Adelaide

Understand

The South Australia time zone is 30 minutes behind Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) used in Victoria, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania. It's also an hour and a half ahead of Australian Western Standard Time (AWST), used in Western Australia and 45 minutes ahead of Eucla which uses Central Western Standard Time (CWST). Border Village in South Australia is the exception, which also uses CWST. South Australia observes Daylight Savings Time, similar to other southern/southeastern states but unlike Western Australia, Queensland, or the Northern Territory.

The NSW cities/towns of Broken Hill and Silverton also follow the same time as South Australia.

See

thumb|Glenelg Town Hall Adelaide's main important attractions are mostly centred in the City and North Adelaide. Unlike Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or Perth, Adelaide isn't a place you would want to go to specifically for city life and it's a lot less bustling than the other big cities. Instead, Adelaide is a place where you can enjoy a more laid back pace of life as if you were in the countryside, but with easy access to the usual big city amenities.

Adelaide is known for its churches, and a trip to Adelaide is never complete without visiting one of its churches, not because of any historical or religious significance, but rather for their architecture. If you can only afford time to see one, St. Peter's Cathedral in North Adelaide is one of the most iconic churches in Australia.

Adelaide does not have a pass covering all the attractions.

Buy

thumb|Rundle Mall thumb|The nineteenth century interior of the Adelaide Arcade. Unlike the "big four" Australian cities, top-end luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Prada do not have a presence in Adelaide. The Victorian Adelaide Arcade that runs south from Rundle Mall has a fine collection of boutiques and specialist shopping such as numismatics, antiques and chocolatiers. Another good place to look for semi-luxury items would be Burnside Village in the eastern suburbs.

Drink

There are pubs and bars (also known as "hotels" in Australia) dotted all around the CBD, but a few districts are worth singling out. Rundle Street and its neighbouring area known simply as "The East End" have a number of popular pubs. Hindley St used to be notorious as the seedy home of Adelaide's strip clubs and bikie bars, but it has undergone a renaissance, along with "The West End". The eastern end of Hindley Street is more mainstream, whereas the western end, west of Morphett Street has a few trendier and more alternative venues. The seedy places are still there, but so too is a university campus and a number of trendy bars and clubs. Also important are Gouger Street and its many restaurants but with an increasing number of bars and pubs. O'Connell Street is home to a few of North Adelaide's popular pubs.

There are also many bars in the suburbs of Adelaide which are usually busier on Thursday and Friday evenings. Quite a few of the locals will go to the hotels in the suburbs on Thursday and Friday evenings, and go into the Adelaide CBD on Saturday evenings.

Smoking in pubs and clubs is banned under South Australian law. Many drinking establishments have outdoor areas where smoking is permitted.

Sleep

thumb|The D'Arenberg Cube ([[McLaren Vale), a multi-use building that features a restaurant known as the d'Arenberg Cube Restaurant, a wine tasting room, a virtual fermenter, a 360-degree video room and the Alternate Realities Museum]] Adelaide has hundreds of accommodation options in the CBD (central business district, i.e. downtown) to consider, from backpackers hotels to five star hotels. However, there are options out of the central area too.

If you are travelling on business, there may be business-style accommodation near to where you are working, but otherwise, the city centre generally has more availability.

If you are into camping, the closest camping to the city is in Belair National Park in the southeastern suburbs of Adelaide. The park is less than 10 km from the city, and there is a train service near the park.

If you are into the beach, you have no choice but to choose the suburbs closer to the coast. The closest one to the city is Glenelg, but there are some in Port Adelaide or Outer Harbor too.

Stay safe

The Australia-wide emergency number is 000. The ambulance service, fire service and police are available through this number. For non-emergency police assistance, dial 131 444.

Adelaide is considered a safe city, much more so than Sydney and Melbourne. People should however exercise personal safety, particularly at night. Most violent crime in Adelaide is fuelled by alcohol, so be vigilant and avoid any confrontations if you are in the bars or nightclubs at night.

The city parklands are poorly lit and are best avoided after dark due to the presence of intoxicated people. If you need to cross the parklands to reach the suburbs, stay near the road. Catching a taxi or public transport is recommended at night.

Trains in Adelaide are generally reliable and arrive and depart on schedule. (Buses can be slightly more variable.) There are security guards on all trains after 7PM and many rail services have bus connections available.

At night, police actively patrol the city centre, especially Hindley Street, the latter being where many of the city's nightclubs and bars are. Taxi ranks are near the Adelaide Casino on North Terrace, the Hilton Adelaide Hotel on Victoria Square, and the junction of Rundle Street and Pulteney Street outside the Hungry Jacks fast food outlet. Most regular public transport services end before or at midnight, but special After Midnight bus services operate Saturday night only, travelling from the city to brightly-lit points throughout Adelaide's suburbs. …

Stay healthy

Adelaide's remote location in the world's driest continent means that its drinking water is sourced from the River Murray, local reservoirs or a large desalination plant in the city's south. Tap water is perfectly safe to drink, but does have a somewhat different taste to other parts of Australia and those not used to it may prefer to drink it filtered.

Connect

There is extensive free Wi-Fi access (port 80 only) in the CBD and the airport provided by Internode.

Go next

thumb|The German settlement of [[Hahndorf, nestled in the Adelaide Hills, is a popular spot for tourists and locals alike. ]] thumb|Autumn colours of Stirling Adelaide Hills, including the Mt Lofty Summit, provides spectacular views of the Adelaide metropolitan area. The Adelaide Hills are a series of villages, each having its own unique character. In particular, the towns of Hahndorf and Stirling are worth visiting. The wine regions of the McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley, Clare Valley and Coonawarra. Kangaroo Island. Explore the natural environment. Flinders Ranges. Head north to explore the natural beauty and frontier history of the Flinders Ranges and Wilpena Pound Victor Harbor, just an hour or so drive south of Adelaide. Granite Island is one of the few places you can see Fairy Penguins in their natural habitat. Visit the nearby surf beaches in Pt Elliot, Middletown and Goolwa. Whispering wall, at the Barossa Reservoir. Yorke Peninsula is a popular holiday destination for Adelaidians, and less touristy than Victor Harbor, with towns dotted along the coast and the rugged Innes National Park at the foot of the peninsula. Alice Springs, 1,500 km of driving. Main stops on the way are Port Augusta and Coober Pedy. Eventually, heading through the Northern Territory you will reach the turn off to Uluru. Melbourne, via Coorong National Park, followed by the Limestone Coast and finally the Great Ocean Road before arriving in Melbourne. Eyre Peninsula. Visit the historic town of…