Vacation - South Australia

Vacation South Australia.

Australia's fourth largest state South Australia is also the most arid. Like most of Australia's inland it is amazingly diverse in landscape, flora and fauna.

South Australia covers (379,725 sq miles) Most of it dry desert inland. Like most of Australia's inland it is amazingly diverse in landscape, flora and fauna.

Inland is a breathtaking sight to anyone who has not seen it on the ground or from the air.

Much of it looks like it is from another planet, it is so dry, and supports so little life above ground.

In contrast the coast is rich and green in and around the valleys and rivers that feed in to the sea in the south of the state where it is coolest.

Near the coast are magnificent vineyards, farms and general agriculture along the Murray river and other rivers.

The vineyard tours are great, and the wines world class. Adelaide area is famous worldwide for its fine wine and cuisine. Be prepared to slow down if you have flown in from New York or if you have just come from one of Australia's bigger cities.

Adelaide runs at an easy pace. People find time for you in Adelaide, so finding out about the area from locals directly is recommended.

Even in major cities in Australia the people remain pretty easy going. It is our nature, so if we can take life in a relaxed way we can still get a lot done.... calmly!

The capital city of South Australia is Adelaide. this is a city that loves live art theatre and all things cultural, and is listed in Economists World as one of the worlds most livable cities.

This city of Adelaide has some of the best food you will find anywhere. Restaurants and fine dining are a real feature of this lovely city of 1.2 Million people.

Because Adelaide is so close to the Barossa Valley the restaurants have the best wines you can imagine with competition very keen to provide you with the worlds best white and red wines.

I worked in Adelaide for three months, on two occasions and chose to live in Glenelg while I was there the second time.

Festival and sporting events seem to open one after the other and there is plenty to see which will make your visit unique.

Beaches both in Adelaide and along the coast are clean and friendly places to visit all summer long.

For further information about Adelaide please visit our Hub on Adelaide.

One place not to be missed on a trip to South Australia is a beautiful little place called Hahndorf.

Hahndorf, is the oldest surviving German Village in Australia.

Hahndorf is a popular tourist destination. Many of the original buildings and traditions have been retained and Hahndorf's village atmosphere is complimented by streets lined with cafes and speciality shops.

Unique villages like this attract an enormous number of International tourists who enjoy the history of countries peoples and cultures.

You must taste the home-made sausage and also the local cheeses!

There are many planned activities in Hahndorf for adults, children and seniors, as do most tourist places in the tourist spots in the Adelaide Hills.

Mount Gambier in the South East corner of South Australia is home of the famous Blue Lake.

The Blue Lake is located in an extinct volcano.

During December to March, the lake turns to a vibrant cobalt blue colour, returning to a colder steel grey colour for April to November.

The exact cause of this phenomenon is still a matter of conjecture.

This is one of the best places to go if you want to travel on foot to amazing scenery.

The area is very craggy with granitic intrusions breaking over deep ancient valleys that look like parts of Switzerland.

North east of Adelaide is the small opal mining town of Coober Pedy. This is the most unusual town you will ever see, with complete homes built underground like caves, and opal mines everywhere!

The summer heat here is so intense that the cold water tap can scold you! That is why the locals have wisely decided to build their homes in the earth itself.

Some of the houses, although carved from the soft rock even have swimming pools inside!

You can buy opals or look for them yourself. Some of the most beautiful opals from here find their way to every country on the globe.

I know of an opal mosaic of the Sydney Opera house that was for sale in Melbourne. It incorporated a lot of black opal from Lightning ridge and was very valuable.