Adelaide is considered to be the cultural hub of Australia. South Australia is known as the Festival State because of its world class biannual Festival of the Arts which rivals the Edinburgh Festival. Adelaide has a fine symphony orchestra, ballet and opera companies who mainly perform at the beautiful Festival Centre situated along the bank of the Torrens River.

Adelaide boasts more fine restaurants per capita than any other Australian city. The cuisine is very varied including Australian, Asian, Italian, Indian, seafood, etc. Generally speaking, Adelaide restaurant prices are known to be cheaper than their interstate counterparts. Prices range from Macdonalds at about $4 per meal to $25 per main course at the very upmarket restaurants. Most meals costs between $7 and $10 per main course. Coffees are around $2 a cup and the variety is endless. Restaurants are found throughout the city and inner suburbs. The atmosphere is Mediterranean and outdoor eating is very popular.

For the younger set, there are many attractions including a zoo, botanic gardens, wildlife sanctuary, an amusement complex at the beach, a science museum, etc. There are many parks and picnic spots and a 20 kilometre cycling and walking track along the Torrens River from the sea to the hills.

As Adelaide is situated on the coast, its beaches are numerous. One can choose between city beaches or quieter out-of-town beaches about half an hour from the city centre. Since Adelaide is situated in a gulf, the beaches are calm and safe. For those who enjoy surfing, etc. the open sea beaches are about one hour away. Since the beaches face west, one can enjoy the most magnificent sunsets.

The mighty Murray River is an hour’s drive from Adelaide. It is a favourite sport for South Australians and provides many diverse leisure activities such as skiing, fishing and swimming. Fishing is Australia’s biggest pastime. Houseboats are a unique feature of the Murray River and cruises can be taken on self-driven live-in boats for relatively little cost.

There are many bed and breakfast places to stay on the south coast, which is the home of the Southern Right Whale colony in the winter months. These magnificent creatures mate during the winter months on the south coast and they provide a spectacular view of the life of these great mammals.