Overview
As tourists zip around Oz carrying travel itineraries jam-packed with brief stops at the Opera House, the Great Barrier Reef, and Uluru, few leave room for South Australia, one of the country’s best-kept secrets. About 80% of the state’s population resides in the capital of Adelaide, an underappreciated metropolis with one of the country’s best live music scenes. Stretching south from Adelaide is an expansive coastline leading east to the spectacular Limestone Coast, home to thousands of acres of national park. A hop, skip, and a jump from the mainland takes you to Kangaroo Island, a rustic, untouched paradise reminiscent of what the earth must have looked like before civilization. With opportunities to swim with dolphins and walk on the beach alongside fur seals, Kangaroo Island is a destination that no traveler should risk missing.
Harsh and vast, South Australia’s stark interior will either capture your heart or send you running for the next bus back to the coast. Those who stick around soon adopt the local mantra of “save water, drink wine,” and with good reason—the area’s southern valleys are home to the nation’s finest vintages, with world-famous vines grown in the Barossa and Clare Valleys. Farther away from civilization, the Flinders Ranges are a backpacker’s paradise, a gallery of spectacular sculptures created over five billion years. Travelers ready for a more thorough introduction to the region often tackle the Stuart Hwy., which offers thousands of kilometers of otherworldly outback landscapes from the famous plains of the Nullarbor to Alice Springs. South Australia lures travelers by juxtaposing ocean, vineyards, and outback—all within a day’s drive.
Transportation. If you don’t have a car, the best way to see South Australia is by bus. Greyhound Australia (☎13 14 99 or 13 20 30) runs between Adelaide and Melbourne, Sydney, Alice Springs, and Perth, stopping over at a few destinations in between. Premier Stateliner (☎08 8415 5555; www.premierstateliner.com.au) services smaller towns throughout South Australia; pick up a copy of their SA State Guide for an extensive map of bus routes and timetables. Three major train lines run through South Australia: the Overland to Melbourne, the Indian Pacific to Sydney, and the legendary Ghan to Alice Springs. Major car rental companies with branches in SA include Hertz (☎13 30 39), Avis (☎13 63 33), and Thrifty (☎1300 367 227). A conventional vehicle is fine for wine and beach country, but a 4WD is recommended for forays into the Outback’s rugged interior. If you’re planning on saving money by sleeping at campsites and caravan parks, a popular option for backpackers is renting a campervan from Wicked Camper (☎1800 24 68 69 or 07 3634 9000; www.wickedcampers.com.au), with rates normally three times lower than those of major rental companies. Their Andy Warholesque paint jobs and funky furnishings will ensure that you’ll be traveling in style.
Another good option is to book a tour. Many choose jump-on, jump-off backpacker buses that travel around South Australia, as well as the popular trek from Adelaide to Melbourne via the Great Ocean Rd. Book through the twenty-something favorites, Wayward Bus/Adventure Tours (☎08 8132 8230 or 1300 653 510; www.waywardbus.com.au or www.adventuretours.com.au/south-australia-tour), or Groovy Grape Getaways (☎08 8371 4000 or 1800 661 177; www.groovygrape.com.au). Plenty of organizations also run local trips, which are listed in the Practical Information section of most towns in this guide.
The Adelaide Airport is 7km west of the city center. Many hostels offer free pickup with advance booking. Failing that, the cheapest way to the city is the JetBus, which leaves from Level 2 in the airport ...more
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 ...more
Adelaide’s buses and trains compose an integrated public transport system called the Adelaide Metro (☎ 08 8210 1000; www.adelaidemetro.com.au), which also runs two free services around the city: the ...more
Tourist Office: South Australian Travel Centre, 18 King William St. (☎ 1300 655 276; www.southaustralia.com). Open M-F 8:30am-5pm, Sa-Su 9am-2pm. Rundle Mall Visitor Information (☎ 08 8203 7611), at ...more
Hostels are scattered all over the city, but are concentrated near Light Square. Adelaide hostels are rarely full in winter, but book in advance in summer and during Adelaide’s many festivals, including ...more
Adelaide’s reputation as the culinary capital of Australia is growing every day, and for a city its size, Adelaide is a gourmand’s dream. Gouger Street’s cheap, multicultural eats and Central ...more
Adelaide Zoo. The Adelaide Zoo is home to more than 1300 animals, including an array of African wildlife. Don’t miss the daily feedings of sea lions (11:45am), pelicans (2:30pm), and penguins ...more
South Australian Museum. This stately building is the brilliant centerpiece of the North Terr. cultural district. It features huge whale skeletons, displays on native Australian animals, rocks ...more
Easily accessible from the city center by tram, Glenelg is the perfect destination for beach bums, offering surfing, swimming with dolphins, scuba diving, and more. Those looking for a bit more action ...more
Performing Arts. A 2min. walk north on King William Rd. from its intersection with North Terr. at Parliament House leads to the huge, armadillo-shaped Adelaide Festival Centre, the epicenter of Adelaide’s ...more
Adelaide has an excellent pub and live music scene, so take advantage of it while you can. There are plenty of nightclubs in town, such as Zhivago, Mojo, Electric Circus, HQ, and Mars Bar (the premier ...more
The best way to reach Glenelg is by the tram ($4.10), which runs every 15-20min. from Victoria Sq. to Moseley Sq. If you’re sick of the city life, an easy beach escape is just 20min. away. The most ...more
Flights: Kingscote Airport (KGC), 13km from the town of Kingscote at Cygnet River. The shuttle (☎ 04 2788 7575; $25) that runs to downtown Kingscote must be pre-booked. 4-5 arrivals per day from Adelaide ...more
KI is Australia’s third-largest island (after Tasmania and Melville Island, Northern Territory). The ferry lands in Penneshaw (pop. 250), on the north coast of Dudley Peninsula. North Terrace in Penneshaw ...more
There is no taxi service on the island, but a lot of visitors still take to the roads. Most of the tourist thoroughfares are paved, and unsealed roads leading to major sights are generally in good condition ...more
Penneshaw and Kingscote, KI’s largest towns, lie on the northeastern coast of the island. Most of the south, west, and north ends of the island are relatively unpopulated and do not have basic services ...more
There are campsites at Western River Cove ($3 per person or $5 per car, including passengers; pay at site) and Stokes Bay ($10; book through cafe).
The IGA supermarket, on Middle Terr. across the street from the post office, sells groceries and toiletries. (Open daily 8am-8pm.) Penguin Stop Cafe (☎ 08 8553 1211), on the corner of Nat Thomas ...more
Penguin Centre. Though Penneshaw also operates as the gateway to KI from the mainland, its fairy penguins attract their own visitors. The best time to see the penguins is from June to late December ...more
To experience Moonta’s mining history, don a hard hat and camp lamp and head 55m underground with the Wheal Hughes Copper Mine tour. (Bookings essential, made through Moonta Station Tourist Office. Tours ...more
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For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
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