South Australia is the land of scenic and cultural diversity. The southern Australian state has cosmopolitan cities, rolling grasslands and valleys, fertile peninsulas, isolated islands, rugged mountains, and semi-arid and arid deserts in the Outback. Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, is the home to people of many cultures, and the wine-growing regions surrounding Adelaide have English and European heritage. The regions around the Murray River and the South Australian Outback have rich Aboriginal culture. Many people believe South Australia offers the best of the world down under with its natural beauty, wide range of activities, and excellent food and wine!
REGIONS OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA: South Australia can be divided into twelve regions: Adelaide, Barossa Valley, Adelaide Hills, Clare Valley, Eyre Peninsula, Fleurieu Peninsula, Flinders Ranges and Outback, Kangaroo Island, Limestone Coast, Murrylands, Riverland, and the Yorke Peninsula.
Adelaide Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, is a city of visual elegance and natural beauty. Situated beside the River Torrens between the Adelaide Hills and the Gulf St. Vincent, Adelaide boasts beautiful parklands, lush gardens, open spaces, and wide roads. Adelaide was designed on a grid system, so it’s very easy to get around the city. Adelaide was once known as the ‘City of Churches’ because of its numerous stone churches built by the early settlers. Now Adelaide is known as the ‘Festival City’ because it brings in many multicultural, artistic, and sporting events each year.
Adelaide Hills Adelaide Hills is South Australia’s oldest wine growing region with numerous vineyards and historic townships. You can drive down the region’s many scenic routes and find picture-postcard views at every stop. Besides vineyards, Adelaide Hills is the home of some of South Australia’s premium food producers—you can buy wonderful fruit and vegetables, cheese, bread, pulses and olives. Adelaide Hills also has parklands and bushland with many walking trails and abundant wildlife. Adelaide Hills is only a thirty minute drive south east from central Adelaide.
Barossa Valley Barossa Valley, South Australia’s most famous wine region, is about an hour’s drive from central Adelaide. The fifty wineries in Barossa Valley produce about a quarter of all of Australia’s vintage. There are also many passionate food producers offering their goods at country markets. Barossa Valley owes its appeal to the many European settlers and English farmers who made the area their home in the 1850’s. Even today, Barossa Valley has a very European feel to it. If you have a car, you can drive around the delightful towns of Barossa and visit the various vineyards to sample the wines. You can also take a guided wine tour through Barossa Valley, or rent a bike and cycle to each winery.
Bethany was the first German settlement in Barossa Valley. Today the region has many family-run wineries, historic pubs, and great restaurants.
Tanunda, located in the heart of Barossa Valley, still has a large German settlement. You will find historic cottages, Lutheran churches, and interesting museums in Tanunda. Goat Square, located in the centre of the city, is still used to hold the ‘Ziegenmarkt’ following the German tradition. Tanunda also has a keg factory where you can watch wooden items being made.
Angaston is a pleasant town in Barossa Valley with plenty of wineries, nice restaurants, and comfortable bed and breakfast accommodation. Angaston also has an awesome arts and crafts studio in the Bethany Art Gallery. Other attractions of Angaston are the various historical homesteads and lovely parks.
Clare Valley Clare Valley is just an hour and a half drive from central Adelaide, but it may as well be a whole world away. Clare Valley has plenty of wineries including Sevenhill Cellars, which dates back to 1851. Clare Valley also has rich historic towns, great little restaurants, and luxurious lodgings. Clare Valley hosts a variety of festivals every year, including the Romeria del Rocio Spanish Festival, the Clare Valley Gormet Weekend, and the Spring Garden Festival.
Burra is a beautifully preserved town in Clare Valley. Burra is rich in history—you can spend the day discovering the town’s old copper mine, historical settlements, and various museums.
Kapunda, a town with old Cornish charm, is home of Australia’s first major copper mine. When you visit you Kapunda, you will discover a town steeped in history with elegant stone buildings and the Bagot's Fortune mining museum. There are also some fabulous bakeries in Kapunda selling Cornish pasties!
Eyre Peninsula The Eyre Peninsula lies between the Spencer Gulf and the Great Australian Bight. The Peninsula has 2,000 kilometres of coastline to explore. You will find uncrowded beaches, sleepy seaside villages, and friendly farming communities. The Eyre Peninsula also has volcanic monoliths, stark salt lakes, and vast desert plains stretching out into the South Australian Outback.
Port Augusta is the entrance town into the Eyre Peninsula on the east. The city was established in 1854 as a stop-over point for people journeying into the Outback. Port Augusta has restaurants, accommodation, and the interesting Outback Centre which features displays on Aboriginal and Outback history.
Ceduna acts as the entrance town to the Eyre Peninsula on the western side. Ceduna has marvellous bushland to explore with an abundance of wildlife. The coastline near Ceduna offers excellent surfing and fishing. The town also plenty of restaurants and accommodation.
Port Lincoln is located on the southern tip of the Eyre Peninsula, backed by the remarkable Lincoln National Park. The town is a major tuna fishing, offering great fishing and excellent seafood restaurants!
Fleurieu Peninsula The Fleurieu Peninsula has some of the richest, most beautiful landscapes in South Australia. The region is covered in orchards, vineyards, pastures and bushland. The coastline of the Fleurieu Peninsula has splendid beaches where you can swim or surf. The Fleurieu Peninsula is only a 40 minute drive from Adelaide.
Victor Harbour is the main town on the Fleurieu Peninsula that overlooks Encounter Bay. Victor Harbour was the home of the first whaling station. Although the whaling station is no longer in use, you will find lots of museums and historical sites about its history. Another attraction of Victor Harbour is Granite Island, where you can observe penguins in its natural habitat.
Goolwa is a small historic town on the Fleurieu Peninsula. The town’s claim to fame is the first railway site in South Australia. Goolwa has many museums, historical centres, as well as restaurants and accommodation. There are also a lot of beautiful beaches are Goolwa.
Flinders Ranges and Outback The Flinders Ranges link the Gulf St. Vincent to the vast South Australian Outback. The Flinders are a majestic mountain range with great hiking trails and lookouts. Many small towns and hamlets lie at the base of the Flinders Ranges. You can also discover Aboriginal rock carvings in some parts of the Flinders. Many people take the Stuart Highway from Port Augusta to Alice Springs. For most of the journey, you will be travelling through the South Australian Outback. As you drive down the lonely roads, you will see dry, red earth, long stretches of desert, and stark salt lakes.
Quorn is considered to be the gateway to the Flinders. There area number of interesting walks in the area as well as rock-climbing sites.
Coober Pedy is an opal-mining town in the heart of the South Australian Outback. During your stay in Coober Pedy, you can tour an opal mine and learn about the history of opal mining. Most people in Coober Pedy live in dugouts because of the extremely hot climate.
Kangaroo Island Kangaroo Island is a fantastic place to visit while in South Australia. Located only 16 kilometres from mainland and easily accessible from Adelaide, Kangaroo Island is filled with native flora and fauna, beautiful bushland, and lots of wildlife. You will also find kangaroos, platypuses, koalas, pelicans, and fur seals living on the island. Kangaroo Island is also the permanent breeding colony for 600 sea lions. There are also many good swimming beaches and scuba diving sites around the island. You can access Kangaroo Island by plane, ferry, or cruise ship.
Limestone Coast The Limestone Coast is the region in the southeast corner of South Australia. The region borders the state of Victoria and the Great Australian Bight. The Limestone Coast is famous for its red wine, red soil, and red rock lobster. The region is filled with wineries, beautiful bushland, and sweeping expanses of coast. Another attraction of the Limestone Coast is the limestone caves where you can see huge fossils that have proven the existence of prehistoric mammals.
Mt. Gambier is a large city that was built on an extinct volcano. When visiting Mt. Gambier, you can tour the limestone caves beneath the city and walk through gardens inside sinkholes!
Coonawarra is a region located on the eastern side of the Limestone Coast close to the border of Victoria. The area has about twenty wineries that produce some of the most superb red wines in all of Australia.
Murraylands The Murraylands is the region located north of the Limestone Coast and east of Adelaide. The mighty Murray River plunges on through South Australia, carving out deep sandstone cliffs and spilling into wild lagoons. In the Murraylands, there are heaps of activities such as canoeing, water skiing, swimming or fishing. Besides fun in the water, the Murraylands have excellent bushwalking, historic towns to explore, and a plethora of wildlife in the Monarto Zoological Park.
Riverland Like its name, the Riverland is centred around the Murray River system. You can take a houseboat down the riverways or explore the pioneer villages in the area. The Riverland is also well-known for its produce—nearly half of South Australia’s wine grapes are grown here, as well as 90% of oranges, stone fruit, and nuts.
Yorke Peninsula The Yorke Peninsula, located just west of Adelaide, is a prime location for beach-combing, swimming, sunbathing, surfing, and scuba diving. Life on the Yorke Peninsula revolves around the beach. There are also many coastal walks around the Yorke Peninsula that take you atop of cliffs and to isolated coves. At the southern tip of the Yorke Peninsula, you will find the beautiful Innes National Park. Inland, you will find small farming communities with great markets and restaurants.
Kadina is the largest town on the Yorke Peninsula offering museums, historical sites, and copper mines. Kadina is located on the northern part of the Yorke Peninsula.
Wallaroo is situated on the coast on the northwest side of the Yorke Peninsula. The town used to revolve around mining, but now the town acts as a port for agricultural products. In Wallaroo you will find museums, restaurants, and traveller accommodation.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA URL’S http://www.southaustralia.com
