South Australia Archives - Welcome to Travel

10 reasons why you should skip South Australia

Lily Thwaites — Tue, 20 Aug 2024 23:27:37 +0000

You’ve been to Sydney and travelled up the East Coast, so why bother going to South Australia, right? Well, just in case you’re on the fence about heading over, here are 10 reasons why you should skip South Australia.

1.The beaches. Pristine white sand, turquoise waters and stunning scenery, you might as well be in a tropical oasis. But who wants that when you can just stay working 9-5 in an office? That’s much more exciting than discovering South Australian paradise!

2. Sea lions, seals, dolphins and colour changing cuttlefish. The opportunity to swim with some Australian native wildlife? No need. You can keep that GoPro you were desperate to buy for your travels safely in the box – wouldn’t want you to capture any awesome selfies with a sea lion on it!

3. The chance to catch a sports match at one of Australia’s most picturesque venues, the Adelaide Oval. Not only is it home to major sporting and cultural events, but you can also climb up it for incredible views of the city. You could be one of the millions of people that visit every year, desperate to get in on the action and experience a historic venue or you could just stick to watching cricket on the TV screen. Up to you.

4. Some of the oldest and most beautiful landscapes in the whole of Australia. Rugged, dramatic and spectacular, Flinders Ranges are over 600 million years old and rich in Aboriginal history. We can’t imagine why anyone would want to explore such breath-taking scenery.

5. The pink salt lake. Aren’t lakes supposed to be blue? No need to make all of your friends insanely jealous with serious travel fomo. Besides, we don’t think photos with a pink lake would match our insta feed

6. The abundance of incredible live music. Adelaide is a UNESCO City of Music, so there’s no shortage of shows across the city and a variety of funky festivals taking place across the year. However, I guess if you don’t fancy some of the best live music Australia has to offer, all round great vibes and the opportunity to sing your heart out, then don’t waste your time.

7. The wine. Some of the best wines in the world are produced just outside of Adelaide, with some of the oldest varieties of grapes that are still drunk today. We don’t know about you but we prefer our wine from a box.

8. The underground town. Why live underground, when you can live over it? We heard it’s the ‘Opal Capital of Australia’ and there’s a cute kangaroo orphanage too. But maybe we’ll just skip this insanely cool and unique place and stick to Sydney, thanks.

9. The stars. South Australia is home to Australia’s darkest sky which can only mean one thing – awe-inspiring views of the milky way and some cracking constellations. Sleeping in a 10-bed-dorm staring up at a white-painted hostel ceiling in a miscellaneous location is definitely better than that.

10. The chance to chow down on a tasty meal in the ‘Seafood Capital of Australia’. Port Lincoln is home to arguably some of the best seafood in the country. Fancy trying an oyster or nibbling on some salt and pepper squid? It might even be better than that pesto pasta you’re eating for the sixth day in a row.

The post 10 reasons why you should skip South Australia appeared first on Welcome to Travel.

How to spend a weekend in Adelaide

Lily Thwaites — Tue, 20 Aug 2024 23:21:18 +0000

People often don’t know much about Adelaide so they favour the glimmering Opera House in Sydney or the cool street art in Melbourne.

But Adelaide has plenty of charm – from world-class vineyards to an up and coming music scene, it’s not to be missed!

If you fancy a weekend away or maybe you’re passing through, drop us a message at Welcome to Travel and we can help you plan a couple of days in the capital of South Australia.

Friday - Catch flights not feelings

Catch a Friday evening flight to make the most of your weekend. Internal flights are so easy, especially if you stick to hand luggage only for your weekend – you can pretty much walk straight through the airport. One minute you’ll be making coffees or wearing high-vis at the construction site, the next you’ll be in a whole new city!

Adelaide has a fair few well-loved late night dining options, so you can grab a bite to eat before climbing into bed, ready for a day of exploring tomorrow. Whether you’re after a quick reuben and a mystery beer or steaming bowl of black pepper beef and rice, prepare for places to still be busy come 10pm.

Sunny’s Pizza is open until midnight on Friday, has incredible pizzas and is a 5 minute walk from the hostel hub of Adelaide.

Whilst we’re on the topic of accommodation the three major hostels in Adelaide are YHA Adelaide, Tequila Sunrise and Base Camp Hostel. They’re all centrally located with their own little quirks – have a look which best suits you and get in touch with our team to see if there are any discounts available…you might as well save yourself some money.

Saturday Morning and Afternoon- Explore the city and head to the beach

Start your day with a crowd pleaser – Adelaide Central Market. It’s a vibrant food and drinks hub, with fresh Aussie produce and plenty of tasty choices. Definitely worth a stop for a bite to eat and a coffee in the morning. Pick up some bits for a picnic later in the day.

Then, after you’re fuelled and ready to go, head on over to Rundle Mall. Full of quirky landmarks and independent pop-ups, it’s a great place to grab a souvenir or do a bit of shopping. Just remember, you flew hand luggage only!

Like all major cities in Australia, Adelaide is also home to beautiful Botanic Gardens. Take a breather and walk a couple of minutes away from the hustle and bustle of the city to the peaceful gardens. On a sunny day, bring a book or have a picnic with some of the local produce that you’ve picked up from the market in the morning!

If you’re looking for beachy vibes, head on to Glenelg. Walk along the foreshore, go for a swim then head over to Australia’s only official bar on the beach, Moseley Beach Club. It’s the perfect place to sip on a cocktail and watch the sunset over the ocean.

Travelling between September and April? Then you need to add this to your Adelaide bucket list. SWIMMING WITH DOLPHINS.

Temptations Sailing have been operating since 2002 and gives swimmers an option of swimming alongside the dolphins at the front of the boat or chilling with them at the back.

Saturday Evening- One great night out

Adelaide is one of my favourite nights out in Australia. Travelling alone? You might have made some friends in the hostel and head out with them. Travelling with friends? Be the legend that knows where the locals head to and bar hop around the city.

Dinner: Head to Chinatown to get yourself a cheap meal to line the stomach.

Bar 1: Close by to Chinatown is Merrymaker Rooftop Bar. We’re timing this right with sunset, have a drink or two with their vast array of cocktails, craft beer and wine. The perfect start to a night out.

Bar 2: A 15 minute walk is what we have to get to the next bar Maybe Mae.

This hidden little cocktail bar takes you back in time whilst being intimate, cool and not too loud, where you can have some great chats before heading to the next bar.

Bar 3: NOLA is a New Orleans style bar right by the Adelaide Botanic Gardens. With a focus on beers and whiskey, jazz tunes in the background it’s a great penultimate bar.

Last bar: It’s up to you, head to Hindley Street which is the epicentre of Adelaide’s nightlife for you to follow the crowd and enjoy the rest of your night.

Sunday- Wineries & exploring outside of the city

Today’s the day we’ve all been waiting for… wine tasting day! It’s not quite your average bag of goon, no, Adelaide is home to arguably the best wines in Australia and no trip is complete without a little wine tasting tour. It’s also a great way to get out of Adelaide for the day and explore some of the surrounding areas.

If you’re a wine lover, then a full day tour might be exactly what you’re after. But if you just want an excuse to dress up and pretend you’re not a backpacker for a little while, there are also half day options. Some tours also take you to a couple other less wine-related areas around Adelaide – like Hahndorf, a picturesque German village nestled in the Adelaide Hills. These ones are perfect for those less interested in wine tasting or tee-total but still keen to make the most of their trip to Adelaide.

Drop us a message at Welcome to Travel and we can help find the perfect tour for you!

Travel with a group or just need some travel help?

Welcome to Travel heads to Adelaide twice a year for on our Community Tours.

Whether you want to head up to Uluru or explore more of South Australia there’s nothing quite like travelling to new places with likeminded people.

Those dates might not fit in with your plans, so let us help you build a South Australia itinerary.

Plan Your Adventure

Not sure how to go about exploring this amazing state? Join us on our annual Welcome to Uluru & The Outback Community Tour or chat to our community team to plan your own epic personalised adventure.

The post How to spend a weekend in Adelaide appeared first on Welcome to Travel.

5 Things You Can Only Do In South Australia

Lily Thwaites — Wed, 26 Jun 2024 05:16:46 +0000

So you’ve just finished making some incredible memories on our Welcome To Australia: East Coast tour and you find yourself thinking, what’s next? Well, the great news is that there’s still so much more to explore and South Australia is definitely not to be missed! In fact, here are 5 things that you can only do in South Australia.

Shark Cage Diving

When you told your family you were heading off to Australia, did they all say to you ‘but what about the sharks!’ Yeah, me too.

But you’ve probably noticed there are a lot less sharks hanging around than everyone has led you to believe, and now you’re keen to actually get in on the shark action. That’s right.

We’re talking Great White shark diving. Crazy? Maybe. Great travel story? Absolutely.

Feel a bit awkward doing this? Got some ethical questions?

You can contact the companies that operate there Calypso Star Charters (who run day tours) and Rodney Fox (who run multi day expeditions) directly or contact the Welcome to Travel team to see if it fits in with your style of travelling.

Visit The Underground Capital of the World - Coober Pedy

It might seem like something out of a sci-fi movie but no, Coober Pedy’s residents do in fact live underground!

Not only is it the ‘Opal Capital of the World’ but based in the heart of the desert outback it gets so hot that birds are known to fall right out of the sky.

The solution? The whole town is subterranean, a labyrinth of underground houses and shops. There’s really nothing quite like it!

It was one of the craziest places I stayed. When I went on the Welcome to Travel Community Tour in June 2024.

Hang With Seals On A Beach At Kangaroo Island

One of Lonely Planet’s top 10 regions of 2024, Kangaroo Island is full of unspoilt beauty.

If you’re looking to spot some authentic Aussie wildlife – think koalas, seals, sea lions and kangaroos (duh!) – then you’re in the right place.

Along with the wildlife you have beautiful spots, such as the Remarkable Rocks along with Little Sahara to name a few, which add

It’s only a 45 minute ferry ride from Adelaide and whether you’re heading over for the day or fancy a weekend away from the hustle and bustle of the city, get in touch and Welcome to Travel can help you tick this gorgeous island off of your bucket list.

Sip Wine In a Rubix Cube

It turns out that wine doesn’t just come in boxes, it comes in cubes!

With the Mclaren Vale, Barossa Valley and the Clare Valley, South Australia has the well-deserved title of the Great Wine Capital of Australia.

So if your visit to Mornington Peninsula on our Welcome to Melbourne tour has brought out your inner wine connoisseur or you’re looking to breakfree from goon for a weekend, head on over to South Australia for your next sip. And even better, do it in a rubix cube!

Based in the McClaren Vale, the D’Ardenberg cube is the tasting site of dreams.

Stargaze The Night Away

You may have seen some stunning night skies during your time in Australia but South Australia has the best of them all.

It’s home to the River Murray International Dark Sky Reserve, which is Australia’s first Dark Sky Reserve and one of only 15 in the entire world!

But what does that mean?

Well, you’re guaranteed to see some epic astronomical activity, from the Milky Way to the Andromeda Galaxy. It really is out of this world.

How To Travel To South Australia?

I personally loved my time in South Australia but it can be quite overwhelming putting it all together with the different options but Welcome to Travel are here to help.

Fill out the form below and we will be able to help…who knows I might be the one helping you.

Even if you’re not sure yet, make sure you add South Australia to your bucket list.

Plan Your Adventure

Not sure how to go about exploring this amazing state? Join us on our annual Welcome to Uluru & The Outback Community Tour or chat to our community team to plan your own epic personalised adventure.

The post 5 Things You Can Only Do In South Australia appeared first on Welcome to Travel.