Welcome
Travelogues
Begin trip
Previous: Perth
The Indian Pacific pulled into Adelaide at 6:30 in the morning. All the hotels were full because of the Adelaide Festival but I got lucky and found a place in an 8 bed dorm in the Blue Galah Hostel. It was modern and centrally located on King William Road near Rundle Mall.
The two bloc Rundle Mall was a good place to stroll and to watch the people go about their business, which is one of my favorite pastimes in a new city.
This big fellow would have liked to tip the bin over but it just would not budge.
Past the Mall, at the eastern end of Rundle Street are a bunch of bars and restaurants where much of Adelaide's nightlife is concentrated.
This is the old Plaza Hotel on Hindley Street which is the prolongation of Rundle Street, west of King William Road.
The "Austral Stores" building, further west on Hindley Street is another fine example of 19th-century architecture..
The South Australian Museum on North Terrace, just one block from Rundle Mall, has an extensive and very instructive display on the Ngarrindjeri aboriginal people of the lower Murray River. This is the fountain in front of the Museum.
The Tandanya Aboriginal Cultural Institute on Grenfell Street is also worth visiting to learn something about the great variety of aboriginal tribes, languages and bride exchange customs.
This is a free city bus that loops around the center of the city. Yes, you don't have to pay to get on and there are three routes of these free buses covering the centre of Adelaide! There is also a free bus service like this with two routes in Perth.
I find this very civilised and wish they did that in Montreal where costs 2 dollars to get on the bus.
Adelaide also has a large central market. It is colourful but it is so squeaky clean that it doesn't smell like a market!
Adelaide is built on the Torrens River about 10 kilometers from the sea on the Gulf of St. Vincent. A tram runs from the city center to the coastal town of Glenelg whose beaches, restaurants and vacation accommodations provide relaxation.
The Glenelg Town Hall and the sea beyond.
Glenelg marina and vacation apartments.
Part of the Glenelg beach looking south.
I found Adelaide and Glenelg to be delightful, charming places and just the right size to offer everything with a minimum of stress. On par with Perth and Fremantle
From Adelaide, I took an overnight bus to Sydney where I stayed at the City Centre Backpackers Hostel on George Street.
I already have put in a number of photos of Sydney and the neighbouring beaches on my site after coming here in 1996 so this time I will only add some shots of the Darling Harbour area and reserve a whole page for Sydney's unique Mardi Gras Gay Parade.
This is Cockle Bay, looking north to Darling Harbour on the other side of the Pyrmont Footbridge.
Here is a view of the Aquarium and Sydney's skyline looking north from the Pyrmont Footbridge.
And a view of the Maritime Museum north of the western end of the footbridge.
An obsolete submarine was on display for the public at the Maritime Museum.
And so was this decommissioned Destroyer.
This picture, taken from the footbridge shows the Convention Center just south of the Maritime Museum, on the western side of Cockle Bay.
Just south of Cockle Bay, is Thumbalong Park with restaurants and amusement stands and the famous Chinese Gardens. A little further, you reach Chinatown and George Street where the City Centre Backpackers Hostel is.
