Searching for South Australia

Walking on water Glenelg Beach jetty stretches into the Saint Vincent Gulf outside Adelaide

SEARCHING FOR

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Cosmopolitan cities, manicured vineyards and wildlife-packed Kangaroo Island... Australia’s south boasts a haul of diverse wonders

AUSTRALIA

“At the mercy of the roiling Southern and Indian oceans and covered in mallee scrub, eucalypt forests and unpaved dirt roads, Kangaroo Island is a land untamed.”

South Australia has so

much to offer, and yet it’s often neglected by first-time visitors to the country. Here, our specialists speak in detail about three key South Australian areas: the cosmopolitan city of Adelaide, the natural wildlife haven of Kangaroo Island, and the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale winelands.

What’s really satisfying is that all these places are clustered together, meaning that you can experience the variety this vast territory has to offer in one trip.

GET TO KNOW ADELAIDE

By Simon Massey My first impressions of Adelaide q weren’t promising: when I first visited in 1999, the airport was practically a shed. Now, the flagship city of South Australia has all the charm and verve to rival Sydney, Melbourne or Perth. The innovative, modern food scene is garnering awards, while it’s still beloved for its august heritage buildings as well as the suburban beaches that line the nearby Saint Vincent Gulf. Yet the city has its own distinct personality, too. Physically, Adelaide’s all about open space.

The whole city was designed to be surrounded by parkland: you’ll find few high rises here. Adding to this feeling of openness, you can reach the best beaches via a pleasant flat cycle path

that runs along the Torrens River and onto the coast.

You can take a tram to the beach of Glenelg, but a half-hour’s cycle takes you to Henley, a slice of spotless, honeyed sand where 20 visitors or more counts as ‘busy’. In Henley Square, set back from the beach, you’ll find good restaurants and bars, fountains for children to splash in and in the evenings a light show. Visit at sunset and watch it from Henley’s wooden jetty: since all the beaches face west, it’s quite a spectacle, washing the sky in crimson and tangerine.

When it comes to dining, most visitors head for buzzy Rundle Street. However, it doesn’t have a monopoly on the best food and drink. Along Pirie Street, Gilbert Street and in the Central Market area, you’ll find independent coffee chains, cheesemakers, trattoria-style places, dim sum (known locally as ‘yum cha’) restaurants and craft beer bars. Gilles Street Market (held every second Sunday of the month) in the southeastern corner of the city has many pop-up places, and if you want to get off the beaten track, head north to the Adelaide Hills. Here the town of Hahndorf – originally settled by Lutheran migrants in the 19th century – dishes up hearty bratwurst, schnitzel and Bavarian beers.

For me, no trip to the city is complete without a peek at the Adelaide Oval. It was given a glossy makeover in 2014, but it has still kept that traditional

cricket club feel. The Moreton Bay fig trees, heritage-listed scoreboard and the Hill (where England’s Barmy Army set up camp) have been lovingly preserved, but the ground now boasts features such as a double-tiered riverbank stand. Cricket fans can climb to its roof, or even watch games from up top.

COUNT WILDLIFE ON KANGAROO ISLAND

By Holly Wilson Set 70 miles off the Adelaide coast at the mercy of the roiling Southern and Indian oceans, covered in mallee scrub, eucalypt forests and unpaved dirt roads, Kangaroo Island w is a land untamed. Its isolation has helped protect its wildlife, including the marsupials whom explorer Matthew Flinders named the island after in 1802 (they saved his crew from starvation).

Nowadays, thankfully, visitors watch the island’s kangaroos rather than eat them. They’re more muscular than their mainland cousins, with black tips on their paws and ears. Koalas, too, steal some of the limelight, if you know where to look (they only eat a certain type of eucalypt gum), while polka-dot-and-striped goannas haunt the underbrush. Sea lions and fur seals crowd some of the island’s blustery beaches: habituated to human presence while still completely wild, they hardly bat an eye as you walk past.

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a. The German-influenced village of Hahndorf, Adelaide Hills b. Lighthouse of Cape Willoughby, Kangaroo Island c. A pelican overlooking one of Adelaide’s many sandy beaches d. A sculpture of legendary Australian cricketer Don Bradman e. Sunset over Glenelg jetty in Adelaide f. A koala and baby resting on a eucalyptus tree g. A food market in Adelaide h. A hiker looks up to the wind-eroded granite of the ‘Remarkable Rocks’ in Flinders Chase National Park i. Punters relaxing in a cafe in Hahndorf

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AUSTRALIA

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Kangaroo Island

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Great Australian Bight

a. Seals at Seal Bay, Kangaroo Island b. Wine tasting in the Barossa Valley c. A short-beaked echidna resting in Flinders Chase National Park d. Cabernet grapes in the Barossa Valley vineyards e. Kangaroos on their namesake island f. Grape harvesting in the Barossa Valley g. The Hanson Bay coastline, Kangaroo Island h. A German-influenced sign for a vineyard in the Barossa Valley i. The vineyards of the Barossa Valley

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Barossa Valley

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Adelaide

Robe

Broken Hill

Port Fairy

Grampians National Park

The guided wildlife tours are excellent on KI (as locals call it), easily some of the best I’ve ever joined. As well as showing you the big hitters, guides will happily help you find more elusive fauna. I wanted to see an echidna. A monotreme (egg-laying mammal), they have a long, thin snout, looking like a European hedgehog that’s gorged on protein powder. ‘They’re very rare, you know,’ said my guide. Moments later, he heard a scuffling in the grasses, and called me closer. A spiky clump hovered into view, sniffing out its latest meal.

There’s more to this place than its wildlife. Cottage industries, including gin distilleries, honeymaking (Ligurian bees thrive here) and oyster farms are helping KI make a name for itself on the artisan food and drink scene. I’ve met islanders who hardly ever venture to the mainland, a sentiment that’s less parochialism, more an intense pride in their home. Visitors are warmly welcomed: it’s common to see people waving at cars that come past (they’re still a rarity here).

There’s also the landscape itself. It’s wind-beaten, unspoiled, raw

VICTORIA

NEW SOUTH WALES

Apollo Bay

Murray River

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Yarra Valley

Melbourne

with deserted beaches, shrubshrouded limestone clifftops, solitary lighthouses and the weathered granite boulders named the ‘Remarkable Rocks’, their sides splashed with bright orange lichens.

RAISE A GLASS TO THE WINELANDS

By Matt Malkin An hour’s drive northeast of Adelaide brings you to the Barossa Valley e, an impressive expanse of lowlying, gently undulating hills threaded with rows of vineyards. I visited in the austral spring: the vines weren’t quite at their height of summer lushness, but the area was wonderfully fresh. Despite its proximity to the city, the Barossa is a place where you can relax, lulled by the peace and quiet (and maybe the effects of a good vintage or two).

You can while away a pleasant couple of days visiting the cellar doors of a few wineries, sampling the local specialities of grenache and shiraz, and soaking up the languid pace of life. I like the German influences of Lyndoch, which was founded by Lutheran

migrants in 1842. Their legacy is palpable, from the bakery that serves German breads and pastries to nearby wineries like Tscharke’s. It’s built in an authentic German timber style, partly inspired by owner Eva (a German expatriate). German heritage also shines in its craft breweries: call in at Barossa Valley Brewing and swap wine for a pint in their outdoor biergarten, which often has live music.

If you want to head off the beaten track, head south of Adelaide to McLaren Vale r. Closer to the coast, it has good beaches and a refreshing breeze in the air makes for more consistent wines. Many of its wineries are boutiques, while others are larger-scale, such as the joyfully eccentric Molly Dooker’s (the name means ‘left-handed’ in Australian parlance).

As some of the McLaren Vale wineries are less well known internationally, I suggest taking part in a private tasting tour. I enjoyed the wine so much at SC Pannell I ended up shipping a crate of it home, but d’Arenberg’s stole my heart. This family-owned winery has a great restaurant situated on a veranda overlooking the vines (if you go, order the lobster bisque). They also offer winemaking workshops, giving you the chance to make your own blend. After an afternoon of playing with measurements, pipettes and beakers, I felt like I was back in a school chemistry lesson. Only this lesson ended with a glass of fine red.

TRAVEL ESSENTIALS

Flight information: Flight time is approximately 16 hours to Adelaide from Los Angeles. When to go: South Australia is a year-round destination, however the weather is most pleasant between September and May. Get me there: An 11-day tailor-made trip to South Australia on a self-drive basis starts from $4,845pp. For more information, please contact our Australia specialists on 1-844-250-3450.

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