When going to Australia, Adelaide is a must! Having the best of both worlds, Adelaide is surrounded by parklands and hills while the city possesses a buzzing atmosphere with something to appeal to everyone! The city is easy to navigate, and is often referred to as 'The 20 minute city' as everything seems to be within a 20 minute journey. This allows for easy access to some wonderful sites! With a population of just over a million people, Adelaide is considered one of the world's greatest small cities.
Finding accommodation is always a big worry for travellers but not to worry, you'll find plenty of places to stay in Adelaide! Accommodation in Adelaide varies from: boutique hotels, apartments, seaside resorts and heritage cottages. Most hotels in Adelaide are in the city centre; however there are a number of hotels, motels and B&BS in nearby North Adelaide and along the coast. When backpacking in Australia a lot of people find they need last minute accommodation. A useful site to visit is lastminute.com.au.
When you fly to Australia you may decide to fly directly to Adelaide to begin your adventure! When you fly into Adelaide Airport, you will notice it is located adjacent to West Beach, and is about 8 kilometres from the city centre. You can get transport from Adelaide airport by car, bus or taxi. Organising car hire from Adelaide airport is easy. There are facilities for you to do so with car rental companies such as Hertz, Thrifty and Avis all operating here.
If you prefer to catch a bus, the Adelaide Metro JetBus and Skylink airport shuttle, transfer passengers to and from the airport.
Nightlife in Adelaide
Adelaide boasts over 100 pubs and nightclubs. With such choice and diversity, you are sure to find what you are looking for! Be it sophistication, chic or student bars, there is something for everyone.
Live music is very popular in Adelaide. The city possesses a few venues specialising in intimate experiences such as Grace Emily on Waymouth Street, which offers live music nearly every night of the week. If you like stand-up comedy, you will find plenty of comedy bars that will suit every taste in this lively city.
When you visit Australia and want to experience the diverse and rich culture of a beautiful city like Adelaide, then you should take in all the events and festivals that it has to offer. With so many different events taking place around the city and Adelaide's surrounding areas; you will certainly be spoilt for choice. Depending on what your interests are, you are sure to find something you'll enjoy!
Adelaide Fringe
This arts festival takes place over a four week period from February to March. This festival has been running for 53 years now and is known around the world as one of the best arts festivals because of its innovation and fun. The festival covers all the arts including music, comedy, dance, film and visual art. The event takes place across the city in a variety of venues ranging from street alleys to renowned buildings.
Cellar Door Wine Festival
All brands of wine are showcased at this increasingly popular festival. It provides the perfect day out for those interested in food and wine. Day passes are available. Experience some of Australia's best wines with tasting classes. Don't forget to purchase some bargains to bring home to enjoy!
Clipsal 500 Adelaide
This fast paced environment will get your heart racing as Australia's largest domestic motorsport event. Many well-known car manufacturers are a part of this event with such names as Ford, Mercedes and Nissan making an appearance. There is family fun for everyone off the track with the TrAction Zone.
Tasting Australia
This is another event that has become one of the best festivals of its nature in Australia. The event which is held in Adelaide has been running for a total of eight years. It is a perfect mix of producers and consumers who have a great love of food and wine! Go down and enjoy all the delicious products on offer.
Clare Valley Gourmet Weekend
Experience being the first to taste this year's vintage and sit by a fire enjoying homemade sausages. This event also hosts jazz music so you can satisfy your taste buds and relax to the music at the same time.
Adelaide International Guitar Festival
If you play guitar or just enjoy the music of the most popular instrument in the world then you will love this festival! There are classes, workshops and concerts throughout the event and you can witness the talent of many local and established Adelaide artists.
Even though Adelaide is one of Australia's smaller cities, there are jobs available in a wide variety of professions such as construction, nursing and in the service industry.
Coach Travel is available to and from Adelaide city, with the most popular coach company being Greyhound Australia. You can use the coaches to get around Adelaide itself or to visit other destinations. There are also some bus services available around the town.
The Metro is the main transport system in the city. This system involves trains, buses and trams. Alternative ways of exploring Adelaide are by taxi, cycling and on foot.
Adelaide experiences mild weather with sunshine all the year round. Adelaide is located in the southernmost area of Australia and during winter, the daytime temperatures usually range between 13-15°C, with temperatures reaching 10°C at night. In the summer months, temperatures average from low to mid-twenties however during January and February temperatures can exceed 30°C.
The Standard Time in Adelaide is +9:30 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time). Daylight Saving Time is observed in South Australia, where the time is shifted forward by 1 hour, resulting in a 10 hour 30 minute difference ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+10:30). After the summer months the time is shifted back by 1 hour resulting in the normal Standard Time.
Adelaide's currency is the Australian Dollar (AUD$).
On your arrival in Adelaide it's recommended that you visit the South Australian Visitor Information Centre located on the Ground Floor of 108 North Terrace. Here you can look through an extensive range of brochures and maps so you will have all you need for your visit! If you don't have time to pop in you can access them online or request for up to 2 brochures to be sent to you! Alternatively you can email [email protected] for any queries you may have about the area.