South Australia
South Australia is a well kept secret situated along the southern coast of Australia, with the capital city Adelaide bursting with colour and life as a vibrant location. Being well known for its numerous festivals and exquisite wine regions, South Australia can never be done in one trip.
Kangaroo Island situated just off the coast of Adelaide offers a wide spread of different landscapes and scenery. Beautiful beaches, lush forests, rustic farmlands, and rugged outback are just a few things Kangaroo Island is home to, along with of course Kangaroos. The island also boasts natural attractions and sensitivity to the environment under sustainable tourism.
Barossa Valley is just a stone throws away from the capital city Adelaide, but is informally known as the wine capital of Australia. Relaxation and friendly people are what Barossa offers, along with fine cuisine and wine to follow in their many luxurious restaurants.
South Australia is full of Lakes but one in particular captures national attention. Lake Eyre is not only the biggest lake in Australia when full but it also boasts the lowest point in Australia at 15 metres or 50 feet below sea level. Over its salt flats, has also been the location for various land speed records throughout the decades.
For the explorers out there, Flinders Range is just the place to explore with the mysteriousness of the South Australian outback covered by these vast mountain ranges. South Australia is proud to offer a selection of locations and attractions throughout the state creating diversity within its tourism trade.
Sport doesn’t hold a key to a South Australians heart, but the most popular sport throughout the state is Australian Rules Football. Due to the small population but intense involvement in the sport, South Australia holds the highest participation rate in the sport of all the states and territories. South Australia just has two teams – the Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide Power, it houses only one stadium – AAMI stadium, but between this all there is a 70,000 plus membership base.
South Australia’s 3 universities are based in Adelaide, Mount Gambier and Whyalla but the most controversial issue about the State’s education levels is the compulsory age students must reach before they can leave school being at 17 – a lot higher than any of the other states.
Despite sharing a border with nearly every state and or territory, South Australia is unique in what it can offer everyday life. With traditional and serene landscapes, a vast mountain range and coastline, South Australia is a fresh taste of authentic Australia.
South Australia
South Australia (SA)
Adelaide is the capital of South Australia and it is growing both in the size of the population but also into a popular destination for both tourists and residents of the country.
The diversity of Adelaide’s populace is reflected in the myriad of activities and festivals the city has to offer, such as the Adelaide Festival of the Arts, Adelaide Film Festival and Tasting Australia, a biannual food and wine festival.
Only 20 minutes away at Glenelg beach is a dolphin cruise and with its wide range of native wildlife, Kangaroo Island is a popular destination to visit. It is only a half hour away from the capital city and one of its main attractions is Seal Bay Conversation Park. Walking tours can get visitors quite close to the rare Australian sea lions.
Though Australia’s driest state, Adelaide is also one the most important states for lovers of fine wine and great food. Almost three quarters of South Australia is desert or semi-desert, but the state is also home to some of Australia’s legendary wine producers and it is fast becoming the state of choice for serious foodies.
South Australia is a state of abundance with world famous wine and fruit producing areas such as the Barossa Valley, Coonawarra, Renmark and Berri.
Adelaide produces nearly three-quarters of Australian wines and there is no disputing that the Barossa Valley is Australia’s major wine producing area. Home to 50 or more wineries in a valley that is 30 kilometre long and only 14 km wide, the Barossa Valley was settled by German migrants in the 1880s.
The Barossa Valley is an internationally important wine region, as well as a major tourist attraction.
The Barossa Valley is close to Adelaide and can easily be reached as a day excursion. Many visitors take advantage of the wine tastings provided by most vineyards, as well as dining in the excellent eateries.
Bus tours of the Barossa Valley are a popular way of getting around many of the vineyards without the risk of breaking Australia’s drink/driving laws. Another popular way of seeing the valley is by bicycle and there are several businesses hiring bikes for half-day or day tours.
ROOTS OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Australia is a very large country and due to this, it has been divided into states; probably for better governance. South Australia is one of those states that are hard to miss. This is because it covers a vast arid region of the country which is over 900,000 square kilometers. It is located in the southern central part and is also the fourth largest state.
South Australia is well bordered by all the other mainland states, from Queensland to its North East side to the Great Australian Bight, plus the Southern Ocean to its south. It holds only a handful of the whole population of Australia with close to 2 million people of its population covering less than 10% of the entire Australian mass land.
Its capital is in Adelaide and this is where the bulk of the people live. The remainders have set their homes up in the fertile areas; these are River Murray and South-Eastern Coast. Taking advantage of the fertile land to boost the vibrant agricultural sector
The very first city to be set up was Kingscote- Kangaroo Island tracing its roots back to the early eighteenth century.
Though, controversial systematic colonization was fronted by Edward Gibbon Wakefield; placing a lot of emphasis on religious tolerance and civil liberties. This was later to be taken up by the New Zealand Company.
They say Rome was never built in one day and South Australian state is no exception. Having a history of economic struggle but has improved over the years to the first world industrialized nation it is today. The state has remained politically active and very vibrant culturally. Nowadays the state has been termed a state of festivals and also fine wine. Economically, the state's strongholds are agriculture, mining and manufacturing industries. Through these strongholds, the financial sector has grown immensely.