And so, to South Australia we went! This was probably a trip I did the least research. Extreme busy-ness coupled with the desire to just take things easy meant we were gonna leave things pretty much very open.
We arrived at Adelaide in the morning and the weather was pretty chilly, as it was just a mere couple of days before the winter season was to start. And it took us about 20mins in a taxi to reach our hotel at Frome Street. I chose this place as it's within the CBD and very close to Rundle Street, the most happening stretch of road in all of Adelaide.
We left our luggage at the hotel as it was still early and made our way to Rundle Street, which had shops, malls and all sort of interesting cafes. Yup, Adelaide's is pretty well-known for its cafes with plenty of pastry and interesting coffee choices.
We also stumbled upon a few halal makan places along this road, especially in the malls. And there's a variety of cuisines, including Middle Eastern, Malaysian and Indonesian.
And now for some of the other highlights:
Glenelg Beach
A must-see destination. We took the tram (fare was about AUD3 per person) that went straight there. The beach was pretty awesome and we were told that you could swim with dolphins during the summer.
There's also a big amusement park with mini golf, bumper cars, video games and other rides.
Adelaide Hills
We rented a car after the second day there and drove up to Adelaide Hills, which wasn't actually too far away from Adelaide city. But do a bit of research as there are quite a number of towns to visit up the hills. We drove around cluelessly for a while until we referred to a brocuhre and headed out to Hahndorf, a German settlement as old as Adelaide itself.
There, we had some coffee and visited the interesting shops. Quaint and picturesque, it's the perfect place if you're also into German cuisine.
We also passed by a couple of other towns including Bridgewater and Striing, all with their own unique charms.
Mount Lofty
Throughout our stay, we actually went up Mount Lofty three times! It's the most famous lookout point, and on normal clear days, you could see Adelaide in all its glory.
So, the first time we went up, it was in the evening and rather misty and we didn't see anything. But we did go to the Cleland Wildlife Park nearby, which was pretty awesome.
The second time we went up, it was again too foggy to see anything. It was only during the third try that we finally saw something to write home about. The sun was setting, and coupled with the chilly air, it was one of my own favourite memories of Adelaide.
Road Trip to Victor Harbor
So, we were determined to go on a long drive somewhere as we've always enjoyed the Aussie countryside. We waited for my cousin Bernie and her hubby John to arrive from Sydney, and off we went to Victor Harbor, which was a pretty random choice actually.
It was a beautiful day and the drive was smooth and picturesque. We took that time to catch up since we've not seen each other in ages, and even stopped at a couple of places for pictures and also, tea and scones!
When we arrived at Victor Harbor, we stopped by a park at one of its beaches just to chill for a while.
Victor Harbor's views were just breathtaking, especially with the clear skies. We had some fish and chips, walked around and drove to a couple of look out points before returning to Adelaide.
We also did a bit of shopping in Adelaide as there we some pretty cool shops around the Rundle Mall area, which included a sports store with all the Under Armour stuff I've been looking for! Harbour Town also had some good deals, but we did go home without bursting our luggage allowance : )
So, Adelaide. Check. Tasmania next? Hehehe...
