Top 10 things to do in SA

1. EXPERIENCE THE GOOD LIVING IN ADELAIDE
Adelaide is a vibrant cosmopolitan city, with friendly locals and a beautiful mediterranean climate, it is the ultimate city of good living. This convenient 20 minute city takes you to pristine city beaches to the west and to the east to Adelaide Hills. While in Adelaide, explore North Terrace the cultural boulevard including the National Wine Centre, Aboriginal Cultures Gallery, SA Art Gallery and Migration Museum; Indulge at the Adelaide Central Markets, the largest fresh food markets in the Southern Hemisphere or relax and enjoy the fine wine and dining at one one of Adelaides many amazing ‘Eat Streets’.
South Australia Experiences

2. WINE TASTING AND GOURMET TOURS
Boasting over 300 cellar doors and a total of 17 wine regions including the Barossa and Clare Valley, Adelaide Hills and McLaren Vale and with world renowned wineries open for wine tastings and behind the scenes tours, visitors are spoilt for choice. Exploration can be undertaken as part of a self-drive itinerary or as part of an escorted tour, options for which are numerous and varied with something to suit every budget and interest.
South Australia Food and Wine

3. THE OUTBACK MAIL RUN & COOBER PEDY
With Coober Pedy, famed for its opals and underground homes as the starting point, the Outback Mail Run offers visitors the chance to explore the Outback with the mail man as he delivers post and supplies to Oodnadatta, William Creek and remote cattle stations. Guests travel 12 hours across diverse country, including gibber plains, red sand hills and inland seabeds dating back 120 million years.
South Australia Outback

4. WILDLIFE SPOTTING ON KANGAROO ISLAND
Kangaroo Island, the third largest island off Australia and, with almost a third of its land covered in pristine wilderness and conservation parks, is one of the best places on the continent to see the widest range of native animals in their natural habitat including kangaroos, koalas, seals, penguins, wallabies, echidna and duckbilled platypus.
South Australia Wildlife

5. SWIMMING WITH SEA LIONS & DOLPHINS ON THE EYRE PENINSULA
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. June to October meanwhile offers exceptional whalewatching opportunities off the Great Australian Bight.
South Australia Eyre Peninsula

6. SELF DRIVE THE MELBOURNE TO ADELAIDE TOURING ROUTE
The Limestone Coast incorporates part of the Melbourne to Adelaide Touring Route which in turn includes the Great Ocean Road. Visitors can take the coastal explorer’s route through the Coorong National Park and the villages of Beachport, Robe, Kingston and Meningie or the country lover’s route through farming country to the famous Coonawarra wine region, the World Heritage Listed Naracoorte Caves and the Blue Lake. Other self-drives of note include the cross continental Explorer’s Way between Adelaide and Darwin, a journey which can also be undertaken on the legendary Ghan train, and the Perth to Adelaide trip across the Nullarbor Plain.
South Australia Self Drive

7. FESTIVALS, CULTURE AND EVENTS IN ADELAIDE
Adelaide lives up to its reputation as a destination rich in arts and culture by staging around 200 concerts each year, together with numerous dance and theatrical performances and international cultural and music festivals reflecting its cosmopolitan community. A few of the city’s outstanding events include Tour Down Under, Adelaide Festival of Arts, Adelaide Fringe Festival, WOMAdelaide World Music Festival , Clipsal 500 Adelaide , Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Panasonic World Solar Challenge, and Tasting Australia. 
South Australia Adelaide

8. CRUISE THE MIGHTY MURRAY RIVER
Known as South Australia’s (SA) life source, the Murray River is famed for its abundant wildlife and spectacular scenery as epitomised by towering sandstone cliffs fringed by weeping willows and giant red gums. Cruising options include the hire of luxury self-drive houseboats through to three-seven night river boat and paddle wheeler cruises.
South Australia Murray River

9. CYCLE THE CLARE VALLEY’S RIESLING TRAIL
Among the numerous cycling tracks that meander throughout SA, the Clare Valley’s Riesling Trail is one of the most popular with its gum-tree woodlands, rolling vineyards, grasslands, bush and farmlands. Following the old rail line between Auburn and Clare, the 25kms. route is suitable for all ages and abilities and wanders through the heart of the wine growing region, offering many opportunities to visit cellar doors and picturesque villages en route.
South Australia Clare Valley

10. WALK THE HEYSEN TRAIL
Considered to be SA’s premier walk, The Heysen Trail, which traverses the Fleurieu Peninsula, Adelaide Hills and the Flinders Ranges, provides visitors with spectacular cliff top views and the opportunity to see eastern grey kangaroos, lizards and wildflowers.
South Australia Heysen Trail

Top 10 things to do in Adelaide

1. TAKE IN THE CULTURAL ATTRACTIONS OF NORTH TERRACE:
ADELAIDE BOTANIC GARDENS welcomes over one million visitors a year, making it one of South Australia’s most popular cultural attractions. The 16-hectare garden, which opened its gates in 1857, is home to special collections, rare plants, lakes and heritage buildings, including two great conservatories heralded internationally for their remarkable design.
Botanic Gardens

THE NATIONAL WINE CENTRE OF AUSTRALIA, located in the Botanic Gardens, represents Australia’s 62 wine regions and is one of only three in the world. The Centre, which offers a range of courses and tasting sessions for visitors, is capable of storing 32,000 bottles of wine, has its own demonstration vineyard covering 2.6 hectares and features an interactive exhibition taking visitors on a journey through Australia’s wine industry.
Wine Centre

THE BRADMAN COLLECTION – a tribute to cricketing hero, Sir Donald Bradman, featuring more than a hundred items of personal and professional cricket memorabilia, is located in the State Library of South Australia.
Bradman Collection

THE ART GALLERY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA,
established in 1881, is home to one of the country’s oldest art collections. The collections are divided broadly into art from Australia, Europe and Asia and the museum lays claim, among other things, to the largest collection of Rodin sculptures in the southern hemisphere, as well as the most significant collection of South East Asian ceramics in the world.
Art Gallery

THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM,
packed with thousands of fascinating artefacts reflecting the lifestyles of Aboriginal, early Pacific and ancient Egyptian peoples, boasts the Australian Aboriginal Cultures Gallery as its highlight. Other attractions include the Fossil Gallery at the heart of which is the opalised Addyman plesiosaur, a 120-million-year-old marine reptile.
South Australian Museum

2. GLENELG, part of Adelaide’s 30 kilometres of metropolitan coastline with its pristine white sandy beaches, is located only 20 minutes by tram from the city centre. Glenelg is popular for its cafes and restaurants, whilst the three and a half hour TEMPTATION SAILING cruise to swim with, or simply observe, common and bottlenose dolphins is a must.
Glenelg

3. WINERY TOURS AT PENFOLDS MAGILL ESTATE, one of Australia’s most famous historic working wineries, just 15 minutes from the centre of Adelaide, operates a selection of guided, behind the scenes tours. The daily, one-hour “Heritage Tour” includes the Bluestone Vintage Cellar where Penfolds Grange and Penfolds Magill Estate Shiraz are made, whilst a tutored tasting session of six Penfolds wines takes place in the Still House. The “Great Grange Tour”, which takes an exclusive look around the original Penfold family home built in 1845, gives guests the opportunity to taste six Penfolds Super Premium Wines as well as Penfolds’ 20-year-old Bluestone Tawny from the barrel.
Penfolds Winery Tours

4. ADELAIDE FESTIVAL CENTRE, opened in 1973, has been hosting cultural extravaganzas for over three decades. Attracting millions of visitors from all over the world to its internationally renowned performances, this groundbreaking arts centre offers backstage tours that reveal some of the secrets behind the great productions that have been staged here.
Festival Centre

5. THE ADELAIDE OVAL,
described as one of the world’s most picturesque Test cricket grounds, hosted its first Test match in 1884 and has been attracting international cricketing fans ever since. A tour of the ground and a visit to the museum is a must for cricket lovers and those interested in the history of sport.
Oval

6. ADELAIDE CENTRAL MARKET
has the largest selection of international cuisine in the city and some of the best-value meals. The market, first opened in 1869, attracts the city’s top chefs, shopping for fresh produce from 60 different cultures. Guided walks bring out the full flavour of the market. 
Central Market

7. JAM FACTORY CONTEMPORARY CRAFT & DESIGN,
where emerging Australian designers come together under one roof to showcase a plethora of creativity, is said to be at the forefront of the country’s craft and design industry. An eclectic mix of glass, ceramics, metal and furniture design takes place on the premises and a retail outlet provides the opportunity to purchase unique souvenirs.
Jam Factory

8. CLELAND WILDLIFE PARK,
set in the stunning natural bushland of the Adelaide Hills this wildlife park is an unique opportunity to interact with Australian Wildlife, feed the kangaroos, emus and birds and you even have the opportuntiy to hold a Koala. While in the area stop in at Mount Lofty Summit and take in the views over the city.
Cleland Wildlife Park

9. DINE AT THE GRANGE,
one of Adelaide’s flagship restaurants located at the Adelaide Hilton. Here, national living treasure, Cheong Liew, creates remarkable and exquisite menus partnered with great wines from the hotel’s enviable cellar.
The Grange

10. HIT THE EAT STREETS AND A CHOICE OF OVER 700 RESTAURANTS:
RUNDLE STREET - Diners have numerous options from Italian, Thai and Egyptian, to Greek, Indian and vegetarian. Two of Adelaide’s most popular pubs, The Austral and The Exeter, can be found here serving great meals.
Rundle Street

 HINDLEY STREET - Located at the western end of Rundle Mall this is traditionally Adelaide’s late night party strip. Hindley Street

GOUGER STREET - With wall-to-wall eateries, there is T-Chow, next to the Adelaide Central Market, serving cheap, delicious Chinese, and Nu’s Thai offering a more upmarket experience.
Gouger Street

HUTT STREET - Among the many restaurants here is Citrus, offering arguably the best breakfasts in town.
Hutt Street

NORTH ADELAIDE - Diners can chose from Cibo Ristorante, Beyond India, Amarin Thai, or The Royal Oak, The Oxford Hotel or the new Archer Hotel.
North Adelaide

OTHER CONTENDERS - In Adelaide’s inner eastern suburbs Unley Road, The Parade at Norwood and King William Road all offer a multitude of cafés and restaurants.
Other Contenders

Calendar of events

October
Panasonic World Solar Challenge - Teams and individuals from corporations and universities worldwide travel to Australia to design and drive their solar powered cars some 3,000 kms. from Darwin to Adelaide. The event celebrates achievement, courage and the practical application of scientific knowledge in pursuit of a safer, smarter, greener world.
World Solar Challenge

*Tasting Australia, a biennial festival, showcases the world’s top culinary talents, as well as the best produce, food products, wines and beers that South Australia and the nation at large have to offer. Held in Adelaide, this event is open to both media and consumers.
Tasting Australia

November
Feast Festival – Established in Adelaide in 1997 and now considered one of the country’s top three gay and lesbian events, this cultural festival features theatre, concerts, film, exhibitions and parties.
Feast Festival

Credit Union Christmas Pageant - First held in 1933, this Adelaide tradition is regarded as one of the world’s great pageants. Thousands of locals line the 3.3 km city street route to watch this famous parade involving festive and fairytale floats, marching banks and over 900 costumed characters.
Christmas Pageant

Cycling in the Tour Down Under - International cycling action takes place every January with the Tour Down Under. This colourful event attracts the cream of Australian and European professional cyclists to compete in aseries of gruelling road races through Adelaide and various country regions of South Australia. Before one of the race stages, recreational cyclists can join in the action and cycle the same route as the professionals.

Adelaide Festival of Arts
The Adelaide Festival of Arts ranks alongside Edinburgh and Avignon as one of the world's leading arts festivals. Held in every 'even' year, it embraces a potent mix of contemporary and classical artistic expression and performance.

*The Adelaide Fringe coincides with the Adelaide Festival of Arts, sweeping up audiences in its raw, street-wise energy and late night activity.

Wine & Food Festivals - When South Australia's wine regions celebrate, they do it in style, providing magnificent showcases for the South Australia's abundance of world-class wine and food. The Clare Valley's annual gourmet food and wine show consumes a weekend in May, while the biennial Barossa Vintage Festival is spread over theweek following Easter in odd-numbered years. McLaren Vale has its Sea and Vines Festival in June, and follows it up with its hugely popular continuous picnic. Adelaide's Tasting Australia, held every alternate October, brings an Australian flavoured food and wine banquet together.

Motor Sport - Adelaide has built an international reputation for staging major motor racing events on its city street circuit. In February/March every year, Australia's premier touring car event, the Clipsal 500, sees thundering V8 Supercars on the internationally-acclaimed city street circuit, attracting crowds in excess of 250,000.

With a slightly slower but no less enthralling pace, the Classic Adelaide Rally is held in November.Over 100 sports cars, classic saloons and other exotic motoring icons fromaround the world compete in a series of time trials through the city and Adelaide Hills at the height of springtime.

The list goes on… In September, the Royal Adelaide Show sees the country come to town. Adelaide International Three Day Event takes over the eastern parklands in November. The Oakbank Easter Racing Carnival in the Adelaide Hills attracts an annual pilgrimage of thousands. In September, the Bay to Birdwood rally of vintage cars parades from seaside Glenelg through the city to Birdwood in the Adelaide Hills while thousands of locals and visitors line the route and cheer the drivers on.

Dozens of other regional festivals and events are celebrated across South Australia throughout the year, from the bizarre tuna tossing competition in January, part of Port Lincoln's Tunarama Festival, to the Coober Pedy Opal Festival held in Coober Pedy every Easter.

*indicates held biannually.