Svetcovs' Kiwi Experience: Adelaide

A few years ago, when we were travelling in Australia, Eric and I ran into a couple and their maybe-three-year-old son at a Sydney restaurant. While the parents were enjoying their meal and an adult conversation, the boy was eating his dinner quietly and watching a movie on his portable DVD player. We congratulated the parents on the brilliant idea... and some three years later and after a period of Barney brainwashing, we found ourselves on a four-and-a-half-hour flight from Auckland to Adelaide with our toddler happily occupied with his favorite show: "The Land of Make Believe."

We arrived in Adelaide on a Saturday morning. We were confused for a few days before we confirmed that the time difference between New Zealand and Adelaide was 2.5 hours (weird!).

We stayed in an apartment close to the Central Business District.

The place was very comfortable and we enjoyed the views from our balcony.

We were particularly happy with the indoor pool and felt grateful for it when the temperatures during the first few days soared up to 32C (89.6F).

Since E refused to take his nap after we arrived from the airport, we hit the town. Adelaide is the capital of South Australia (one of the Australian states). It is the fifth-largest city in AU. The city was founded in 1836 as the planned capital for the only freely-settled (as opposed to the convict-settled east coat cities) British province in AU. The city was designed and its location chosen close to the River Torrens in the area originally inhabited by Indigenous Australians of the Kaurna (pronounced Gar-na)tribe. The city's design set out Adelaide in a grid layout, inter spaced by wide boulevards and large public squares, and entirely surrounded by parkland.

Adelaide's architecture reminded me of a European city (and San Francisco) due to the fact that many of its buildings dated back to a colonial era or were built in a Victorian style.

As we strolled along North Terrace, we stumbled across many of the city's (and Australia's) best collections and grandest buildings:

University of South Australia,

the Art Gallery of South Australia,

South Australian Museum,

where E loved the extensive "stuffed" animal exhibition and where he got a stuffed hippo,

State Library of South Australia,

old (original) and new(er) building of South Australian Parliament,

Railway Station,

Adelaide Festival Centre,

Scots Church built in 1851 (the second oldest church building in Adelaide),

and Holy Trinity Church (the first Anglican church and the oldest church building in the State featuring a fully restored original clock from 1836),

Adelaide Botanic Gardens (founded in 1855),

and lastly, National Wine Centre of Australia.

We made a point of visiting Tandanya - National Aboriginal Cultural Institute with its collection of Aboriginal arts and crafts. We were fascinated by the dot paintings of the Western Desert People who expressed many of their stories through symbols seen from an aerial view.

We enjoyed strolling (and shopping on the last day of our visit) in Rundle Mall which is apparently home to Australia's most concentrated collection of department stores, boutiques, and specialty shops as well as a range of cafes, wine bars, pubs, and restaurants.

E enjoyed the cheeky sculptured pigs.

One early morning (to beat the heat) we crossed the River Torrens to explore North Adelaide with its striking Victorian heritage.

The two main streets in that area of town are O'Connell Street and Melbourne Street.

But what strikes one more than anything is the elegance of that leafy (all parklands) environment. I was easily able to imagine myself having a house in North Adelaide!

On our way to Adelaide Central Market, we passed by the Main Post Office building,

and St. Francis Xavier Cathedral,

Magistrate Court,

and Supreme Court.

We found the Market buzzing with sounds, colours and great aromas. It was opened in 1870.

That afternoon, after a daily nap, we ventured to Port Adelaide. The Port is a seaport city and the historic maritime heart of the state with a great collection of colonial and Victorian buildings.

We visited the South Australian Maritime Museum with many of its wonderful child-friendly exhibitions.

The lighthouse was first erected in 1869.

After a couple hours in the quiet Port Adelaide we headed for Glenelg, Adelaide's favourite beach. Gleneleg seemed the complete opposite of desolate Port Adelaide, bustling with people both on the beach and the main square in front of the historic town Hall and along the main Jetty Road.

We spent another day discovering Adelaide Hills. Our first stop on this trip was Chain of Ponds Winery. Great wines and fantastic latte!

We then visited the Toy Factory in Gumeracha with its biggest rocking horse in the world.

We then stopped in Woodside by Melba's Chocolate Factory,

and also tasted great goat cheese next door.

For lunch, we went to one of the Adelaide Hills most famous towns, Hahndorf. The town is also Australia's oldest surviving German settlement - established in 1839 by Prussian and Silesian immigrants.

After a proper German meal,

we strolled along the main street lined with 100-year-old elm and plane trees and many original buildings in excellent condition.

There is still a strong German flavour in the town.

After lunch (and E's near-death vehicular experience) we headed for Mount Lofty Summit (at 710 meters above sea level) where Eric and I (E sound asleep) soaked up the panoramic views of Adelaide in the shade of the giant white obelisk.

We ended the day with a treat for E: Cleland Wildlife Park.

We devoted another day to visiting Barossa Valley - the most famous Australian wine region. The area was settled some 160 years ago by an entire European community brought from Silesia (part of Poland these days where Daga grew up). The Barossa is a remarkably versatile region in terms of the range of grapes it can grow: Shiraz, Grenache, Cabernet Savignon and Semillon, as well as Chardonnay.

We visited a few wineries in the area.

We stopped by one of the old wine-growing families' Mausoleum.

We had lunch in Tanunda....another excellent German meal.

Late in the afternoon we headed back.

On our way, we stopped in Springton to see the Herbig Family Tree where Friedrich Herbig (early settler) lived between 1855 and 1860 along with his wife and two children (born there).

And we also stopped in Cockatoo Valley to see the Whispering Wall - the dam renowned for its unique ability to echo sounds whispered from one side to the other right along its 144 meter surface (you actually can speak in an ordinary voice and hear the person on the other side...much to E's amazement).

On the last day before we had to leave for Auckland, we went to Monarto Zoo (some forty-five-minute-drive east of Adelaide). Monarto is an open-range zoo which we enjoyed immensely.