Is Adelaide A Good Holiday Destination?

If you are looking for your next holiday or vacation destination then Adelaide in South Australia should be at the top of your list. Filled with an abundance of culture and history is what makes Adelaide a fascinating place. It can also be your destination hub to go explore the outskirts of the city.

Adelaide is a good holiday destination for people who love food, festivals, a good joke and good drinks. For families, a lot of events are a close drive from the main city, so kids don’t have to stay in the car for long. There are a lot of places you can explore before continuing on your holiday.

Adelaide Fringe Festival

The Adelaide Fringe Festival is one of the biggest events in the country, and in 2021 it took over Edinburgh as the largest festival during the Covid pandemic. This festival celebrates local independent Artists within the community who join together to put on shows and display their art for the community to enjoy.

If you are planning to go to the festival for a good time, March is the best time to visit all the events in Adelaide city. You do want to get in early as lines can back up so if you have a show you are trying to make be sure to arrive early at the gates.

WOMADelaide is a 4-day music festival in Adelaide Botanic Park, near the Garden of Unearthly Delights. The Fringe Festival offers shows for the young and the family. Children’s shows are usually during the day, while the wilder, funnier adult-themed ones happen after dark.

There are food trucks and stalls around the Garden of Unearthly Delights in Rundle Park/Kadlitpina, but it is not the only place you can visit during the festival. Gluttony is at the Rymill Park/ Murlawirrapurka. They are about 9 minutes walk away from each other. Eat and enjoy at the festival, there is plenty to see and watch. While not all shows are free, there are enough activities for you to spend a day there.

The Wine From Adelaide

In 1951, Max Schubert’s hard work made Penfold’s Grange wine one of the most iconic wines produced in Adelaide. For wine lovers, you can visit the Penfold Magill Estate, where Max Schubert did his research and wine-making back in 1951. After the tour around the historical building and learning how Max’s commitment to his craft made Grange famous, enjoy a menu specifically created to match Penfold Grange wines.

Sitting atop the hill, you can see the view of Adelaide from the Magill Estate. For people with families, lunch and brunch are available at the Magill Estate Kitchen within the compound. The kitchen also offers Grange or other wine pairings with their menu. When you know the wine you want to take home as a souvenir, you can purchase it at the cellar door next to the Magill Estate Kitchen.

The Food Of Adelaide

There are 3 things you need to try when you are in Adelaide because they are local icons and you should not miss out. Fortunately, they are not expensive and you can get them easily at a store like Coles and Woolworths.

Farmer’s Union Iced Coffee or FUIC (pronounced fyu- ick) is a range of coffee-flavoured milk that the locals love to drink. FUIC is made locally by Farmers Union in 1888, so it remains a favourite drink that outsells Coca-Cola in Adelaide. You can spot them anywhere: grocery stores, vending machines or the petrol station. You can choose from normal, Strong or no added sugar.

Among other Adelaide local favourites are the Frog Cakes, made by Balfours Bakeries. The frog cakes are made from 2 layers of sponge cake with a jam centre. the fondant coats the mock cream dome that tops the cake. Two icing dots for the eyes and the mouth is made from slashing the dome cream. You have not been to Adelaide until you have eaten a Frog cake and drank a FUIC.

Another food you should be on the lookout for is the bung fritz. Although the origin of the bung fritz is highly debatable: it may have come from a Fritz in Adelaide or up the hill in Lobethal. But this special sausage is lovingly made from good cuts of beef, lamb and pork meat.

The unique part about this local delicacy: is the sheep’s appendix casing. As the appendix is known as a bung, the name bung fritz sticks to this day. To find and try this yummy sausage that tastes like high-quality luncheon meat, head to your local butcher and ask for a slice.

What Are 3 Interesting Facts About Adelaide?

The Opal City

Australia supplies 95% of the commercial opal market, the Coober Pedy mine in South Australia contributes 70% of opal by weight. The Unique Opal Mine in Adelaide city is where you should go to satisfy your curiosity without going to a real opal mine 5 hours away. The shop has an underground mine with real opals, doubling as a workshop for jewellers who own the shop aboveground. For dinosaur buffs, there is a fossil of a Plesiosaur in the mine that you can take a photo of.

City Of First

Adelaide was the only capital in the country that did not start out or turned into a penal settlement. South Australia was a planned capital funded by the South Australian Company, and run by free British settlers. It was also the first state that passed the Adult Suffrage Act that allowed women to vote and stand for parliament.

In 1894, Adelaide became the first electorate in the world to give equal voting rights to everyone. Its leaders were the first to recognise Indigenous rights and criminalise sexual and racial discrimination. Because of its progressiveness, Adelaide is a multicultural city that thrives on history and heritage.

City Of Churches

Given the progress of the leaders, Adelaide is known as the City of Churches does not mean that the city has a lot of church buildings, even though it has a lot. The name signifies the religious freedom Adelaide has had since it became a free settlement. There are Christian churches for all denominations, as well as synagogues and mosques.

A lot of the church buildings are heritage listed. Even though some churches are no longer places of worship, they are still well maintained and worth looking at. For example, the first synagogue in Adelaide is in Synagogue Place, but the building is now a nightclub.

What Is The Best Month To Visit Adelaide?

You can visit Adelaide any time of the year, but the best month to visit Adelaide depends on your reason for a visit. For campers and whale watchers, the month of May or October has plenty of sunshine and less rain. November is also a good month because Santa arrives around the middle of the month to take part in the Christmas Pageant, which is important to a child. After Santa settles down in his Magic Cave in Adelaide, be sure to pop in and say hello.

March is the best month for festival-goers because there are artists from all other the world to amaze and make you laugh. Some will even be busking in Rundle Mall nearby to drum up interest. From magic shows to traditional dance, there will be something for everyone.

Why Do People Go To Adelaide?

People go to Adelaide because it is a small city that is rich in history and culture. It has a public transport system that makes it convenient to travel around. Adelaide is also the place of the only International Dark Sky Reserve in Australia, which is around 1-hour drive from the city. You can reach the Adelaide Hills or the beach in 20 minutes. Travelling around the city is easy and stress-free with the buses and trains available.

How Many Days Should I Spend In Adelaide?

You need about 3 days minimum in Adelaide to enjoy some sights the city offers. Adelaide CBD alone will take up to 1 day. You can tram up and down the city as it is free from North to South Terrace. The tram continues on to Festival Centre and all the way south to Glenelg, but that attracts a fee. In Adelaide city, you can visit the museum and the art gallery, both are free to enter.

Head to Rundle Mall for a quick shop before travelling a little south to Central Market/ Chinatown. Central Market is the building, and it links seamlessly to Chinatown, where food is abundant and cheap. There are parks around the fringe you can visit with the kids. Otherwise, consider visiting Prohibition Liquor Co, a gin distillery and bar in Adelaide city.

Visit the beach on a sunny day. You can head to Glenelg, Henley or Grange beach for a nice play on the sand. You can fish from the jetty, or watch people haul up baskets of crabs. After a good meal, you can head up towards the Adelaide Hills. Hahndorf is the oldest surviving German settlement in Australia.

You can walk along Main Street to see a mixture of old German buildings mixed in with modern ones. Hahndorf is also home to Adelaide’s gin distiller Ambleside Distillers. From here, you can walk part of the Heysen Trail, the 1200 trail that stretches from Cape Jervis down south to Fleurieu Peninsula up north. If you intend to do the trail, you will need more than 3 days in Adelaide.

Visit Barossa Valley’s Whispering Wall, where the reservoir has a parabola effect. You can hear the person on the other side of the reservoir clearly. It is like they are standing next to you. From Whispering Wall, head to the Lavender Farm for some souvenirs and Lavender sweet treats.

Barossa Valley’s Discovery Park has a water park and playground for the children. The base rate for an unpowered campsite is $34, the powered site costs $44, and children cost an extra $10 per child. The campsite offers free wifi, a kitchen, barbeque, and a dump point. After a long drive around Barossa Valley, it is a good place to have a rest.

Adelaide is a good holiday destination because it offers plenty to do all year round. The weather is usually dry and mild, with plenty of opportunities to watch the stars. There is something happening in Adelaide every month, so plan your visit at times of events and you will have a good time.