Beyond Adelaide
55 km (34 miles) from Adelaide is Australia’s wine cellar, the Barossa Valley, originally settled by German refugees in the 1830s and still indelibly marked by their influence. The main townships are Tanunda, Angaston and Nuriootpa, all notable for Lutheran churches and the vineyards where tours and tastings can be arranged. The other major wine regions in South Australia are the Clare Valley, Riverland, McLaren Vale and the Coonawarra wine district in the southeast.
Two routes through Australia’s Red Centre begin near Adelaide, one being the Stuart Highway which goes to Darwin. The start of the Great Ocean Road begins at the haunting Coorong Wetlands, south of Adelaide, and goes on to Victoria.
Taking a Murray River steamer will afford the visitor a view of lush pastureland, limestone cliffs and the wine country. The Murray–Darling–Murrumbidgee river network is one of the largest in the world – 2600km (1615 miles) from source to sea – and brings irrigation to a wide area. The vegetation and wildlife evoke images of the Deep South in the USA.
Opposite Adelaide in the St Vincent Gulf lies Australia’s third-largest island, Kangaroo Island. Off-road exploration of this natural wildlife sanctuary rewards the traveller with the chance to see penguins, koalas, wallabies and kangaroos, as well as the large sea lion colony at Seal Bay; the rugged coastline is also noted for fine fishing. There is a variety of accommodation available, including a campsite.
Naracoorte Caves Conservation Park near the southeast border with Victoria is notable for its caves containing stalagmites, stalactites, bats and fossils.
South Australia’s best slice of the outback is to be found in the ancient Aboriginal heritage area of Flinders Ranges, a region of granite peaks and spectacular and colourful gorges, dotted with eucalyptus trees. In the centre of the Flinders area is the popular resort area of Wilpena Pound, a natural ampitheatre 16km (10 miles) long and 6km (3.7 miles) deep; accommodation is also available at Arkaroola, at the northern peak of the Flinders. The opal town of Coober Pedy is so hot that 45 per cent of the inhabitants live underground; even the church is underground and, in fact, the name of the town means ’white man lives in a hole’. The area produces 90 per cent of the world’s supply of opals and those who wish to dig for the semi-precious stones can obtain a miner’s permit.
|
