Things to do in Adelaide

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There is plenty to do and to see in the capital of South Australia. Here some descriptions, addresses and website links of interesting places.

Adelaide Zoo
Next to the Botanic Park and the Torrens River is the location for the zoo in Adelaide. That is not far away from the CBD. Enter Frome Road (northbound) on the eastern end of North Terrace, keep going for about 600 metres and you’re right. Adelaide Zoo is famous for its giant pandas Wang Wang and Funi. The zoo has over 1800 animals and 300 species.
Useful link:
Adelaide Zoo


Art Galleries
It seems to me that I have never heard so much about art like in Adelaide. Of course, the city is home to the famous Art Gallery of South Australia which is located on North Terrace. There are a number of galleries within the CBD like Tandanya, Jam Factory, Hill Smith Gallery or the Nexus Multicultural Art Centre.

Port Adelaide offers some unique places. For example: The Black Diamond Gallery, Better World Arts, the Church Studios or the Mark Lobert Gallery. You find more art galleries south of the CBD in Unley, Hyde Park and Fullarton, as well as at the beach port of Glenelg. Other suburbs have individual galleries as well.

I couldn’t find a good website link with a descend list of all the art galleries in Adelaide. But if you use the Yellow Pages you get a list of more than 70 places. Port Adelaide has a good listing of art galleries.
Useful links:
Art Gallery of South Australia
Adelaide art gallery list (Yellow Pages)
Port Adelaide art galleries
More about art in South Australia


Adelaide Beaches
There was so much to write about beaches in Adelaide that I decided to set up an extra page.
Read all about Adelaide Beaches here.

Central Market
The Central Market is located close to Victoria Square on Gouger Street. The place has a long history. A group of market gardeners sold their products for the first time on Saturday the 23rd of January 1869. The market was a great success so it became official on the 22nd of January 1870.

The site was known as the City Market and became its official name “Central Market” in August 1965. The façade was build in 1900 and is still the same of what you can see today.

A fire caused some substantial destruction to the southern stall area in June 1977. The value of the damage was worth half a million dollar. The refurbishment took six years.

Today - the Central Market is well known for its fresh fruit and vegetables. It’s a real experience to stroll along the 80 stalls with all the fine food on display. The Central Market is one of the most visited attractions in South Australia.
Useful link:
Adelaide Central Market


China Town
Close to the Central Market is China Town. The south gate is on Gouger Street leading you into Moonta Street. There are lots of Chinese shops and restaurants. You find more Asian shops and food on Gouger and Grote Street. The north gate of China Town is on Grote Street as well.

Festivals and Events
Adelaide is famous for its big festivals and events. The city has great locations all over the place. You have the Festival Centre on King William Road, the Convention Centre on North Terrace and the Entertainment Centre on Port Road. Different suburbs organise different events throughout the year, for example Port Adelaide, Semaphore or Glenelg. Some festivals are held at various locations all over Adelaide.

Well known events are the SALA Festival (South Australian Living Artists), the Adelaide Festival of Arts, Adelaide Fringe, Semaphore Music Festival, or The Port Festival just to mention a few. There are lots of other film- music- and arts festival throughout the year.
Adelaide gets very busy when the cycle race Santos Tour Down Under comes to the city. It is the biggest cycle event in the southern hemisphere.
Useful links:
SALA Festival
Adelaide Fringe
Adelaide Festival of Arts
Semaphore Music Festival
The Port Festival
Santos Tour Down Under
Adelaide Festival Centre
Adelaide Entertainment Centre

Glenelg SA
The beach port of Glenelg is one of Adelaide’s famous tourist destinations. You get there quite easily by tram departing from many locations in the city. The tram line runs through the heart of Glenelg, the well known Jetty Road with 250 shops, open 7 days a week. The tram’s ultimate destination is Mosley Squarre with nice palm trees and street café’s. From here you walk only 100 metres and you’re right on the beach.

Glenelg offers some attractions like the Beachhouse with lots of indoor fun as well as a waterslide. You can do more sightseeing at the Bay Discovery Centre and the historic Town Hall. Nightlife is plentiful; Glenelg offers several bars and hotels. Also you have good choices for accommodation available.
Useful link:
Glenelg (official website)


North Adelaide
This location is not far away from the CBD. Just over the Torrens River and through the Parklands. North Adelaide has many well maintained historic buildings. Here is also the Fire Station Inn – an absolutely unique accommodation. Read my report about the Fire Station Inn on my “Apartment” page. There are many accommodation places like serviced apartments and some stylish cottages. The North Adelaide Heritage Group runs several unique locations.

In North Adelaide is the Montefiore Hill with Colonel Light’s statue and a great view above the city skyline as far as the Adelaide Hills. Something special is the Piccadilly Cinema on 181 O'Connell Street. It is a fine Art Deco Cinema. You find also plenty of boutiques, fine food and specialities shops and some good restaurants.

Parks and Gardens
It doesn’t matter where you are in the CBD or in North Adelaide, you don’t need to walk more than one kilometre to get to one of the parks. The whole city centre is completely surrounded with 29 parks also known as Adelaide Park Lands. The size is about 760 hectare. Every part of the park circle has its individual name. The city council introduced the Park Lands Trail project which will circle the city with a length for about 24 kilometres in 2012.

Adelaide has more parks outside the CBD like the Belair National Park, Cleland Conservation Park or the Mt.Lofty Botanic Garden. The River Torrens Linear Park is known as Australia’s largest “coast to hill” park. It starts in Henley Beach in the West and finishes at Gorge Road in Athelstone. A cycle and walkway runs along the Torrens River. The track passes the CBD on the northern side. I have been on the cycle track from Tapleys Hill Road to the city several times. It’s a nice ride.

Worth a visit is Mt Lofty Summit, approx. 12 km southeast of the city. From there you have a stunning panorama view across Adelaide.
Useful links:
City of Adelaide (Park Lands)
Botanic Gardens


Port Adelaide
Port Adelaide has a dense concentration of museums. It is sometimes called the museum capital of Australia. In Lipson Street are the South Australian Aviation Museum, the National Railway Museum and the South Australian Maritime Museum.
Worth a visit is also the Australian Museum of Childhood. It is famous for its great displays of toys. Some items dating back to 1890.

The area has some fine historic buildings and is famous for its terrific art galleries. Check out the Port Dock Brewery Hotel on Todd Street or have look at the Adelaide Cellar Door on Butler Street.

Fisherman’s Wharf is famous for its markets on Sunday. You get all sort of new, second hand and antique stuff.

Port Adelaide is home for the Port River Dolphins – definitely a unique experience. Join one of the river cruise boats or do the exiting adventure of sea kayaking. For those who like more excitement check out Indoor Paintball at Barlow Street – bookings essential.

There are many guided tours of all kinds available For example motorcycle tours, moonlight haunted tours, brewery tours, historic tours or a port walk with a local guide. The well done webpage of Port Adelaide provides all the detailed information (see link below)
Useful links:
Adelaide Cellar Door
Adventure Kayaking SA
Dolphin Explorer Cruises
Port Dock Brewery Hotel
Port Princess Dolphin Cruises
Port Adelaide (official tourist website)

Rundle Mall
For those who like shopping is Rundle Mall definitely a place to go. Adelaide’s premier shopping destination offers more than 700 retail stores. You’ll find 15 arcades and three large department stores like David Jones, Harris Scarfe and Myer.

The place has lots of large major retailer: For example Dick Smith Electronics, Harvey Norman and Toy’s R Us. There is also a Woolworth supermarket. Don’t miss Haigh’s Chocolate store on the western end of Rundle Mall. It is one of the finest chocolate producers in South Australia with a long history dating back to 1915.

By the way - Rundle Mall was Australia’s first pedestrian street mall, established in September 1976. The shopping destination attracts 23 million visitors per year.
Useful link:
Rundle Mall

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