AUSTRALIA

Population:
1,584,500

Capital:
Adelaide

About South Australia

South Australians have earned the reputation for enjoying themselves and the finer things in life and it is easy to see why.

Adelaide is renowned across Australia as being a festival city with a rich artistic and cultural heritage – don’t miss the Adelaide Festival of Arts in March, one of the world’s great art festivals. The climate in South Australia is perfect for alfresco dining much of the year, which makes for a relaxed and high-quality food and wine culture where fine dining, café culture and great bars mix together. In fact, you will find entire streets evoted to dining.

Being home to world famous wine producing areas Barossa Valley and Coonawarra, it may not come as a surprise to you that South Australians love their wines. But you may be surprised to learn that you can meet the winemakers in person, at wineries and cellar doors throughout South Australia – a must-do experience for any wine lover.

In South Australia, the outback is ‘just out back’ and it is this ease of access that makes South Australia the ideal place to explore the outback from. Learn about the rich heritage of the outback’s Aboriginal people, gaze at the star blazing skies, venture into the Flinders Ranges. And don’t forget to share a drink with the locals at an outback pub.

South Australia also offers easy access to native wildlife. Kangaroo Island, just a short hop across from the Adelaide coast is Australia’s answer to the Galapagos and one of the few places you can swim with wild sealions and dolphins, walk down eucalyptuslined lanes spotting koalas, and view groups of kangaroos grazing the land. A visit to South Australia is a must, for both first and second time visitors alike.

Experience South Australia

You can find most iconic Australian experiences within the borders of South Australia. Get up close to kangaroos, koalas and wallabies on Kangaroo Island. Experience the magic and vast open spaces of the blazing red outback in Flinders Ranges and open yourself up to Aboriginal Australia and be inspired by the world’s oldest living culture.

Be spellbound by the fresh air, casual atmosphere and the sound of crashing waves on the South Australian coastline. Get a thrill from swimming with Australian bottlenose dolphins and sealions. Let us inspire you with a selection of South Australian experiences.

Good living and wine tasting

South Australia boasts a total of 17 wine regions, including the Barossa Valley which produces over 50 percent of Australia's wine. Visitors will be spoilt for choice from behind the scene tours to wine tastings! The cosmopolitan city of Adelaide is the capital and is known as a food and wine centre, with alfresco dining and vibrant restaurants boasting some of Australia's best chefs.

Kangaroo Island

Spectacular Kangaroo Island is the third largest isalnd off the coast of Australia with almost a third of the island covered in pristine wilderness and conservation parks. It's the best place on the continent to see a wide range of native animals in their natural habitat, including kangaroos, koalas, seals, penguins, wallabies, echidna and duck-billed platypus.

Flinders Ranges

North from Adelaide, the Flinders Ranges is one of the oldest landscapes on earth, and it's here that the real Outback begins. The scenery and wildlife is amazing, plus you get the chance to learn about Aboriginal culture. the unique opal-mining town of Coober Pedy, further north, is also worth visiting, it is where locals live 'underground' year round, due to the extreme temperatures.

Swimming with sea lions and dolphins

Baird Bay on the Eyre Peninsula is the perfect location to swim with sea lions and dolphins, whilst for those who don't wish to get wet, Point Labbatt has fine views of sea lions playing in off shore waters. Southern Right Whales migrate between June and September and a good place to see them is off the Great Australian Bight where many can often be spotted close to the cliff line.

Murray River Cruise

South Australia's river country is Australia's largest wine growing region and the Murray River is known as the states 'life source'. The Murray River is famed for its abundant wildlife, birdlife and spectacular scenery, epitomised by towering sandstone cliffs fringed by towering red gums. One of the most glorious ways of enjoying the river is to take a leisurely cruise!