In keeping with its climate, Adelaide, capital of South
Australia, has a Mediterranean ambience as it straddles the Torrens
River, filled with churches, gardens, civic buildings, sidewalk
cafes and a plethora of museums, galleries and festivals catering
to the culturally inclined. The city was originally laid out in
1836 by Colonel Light in a square mile (three sq km) grid of wide
streets with gracious colonial architecture. This has resulted in a
compact inner city area, geared for easy exploring on foot,
allowing the central area to be surrounded with hectares of
parklands, walking trails, sports grounds and picnic areas on the
banks of the river. The main boulevard is North Terrace, along
which are the restored Mortlock Library, the Art Gallery of South
Australia and the South Australian Museum with its spectacular
whale skeleton and collection of Aboriginal natural history.
Aboriginal culture is also catered for at Tandanya, a multi-arts
cultural centre that has galleries, performance areas and a café
serving native cuisine. Visitors who have had enough of culture can
take a cruise or gondola ride on the Torrens River, or ride a
vintage tram to the nearby seaside town of Glenelg with its
magnificent white, sandy beach, popular despite the occasional
rumour of sharks. Adelaide's Central Market is the destination for
'foodies'. Among the noisy, colourful atmosphere and wondrous
smells are fruit and vegetable stores and a large selection of meat
and fish along with gourmet specialities introduced by the waves of
immigrants who call Adelaide their home. Also popular with visitors
is the Adelaide Zoo and Cleland Wildlife Park, which features local
birds and animals including koalas and kangaroos.
Getting around: Adelaide has a small city centre so it is easy to
get around on foot or bicycle along the many cycling paths. A novel
service is the Adelaide City Bikes Scheme, where visitors and
residents can hire a bike within the city centre, with the first
two hours free. Those wishing to explore further afield can make
good use of the Adelaide Connector free bus service, which provides
a safe and convenient link between north and south Adelaide through
the central city area. The 19-seater free buses are fitted with
disability access and run seven days a week except public holidays.
There are also other free bus services in the CBD itself aimed at
carrying visitors between the main sights. The city is also served
by the TransAdelaide rail system that extends across the
metropolitan area via five rail lines: Outer Harbour, Gawler,
Noarlunga, Grange and Belair. Most visitors enjoy a trip on the
1929 historic vintage tram, which departs from Victoria Square at
regular intervals, carrying passengers to Glenelg in about 30
minutes.






