South Australia Orientation

Downtown Adelaide is only one square mile in size, bordered by North, East, South, and West Terr. and centered on Victoria Square. The CBD is bisected north-south by King William Street. Streets running east-west change names when crossing King William St. Rundle Street— home to chic sidewalk cafes, top-notch eateries, and vibrant nightlife—runs from East Terr. west to Pulteney St. in the city’s northeast quadrant (known as the East End). From there, it becomes the Rundle Mall, the city’s main shopping area, then continues west to King William St. before changing names yet again to become Hindley Street, offering everything from adult stores to upscale restaurants. Gouger Street, in the southwest end, has a wide variety of multicultural eateries as well as the Central Market, a bazaar housing over 250 shops and restaurants. Victoria Square lies at the center of the city grid. Light Square, in the northwest quadrant, is where most hostels and a host of backpacker pubs are, while Hindmarsh Square in the northeast quadrant is another important landmark.

Bad-Elaide. Although the city of Adelaide is generally peaceful, the parklands are unsafe at night, especially near the River Torrens and Whitmore Sq. Do not enter the Botanic Gardens at dawn or dusk. The sidestreets off Hindley St. also demand extra caution at night.

A couple of kilometers north of the CBD and the River Torrens, swank North Adelaide comprises a smaller grid centered around the trendy bistros and shopping on upscale O’Connell Street. Melbourne Street, southeast of O’Connell, is another boutique strip with hip restaurants and funky shopping.

Just south of the city, in the suburb of Hyde Park, a number of chic cafes and some of Adelaide’s best shopping line King William Street. The suburb of Keswick, which includes the Adelaide Parklands Rail Terminal, is about 1km southwest of the central grid, and the beach suburb of Glenelg is 12km southwest of the CBD via the Anzac Hwy. (A5) or the Glenelg Tram. Henley Beach lies 12km west of the CBD, while the northwest suburb of Port Adelaide, on the Port River, is another popular spot. The Adelaide Hills, including Cleland Conservation Park and the scenic Mt. Lofty Lookout, are visible just east of the city