Winding down in Adelaide

We woke on our final morning on the train to a very different landscape. The arid Outback was behind us, replaced with green fields and puddles from the recent rain. At about mid-morning the Ghan rolled into Adelaide’s Parklands Station. From the bright sun of the Outback we were thrust into damp and cold. Adelaide had been hit by storms and heavy rain while we were at Coober Pedy. The rain was welcome – Adelaide and surrounds had been in drought for many months. But for us it was a shock to the system. Back to jumpers and coats.

The capital of South Australia, Adelaide was founded in 1836 as a planned city rather than a penal colony, distinguishing it from most Australian settlements. Surveyor Colonel William Light designed the city with a grid layout, wide streets, and public squares, all surrounded by a green belt of parklands that still define its character today. This careful planning gave Adelaide a sense of order and space from the start, with the parklands acting as both a natural boundary and a communal asset.

After we’d booked into our hotel on the outskirts of the CBD a stone’s throw from the Parklands we visited the city’s famous Central Markets. We love markets. It’s interesting to see what’s on offer and how much it costs. That evening we went for dinner at the Europa on the Bay in Glenelg. We’d been there with friends when we visited Adelaide briefly ten years ago. Peter had an Italian seafood dish that he’d loved and he was looking forward to a repeat. I know what you’re thinking. Ten years ago. Never go back… But the same people were there and the dish was just as nice.

The next day, Sunday, I joined a group of people from the Ghan to visit the Barossa Valley. I’ll talk about that in another post. So, we came back from our trip around 5:30 and (of course) had a drink with other people staying at the hotel. It seemed the hotel kitchen was closed on Sunday evening but a few people had been to Von Thai, a Thai restaurant over the road from the hotel. Peter and I scuttled through the drizzle to see if we could book a table. The inside was full, (probably with people from the hotel) but we could have a table outside, they’d put on a heater for us. We passed and went back to the hotel for another drink. But we had to eat something and didn’t fancy Macdonalds. We returned to Von Thai, intending to order takeaway. We were in luck. An inside table was now vacant and we enjoyed a delicious Thai meal. It was so nice we went there again on Monday evening.

It was still overcast with occasional drizzle on Monday, but we ventured out to Rundle Mall to look around. The city reminds me very much of how Perth used to look in my youth. We wandered into Adelaide Arcade with its rows of Victorian shops and stopped for a coffee. We visited Dymocks book sellers, a place I used to frequent in my working days in Melbourne, and ended up eating lunch in a busy Asian food hall. We walked back to the hotel, ducking down the narrow streets and alleys. Whatever the buildings were in the past, now there are stylish apartments which probably cost an arm and a leg.

I should explain that moving bar. They are usually called pedal pubs, beer bikes, or party bikes. They’re basically big multi-passenger bikes with a bar built in. Everyone sits around a central counter, facing inward, and most of the passengers pedal to power the thing while a driver/guide steers and keeps it safe.

We also came across three stunning pieces of street art.

Adelaide is basically low rise, although we did see a number of apartment blocks on the other side of the city. It’s a nice place, hanging on to its old buildings. A few other cities could learn from that example.

On Tuesday the weather had cleared and we took the opportunity to visit the Botanical Garden, which is right next to the CBD. It’s popular with day care centres judging by the number of children playing there.

Peter fancied fish and chips for lunch before we went to the airport for our evening flight home. He asked the waiter in the coffee shop in the gardens, who suggested a place within walking distance (just). But when we got there it was a take-away offering burgers and sandwiches and stuff. Peter had wanted an old fashioned chippy where that was all they sold. Disappointed, we headed back into town and on the way came across an Italian café, Bocelli. It wasn’t an old fashioned chippy but it sold fish and salad and a side of chips – all very nice. And I had some gelato in a cone.

We spent several hours in the Virgin Lounge at Adelaide airport where we discovered Virgin only offer wine or beer, not spirits. How about that?

Since our flight arrived in Brisbane after 9pm we decided to stay at the Ibis hotel next to the airport overnight. You have to go through the domestic car park to get to the hotel but we’d done this before and only went astray once. A helpful airport staff member put us straight. We would have liked  a nightcap in the hotel’s bar but by the time we’d checked in and reached our room the bar was closed. It certainly wasn’t a cheap night in a pretty ordinary room – but needs must.

By the way, if you’ve happened across this post by accident, see the whole trip here.