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Adelaide AttractionsMcLaren Vale Wine DistrictAt Adelaide's back door is the McLaren Vale Wine district , a beautiful part of the Fleurieu Peninsula tucked between the Mount Lofty Ranges and placid waters of Gulf St Vincent.Forty kilometres from the city centre, the area has been a wine-producing district since the very early days of South Australian settlement. Its climate is moderate, and especially suited to grape-growing. Frosts are rare, as are droughts. The water's never very far away. From the vineyards in the foothills, or those very near the coast, the waters of the gulf make a splendid blue curtain to the fertile green vines. Time your visit for winter's end, and you'll be able to revel in orchards of almond trees in full blossom, especially around historic Willunga. There are some 40 wineries in the district, many of them around McLaren Vale. Most are relatively small, family-owned boutique wineries which give the district that special diversity of character it's known for. Because it's so close to Adelaide, the McLaren Vale Wine district is ideal for a one or two-day break, getting to know the area's special character and tasting some of the many fine wines made here. Many wineries have attractive settings and BBQ facilities for visitors; all offer cellar-door sales. True to the spirit of celebration common to all South Australia's wine districts, McLaren Vale's winemakers celebrate the release of the new vintage every October with the Elizabethan-style Bushing Festival. Warrawong SanctuaryFourteen hectares of rehabilitated Australian bush, reintroduced animals of the Adelaide Hills and 50,000 native plants make Warrawong a botanical and zoological paradise. Endangered species like bettongs and potoroos inhabit the sanctuary. There are many ways to explore Warrawong. You can take a dawn walk, daytime walk, or nocturnal walk and really discover the Australian bush at its natural best.Williams Road, Mylor Zoological GardensLocated in shady parklands a few minutes walk from Adelaide's city centre is one of Australia's most historic and interesting zoos. The zoo is beautifully landscaped with grassy moated enclosures, walk-through aviaries full of trees and a superb reptile house. The Adelaide Zoo is involved in conservation, education and research. There is a special emphasis on breeding rare species like the red panda and Persian leopard and on exhibiting seldom seen Australian animals including the yellow-footed rock wallaby, a native of the Flinders Ranges.Feeding times: Art Gallery of South AustraliaThe Art Gallery was officially opened in 1881. The entire collection is divided into four areas: prints and drawings, Australian decorative arts, European and Asian decorative arts, painting and sculpture. Highlights of the collection include Australian art from the 18th century (with an emphasis on the art of South Australians) and European and British art from the 16th century to the present day.North Terrace, Adelaide Tate MuseumThis museum houses an international collection of rocks, minerals and fossils and a stratigraphical collection of South Australia. Also displayed is memorabilia from the Antarctic expeditions of Sir Douglas Mawson.Dept of Geology & Geophysics, South Australian MuseumThis museum is a treasure-trove of fascinating objects. It is recognised internationally for its Australian Aboriginal collections and many of its cultural history collections which include Ngurunderi, an Aboriginal Dreaming and the Egyptian Room. The museum has its own shop and information centre.North Terrace, Adelaide South Australian Police MuseumThe Police Museum is housed in the beautifully restored former mounted police barracks built in 1851. In the museum you will find interesting displays on policing history. The Armoury Building built in 1856 is adjacent to the museum and in its early days contained military stores, ammunition and related police and military equipment.Kintore Avenue, Adelaide |
