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South Australia
South Australia boasts a diverse range of different landscapes - from the Adelaide Hills surrounding the city; to the grasslands and valleys of the Fleurieu Peninsula, Kangaroo Island or the Barossa Valley; to the arid deserts in the north of the State in places such as the Flinders Ranges and Coober Pedy. Australia is one of the oldest continents on Earth, and consists of a wide variety of landforms, mostly consisting of vast ancient crystal blocks. The lowest point in Australia is Lake Eyre in South Australia, which is 16 metres below sea level.
South Australia is renowned as the driest state in the driest continent, though this is not apparent from living in the city of Adelaide. While much of South Australia's climate is Mediterranean, the semi-arid deserts in the northernmost part of the state are renowned for their high temperatures and low rainfall.
Places of Interest
The South Australian Tourism website offers an excellent overview and photo tour of South Australia's attractions.
Adelaide Hills
There is much to see and do in the historic Adelaide Hills, one of the first
regions to be settled within South Australia. Twenty minutes drive from the City
of Adelaide, is the historic German heritage town of Hahndorf. The Mount Lofty
Botanic Gardens offer beautiful scenery with views of the City of Adelaide. There
is also an abundance of great food and fine wine.
Fleurieu Peninsula
The Fleurieu Peninsula is home to some of South Australia's most picturesque
swimming and fishing beaches, walking trails, and wine regions. The seaside region
of Victor Harbour offers many different opportunities: surfing, fishing and swimming
at its different beaches, whale-watching between June and September each year,
and the chance to see more than 1000 fairy penguins, nesting on Granite Island.
The McLaren Vale wine region, 40 minutes drive south of Adelaide, is home to
more than 60 wineries. The 'Heysen Trail', a 1200km hiking trail through
some of South Australia's best natural features, begins in Cape Jervis at
the southern tip of the Fleurieu Peninsula, and follows some beautiful coastal
scenery along the Deep Creek Conservation Park.
Kangaroo Island
Located just 16km from the tip of the Fleurieu Peninsula, Kangaroo Island is
the third largest island off the Australian mainland, accessible by vehicle/passenger
ferry and by air. It offers an abundance of wildlife largely unaffected by developments
on the mainland, including sea lions, koalas, wallabies and of course kangaroos!
It is also home to Australia's largest sea lion colony, spectacular rock
formations, and untouched sandy beaches.
Barossa Valley
Roughly 40 minutes north east of Adelaide is the Barossa Valley, Australia's
most famous wine region. It is one of the world's great wine producing areas,
with over fifty small and large-scale wineries. The Barossa is home to some of
Australia's greatest and most well known wines, including the Penfold's 'Grange',
and Orlando Wines 'Jacob's Creek'. Originally settled by German and
English migrants, the Barossa has a rich European culture, and a reputation for
fine food and produce.
Flinders Ranges
The Flinders Ranges national park, a mountain range about five hours north of
the state, covers 95 000 hectares. It incorporates rugged scenery, seasonal wildflowers,
tree-lined gorges and wildlife. Wilpena Pound, in the heart of the national park,
offers excellent camping and bushwalking, abundant wildlife, and dense native
vegetation.
Coober Pedy
Coober Pedy is a famous mining town in the semi-arid desert area of South Australia,
about 850km north of Adelaide. It is home to Opal mining in Australia, and well
known for its underground 'dugouts' that are home to fifty percent of
the population. Refer to the Coober
Pedy website.
