Thanks Susan, I'm taking notes (much to the dismay of my waistline).

Hi JohnFitz,
This is a super trip report: anyone going to Adelaide & environs would have a really good 'heads up'.

Have you been to Thorn Park? http://www.thornpark.com.au/

One of my favourite places in the world.
I think you'd love it.

Melnq8, weren't you planning a trip to Adelaide before you got notice to move to Perth? Maybe, you'll still have to come here just for the Haighs! I believe they have 2 other stores in the suburbs (Glenelg and Burnside?).

I'm known in the Adelaide Arcade store. I work around the corner in Hindmarsh Square and so visit very regularly. Their chocolates are a little on the expensive side, but worth it.


Just a note on Veale Gardens - not somewhere to go after dark as it has a bad reputation once the sun goes down.

John, we are also known as the capital for serial murders I believe. Not the best marketing angle for the state though.

speckles -

We'd hoped to visit Adelaide this summer (our summer that is) but things are a bit up in the air while we await our AUS visas. At this point, we're not sure when we'll make it to Adelaide, but I asusre you, we WILL make it.

Serial murders???

Thorn Park looks excellent .I had not heard of it but it reads very well .

I know Veale gardens is undesirable after dark . I followed the 'Mother Goose 'Stories in the daily press whilst I was there in relation to an unnamed pedophile who is purportedly a well known bookmaker and known in sleezy circles as Mother Goose who preys on male prostitutes and street kids after dark .Certainly a place to be careful. In the midst of all the hysteria about it one politician called for the gardens to be levelled which is just stupid .

I had avoided the references to serial murderers and Adelaide .Melnq8 , Adelaide had one of the worst cases of serial murders this country has ever experienced a few years ago . People on the ' wrong side of town ' engaged in sado masochistic killings of family and friends over some years - can't recall the numbers but let's say 8 or 10 , put their bodies in barrels in acid and inside the strong room of a disused bank in a little town call Snowtown . It was horrific when discovered.They continued to draw the welfare payments of the dead .Happily most South Australians and Australians are not psychotics .But it was gripping reading in the press .

Thanks for the background John, although I think ignorance would have been bliss in this case.

We had the Truro Murders in the 70s, the Family killings in the early 80s and then the Bodies in the Barrels (Snowtown) in the 90s. It's becoming a scary pattern.

Then there's numerous "missing" children: the Beaumonts from the 60s, another girl in the 80s, Reanna Barreau from the 90s..

.. but don't let that put you off..

A morbid past, but it hasn't affected our making the top 10 of the world's most liveable cities.

speckles -

I was living just a few miles from Columbine High School at the time of the massacre - I'll never forget that day - so unfortunately, my home state also has a morbid (not-so-distant) past.

Some days I'm convinced the entire world has gone insane.

Sorry for the turn your report has taken John - now on to happier topics...food, wine?

Moving off the scary subjects, the other big Adelaide thing to mention is the Arts Festival, which is the most established in Australia. I assume it's finished for this year now?

Also in terms of notable pioneering cultural institutions: Experimental Art Foundation (near the Jam factory) has very good contemporary art shows and the Aboriginal cultures display in the South Australian museum has deservedly won a number of awards. It's very informative, well designed as well as having beautiful objects on display.

The other Festival held there and held in high regard is WOMADelaide ( World of Music Dance and Arts Festival ) The next one is from 6 to 8 March 2009 .This years attracted 75,000 attendees .It is an outdoor festival held in parklands in the city .

The Adelaide festival is held in Feb / March each year .This year it was I think from 29 Feb to 16 March .Incorporated in it is the Writers Week , held from 2 to 7 March this year . When no other State was doing them Adelaide was and with great quiet success .

So , yes it is a surprising city with a depth that is so often dismissed by the Eastern States .

At the Jam Factory ( www.jamfactory.com.au )in April were two excellent exhibitions , the first of slip cast porcelain with many beautiful pieces for sale but with serious prices to match . In a small space adjacent to the shop was an exhibition by Associates studying design and craft which had very clever and quirky contemporary pieces for sale together with some works ( not for sale )by one of their mentors ,Patrick Hall . Most were sold unfortunately as it had openned the week before I saw it .And they were cheap - $80 , $200 . Hall's work is held in leading national galleries .So it is worth a trip at any time just to see what is about .It is conveniently located in Morphett St and takes no time if wandering the city for a day .Last year it was the site for a major internationl conference of glass blowers and collectors which was quite a coup as generally they are held in the USA where there is a great appreciation of the art and skill .

For those interested in contemporary art another little publicised place is CACSA -The Contemporary Arts Centre of South Australia at 14 Porter St Parkside which is near the intersection of Unley Rd and Greenhill Rd and conveneiently on my suggested shopping tour route .Worth a stop .

I omitted to mention the beaches close to the city .Wonderful and about 45 minutes drive as you head to McLaren Vale .Long wide stretches of white sand shielded by cliffs fronting Gulf St Vincent so generally gentle water to swim in.

Time to stop .

As well as Adelaide being known as the "City of Churches", South Australia is also known as "The Festival State". I know, 'cause it says so on my number plate.

We have the Festival of Arts, which is the more high-brow, serious side and the Fringe Festival, which is the cheaper and less serious entertainment, including many comedy acts. Both festivals are usually in late Feb-early March.

We also have the Clipsal V8 motor racing in March. The Tour Downunder competitive cycling is on in late January. WOMadelaide as John suggested.

Another thing that started a few years ago and has been a hit is the "Day on the Green". Several times a year a winery will host a concert with relatively big name performers. It changes winery and regions each time ie Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale.

The guys that own Thorn Park have sold the building and surrounds to the the nearby Sevenhill Winery. It will be used as a retreat. Wonderful to keep it in the hands of the Clare Valley community.
Michael and David are having a well earned break then maybe opening a smaller accomodation establishment. I think they operate till the end of the year.

Thanks Huddosholls,
David & Michael brought a wonderful zest to the area & created something really very special at Thorn Park. It will be a great Retreat. Good to know they're likely to start something else after their break.

Bkmk

Lovingretirememnt here is a report I did last year that you may find useful .

I endorse what Downunder and Lizzie have advised on your original thread .

Womad on this weekend - happy happy as it is not going to be 35 degrees ++++.

http://www.womadelaide.com.au/

Envious Lizzy .We were going to try and be there but other things have intervened.Enjoy.