It’s Adelaide’s turn to shine
Ihave a new favourite Australian city. Like me, you’ve probably been pulled by the lure of Melbourne or Sydney before but Covid-19 has changed the way I travel. As the pandemic shut our borders for two years, I became obsessed with seeing parts of our backyard I’d never visited.
Now, I’m applying that mindset to our extended backyard in Australia. The incredible country has so many surprises, like a 142-million-year-old meteorite crater in the Outback you walk into and vast salt lakes that are the size of cities.
However, if you’re after a city escape, the country offers lots of exciting options, too.
Thanks to Air New Zealand’s direct flight to Adelaide, which takes five hours, you can leave a rainy Auckland in the morning and be sipping wine in the Barossa Valley in the afternoon.
South Australia’s famed wine region often gets most of the attention, but what about Adelaide itself? Until my recent trip to the city, I never quite understood the place. It’s a little smaller than Auckland but has a very Christchurch vibe. What I mean by that is the city is beautiful and you tend to gravitate towards its centre.
On a recent visit, I discovered its secret spots, which range from Australia’s oldest pizzeria to off-grid cabins overlooking the city.
If I could give you one piece of advice to make your holiday unforgettable it’s that you make sure to visit during one of the city’s many festivals. If you’re after a laugh, try Adelaide Fringe, the largest open-access arts festival in the southern hemisphere. And if you want a winter escape, try Adelaide’s incredible new Illuminate light festival. I always thought Vivid Sydney was home to the best light show in the world, but Adelaide wants the title. And as I explain on pages 42 and 43, it’s a deserving winner.