The state capital is
Adelaide... current population 1.2 million.
Look at a map of South Australia and the word
"desert" is very easy to find.
Great Victoria Desert,
Simpson
Desert, Sturt
Stony Desert and Nullabor Plain (ie desert) dominate the geography of this
state.
South Australia has the largest proportion of dry desert regions
of all the Australian states. The state is
also synonymous with dry salt lakes throughout the inland areas and ragged coastlines plunging to
the sea.
South Australia is also home
to the Barossa Valley, the origin of some of Australia's best known wines.
The state hosts a world renowned Art Festival and has fleets of paddlewheel
steamers that cruise the lower reaches of the Murray River.
The
naturalist haven at Kangaroo Island
is a popular attraction and there is excellent hiking and bush walking in the
Flinders Ranges
to the north of Adelaide. The ocean off the southern coast provides excellent seafood and many of the coastal
villages are home to an assortment of fishing fleets.
The majority of the population and business
activity is located in the south east corner of the state on the
Eyre and
Yorke Peninsulas
which sit on either side of Spencer
Gulf. There are several small mining centres in the
more remote inland areas. South Australia boasts one of the few remaining classic train
trips.
"The Ghan" runs north-south between Adelaide and
Darwin in the
Northern Territory. The name was taken from the word
"Afghan" in recognition
of the early camel train drivers who established many of the inland routes in
Australia.
While not the biggest of the states,
South
Australia is nevertheless still very big and a journey of a couple of hundred kilometres
is considered a short trip. In terms of distance, the state is approximately 1350
kilometres (845 miles) north-south and 1200 kilometres (750 miles) east-west. Those are
straight line map distances, actual road distances are considerably further.
What
Will I Be Able To Do?
South Australia offers visitors a wonderful selection of things to do and
places to see.
From the rugged cliffs overlooking the Great Australian Bight, through the
world famous vineyards of the Barossa Valley, across the unique Flinders Ranges and on into
Australia's red centre... that's just a part of the diversity this state
offers.
Renowned for its festivals, gourmet trails and wine routes,
South
Australia is also the place where adrenalin junkies can dive with sharks and
where the armchair traveller can ride the Ghan across the red centre into
Darwin.
Take a cruise on the Murray River in a stately paddle wheel steamer and visit
the sites of some of Australia's early history. Take the ferry to Kangaroo
Island and spend some time face to face with the wildlife.
Cruising
& sailing Great
Adelaide restaurants Wildlife
on Kangaroo Island Scuba diving
and snorkelling Day
Tours & historic sites The National Park
trails Off-shore sport fishing
Hot air ballooning Canoeing
and kayaking River
Cruises Houseboats
on the Murray
4WD outback safaris Eco
tours in the tall timber forests Hang
gliding, parasailing & skydiving Horse
riding Farm
holidays Gem
fossicking on the opal fields
What
Are My Accommodation Options?
The majority of South
Australian accommodation is traditional hotels and a small number of self contained
apartments in and around Adelaide and
the surrounding areas.
South Australia has an excellent range of bed and breakfast
establishments, most of which are located in the areas such as
the Barossa Valley and Adelaide Hills.
The majority of rural centres
offer motel and motor inn style accommodation. If your plans coincide with
school holiday
periods, make sure you have confirmed bookings for travel and accommodation arrangements.
The same advice applies to major events such as the Adelaide Festival.
How
Do I Get Around?
There is no shortage of
flights to all of the regional towns and bus services also run the major highways through
to Darwin in the north,
Perth in the west and east to the cities on the eastern seaboard.
There is only one route to the north and one to the west but several routes are available
to the east.
A network of
sealed roads cover the state's major centres and the southern and south-east corner of the state,
but off the major routes, expect unsurfaced roads. Train services are the
Indian
Pacific service that links west to Perth and east to Sydney,
The Ghan
that
operates to Alice Springs and Darwin and the
Overland
operating to Melbourne. Adelaide has a
metropolitan commuter train and bus service and details are available at TransAdelaide
All major car rental companies are represented in the major cities and towns
throughout the state. If you are flying in at
Adelaide to start your SA
visit, consider picking up a
Adelaide rental car at the airport and save on transfer costs.
Australian camper hire, as well as
4WD rentals for off-road touring,
are a great way to see the best of South Australia. Rentals are available only from Adelaide
and advance bookings are essential.
Tour operators provide itineraries that cover all popular sites.
Driver information and
maps are available from offices of the
Royal Automobile Club of
SA (RAA) which has offices
throughout the state.
Some typical road
distances are:
Adelaide to Melbourne = 732km (457 miles)
Adelaide to Sydney = 1420km (888 miles)
Adelaide to Perth = 2720km (1700 miles)
Adelaide to Alice Springs = 1538km (961
miles)
Adelaide to Darwin = 3040km (1900 miles)
Adelaide to Mt Gambier = 454km (283 miles)
Adelaide to Port Augusta = 320km (200 miles)
When
Is The Best Time?
South
Australia is a year-round destination that experiences
high summer temperatures over much of the inland areas.
Any travel in those areas at the
height of summer should be done with all due care, in a roadworthy vehicle, well stocked
with emergency spares and equipment.
Carry additional drinking water, plenty of
15+ sunscreen and protective clothing. (Refer to the
Australian
travel tips section) Pay particular
attention to the welfare of any small children in your party.
Consider using any of the
several tour operators to get to the sights off the beaten track if your
personal comforts are
an integral part of an enjoyable travel experience.
The state experiences climate variations
ranging from coastal Mediterranean to desert extremes. Winter is June - August and
temperatures along a narrow coastal strip range from around 6°C min. to 15°C max.
Away
from the coastal influence, the inland regions experience minimums around 4°C rising to
20°C maximums.
Summer is December - February and
temperatures along a narrow coastal strip range from around 15°C min. to 27°C max.
Temperatures in the central desert areas can be extreme with summer maximums typically
upwards of 40-45°C. The southern areas of the state experience
winter rains. The further removed from the coast, the less the rainfall and that which
does fall is not necessarily seasonal.
Adelaide to Melbourne = 732km (457 miles)
