real dining hub is around Rundle Street. Do not miss out on 'Cocolat', Adelaide's amazing desert restaurant which is open until midnight. We spent most of our time in cheap bars such as PJ O'Brians Irish Bar. On Thursdays, ladies only pay $1 for a spirit and mixer, but don't go there if you can't handle being hassled by loads of (very forward) Australian blokes. For a more classy venue, the cocktail bar Fumo Blu on Rundle Street has amazing cocktails, on the pricey side but never the less, amazing.

South Australia is known as 'The Festival State' and it is from Adelaide in which it gains its reputation. The best time to go to Adelaide is in February and March, when there is the huge 'Garden of Unearthly Delights' set up. This is a huge area in a city park that runs events for a month. It is usually free to get into the main area and there are bars, clubs, theatre tents, fireworks, fairground rides, acrobats and way more every evening. The Future Music dance festival also visits there sometime during that time. There are hundreds of arts events and exhibitions. The Food and Drink festival in Norwood is extremely well attended and a fantastic day out.

Overall, Adelaide is an amazingly diverse and beautiful city. It is very much worth visiting on your trip to Australia, and a fantastic place for studying and working. Something is happening all year long, and there are so many great festivals and events to attend, the only problem is trying to attend them all!!

Check out JetStar and Virgin Blue, Australia's budget airlines to make sure you get chance to visit whilst you're in Oz.

Summary: Writing this review has made me want to jump on a plane back....