South Australia
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About South Australia
South Australia is a state of wide open spaces that mainly consist of arid and semi-arid lands and several low mountain ranges. It is also known as the wine capital of Australia with more than half of Australia's wines being produced here. The majority of its people reside in the state capital, Adelaide. South Australia's Outback is vast and isolated and offers a truly unique experience in the middle of nowhere. With 4,800 kilometres of coastline, South Australia also has some of Australia’s largest breeding colonies of pelicans and migratory shore birds. Along the Murray River you can find more than 40 national parks with cockatoos and pelicans.
Good to know
- Capital: Adelaide
- Climate: The coast enjoys a temperate climate, but the north has a desert climate where especially in the summer (December-February) temperature gets very hot
- Timezone: UTC +9.5
- No. of inhabitants: 1,5 Million (2005)
- Travel alert: EnjoyYourWorld strongly advises you to take necessary precautions for a safe travel. For more info please follow this link
Highlights
- Adelaide the attractive coastal capital of South Australia with the National Wine Centre of Australia, the Central Market, Chinatown, the historic Port Adelaide with the South Australian Maritime Museum, the huge Adelaide Botanic Garden, the South Australian Museum and the Australian Aboriginal Cultures Gallery
- Adelaide is also a good start for taking a cruise to Baird Bay and swim with the dolphins, walk through the mangrove forest following St Kilda Mangrove Trail, or walk Adelaide Wildlife Trail. From here its also an easy trip into the Adelaide Hills, the famous Cleland Wildlife Park with its koala’s, and the Warrawong Wildlife Sanctuary
- The Barossa Valley with over 50 wineries
- Kangaroo Island with its conservation parks, home to the world's largest breeding colony of sea lions. Enjoy its native fauna with koala, black cockatoo, albatross and the island's own species of kangaroo. See the massive sand dunes of Little Sahara and the huge Remarkable Rocks
- Visit Coorong National Park with its lagoons, wetlands and sand dunes on the Southern Ocean. See the world's largest breeding colony of Australian pelicans
- Enjoy cave diving on the Limestone Coast with its crystal clear waters. See the Piccaninnie Ponds and Mount Gambier's Blue Lake.
- Naracoorte Cave World Heritage Fossil site with 26 caves, many of which are open for walks
- The Murraylands with its steep cliffs, quiet backwaters, lagoons, bush and historic towns. Try bushwalking through the Ngarkat Group of Conservation Parks
- Visit Simpson Desert Conservation Park-one of the world's most impressive dune deserts
- Enjoy the beaches of Yorke Peninsula or hike through the coastal Innes National Park.
Getting Around
- Train: The famous Ghan runs between Adelaide and Darwin through the outback. The Indian Pacific from Sydney to Perth via Adelaide (1400 km), and the Overland from Melbourne to Adelaide (730 km).
- Air: daily services from Adelaide Airport to all Australia's capital cities and major international destinations
- Car
- Four wheel driving to the outback of Southern Australia-be prepared: distances are long and the desert is extremely dry. Famous tracks are the Birdsville Track, Strzelecki Track, Oodnadatta Track and Simpson Desert.
- The Eyre Highway from Perth to Adelaide (2700km!) crosses the southern edge of the vast Nullarbor Plain, close to the coast with lookouts over the dramatic Nullarbor cliffs where you can observe the annual migration of whales. It will take you to the Nullarbor Caves (cave diving in the famous Cocklebiddy Cave) and Twilight Cove with the 75m high limestone cliffs.
- The Flinders-probaly the most accessable outback region in Australia and very popular among campers. There a several scenic drives to the major points of interest like Wilpena Pound, Bunyeroo Gorge, the Heysen Trail, Blinman historic town, Chambers Gorge, and Arkaroola.
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