Adelaide

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We spent a day flying from the Northern Territories to our next stop, Adelaide, in South Australia.  A very short flight from Ayers Rock to Alice Springs, then a two hour flight to Adelaide.  So-so hotel.  We had a day to kill revisiting Adelaide, which we saw briefly on a bus tour five years ago when we were riding the Indian Pacific train from Sydney to Perth.


Our day in Adelaide turned out to be a "day of transportation," which John loves and I tolerate.  Our hotel was across the street from the local train station, so we started there by buying day passes that would let us use nearly all the public transportation in Adelaide.  Then we caught the free bus that loops around the central part of the city, got off, caught it going the other way (after a long wait), and got off at what turned out to be the wrong bus station.  A couple of blocks' walk to the Metro info station, and soon we were on a bus that connected with another bus (one of only three per day) to Mount Lofty.  Not a high peak, but as the name suggests, the loftiest peak from which to see the city and surrounding area.  A look around, a quick picnic lunch on top, thanks to Subway, and then two buses back to town.

This is the top of Mt. Lofty--shops and fast food behind us, picnic tables, the monument, and the viewing platform in front.  Helpful maps and signs clarifying the view.

Inside the circle, away in the mist, is downtown Adelaide.  BTW, you can click any photo to see a larger version.

This is a view of Piccadilly Valley, about 180 degrees around the circle from downtown Adelaide.  I think they grow wine here.

Free bus to Victoria Square where we caught the tram to Glenelg, which is the end of that line and the site of the beach at a large bay. 

This is the Victoria Square area, downtown, Adelaide

At Glenelg with our backs to the beach

Here is the beach.  Popular spot!

Backs to the beach again.  

Everyone we asked told us a different name for this bay--Holdfast Bay, Australia Bay, etc, so I'm not terribly sure what it is really called, but the trash barrels were marked Holdfast Bay, so I'll go with that one.

  By this time we thought we had earned a treat, so we had a nice cold Aussie beer, which came with the best fries I've ever eaten.  Thick, piping hot, fried to perfection, and seasoned with herbs and plenty of salt.  Yum!  See where it says, Fish and Chips?  That's the place.  The beach is beyond to the left, and the kids bungee jump is just out of the picture to the left.  I HIGHLY recommend it!

We boarded the tram and headed back to Adelaide and our hotel.  Prices here are every bit as outrageous as they were in Ayres Rock, so we plan to check out Chinatown for dinner. We hope Chinese food will be a little more reasonable, as it usually is at home.  The good news about Australian prices is that John has now realized he probably doesn't want to move here after all if the US election doesn't go his way.  LOL.


Come back tomorrow when we'll be riding The Ghan on the way to Darwin.