So you do not have to waste your time deciding if this is going anywhere useful for you I can tell you my intentions as I start .

It is going to cover 3 hotels I stayed at located in the city , Glenelg and the Adelaide Hills ; some recommendations of places to eat which I dined at recently and my favourite precincts to shop or browse and maybe throw in a comment or two about other things that randomly occur to me as I write .

I am likely to ramble a bit and get bogged down in things that provoke yawns .So for those who do not want to run the risk of reading and nodding off shortly after commencing here is the :-

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
HOTELS
1. Medina Treasury Hotel - love it.Stay there

2. Stamford Grand at Glenelg - nice room , dirty bath , ugly building and avoid Glenelg

3. Mount Lofty House - lovely setting and vistas , overpriced and needs a shake up .

EATING
1. Auge in Grote Street opposite the Hilton . Smart ,refined but interesting Italian food .3 courses and wine about A$100 excl tip .

2. Wine Underground , Pirie Street Modern Australian / Italian .Similar price as above .Service needed lifting a little but worth going to .

3.Star of Siam , Gouger St in city .Best Thai in the city .Reasonable cost.

4.Assagio , King William Rd Hyde Park . Another very good Italian place serving casa linga food .

SHOPS /PRECINCTS
1.King William Rd.Hyde Park
Excellent cafes , clothing , interiors and shoe shops for men and women.

2. Stuart Rd Dulwich and specifically for "Number One Rundle Trading ".A truly excellent shopping experienceat all price levels for homewares , antiques ,ladies and kids clothes , garden outdoor things etc in an old theatre .

3.Magill Rd Norwood /Maylands
My favourite strip in Australia of antique , junk shops and furniture makers

4.Grote St.Antique Market
Lots of stuff and can spend a good hour .

5. Aptos Cruz Gallery , Aldgate
In an old church selling Italian furniture and lighting , objet , books etc .Lovely to look and lots of inexpensive gifts .Prices at all levels

6. The Jam Factory shop and Gallery
Excellent craft , glass , pottery / porcelain and jewellery attached to the school where these skills are taught .

7.Glenelg Antique Centre , Sussex St Glenelg .Lovely jewellery , militaria , Japanese / asian and Georgian Glass

8. Willunga Produce Market , McLaren Vale .A fabulous Saturday market from early morning until about lunchtime of local foods , organics etc .Fancy eating 12 freshly shucked coffin bay oysters for $12 whilst deciding what else to buy ?

This is likely to take me more than one post because I am such a slow typist.

BACKGROUND

I never liked Adelaide .From 1985 until 2002 I used to travel to the city from Melbourne for work about once a year .I had been with my parents in the late 1970's but remember little save the horrific bus trip to get there .We did not own a car and it was thought it would be a good way to travel as airfares were too expensive .Wrong !

My usual drill for work visits was Airport to City , perhaps stay a couple of nights (at a variety of hotels ), not leave the city centre during that time , have an occasional smart dinner ( Red Ochre Grill in its halcyon early days ) , snatch time to look in the Grote Street Antique Market and then return home .

My abiding impression of Adelaide was therefore coloured by these limits .The route from any airport into a city is rarely attractive and Adelaide is no exception (save its new airport is very good ). The centre of the city always struck me as pretty bleak and treeless with many nondescript bad office buildings overwhelming the few old buildings not demolished to make way for the new . Its parks always seemed dry and the garden Squares ,which form an integral part of the city design ,did not impress with their plantings .I never explored beyond the city bounds nor went to its cultural attractions .

Then in June 2002 I met my partner ,who is Adelaide born, and my re-education about the city began . I was driven around and into suburbs and precincts to see all it has to offer . Like Melbourne from where I come it needs a little patience and for you to scratch about a bit and in your own car .

Since that time I have travelled there for work and pleasure about 3 times a year for between 3 to 5 days .I am a convert to its charms . What prompts this post is that I have just completed aprroximately 2 weeks in A for both work and pleasure between the 31st March and 13th April and so want to provide some useful information to those who maybe curious about where to stay , who would like to eat some good food , sample wines and enjoy shopping especially for antiques or second hand goods which without these tips you are likely to miss altogether .

You see one of the criterion I apply to any city anywhere in deciding if I really like it is the ease with which good food / coffee/ shopping and 'visuals 'can be found .After that everything else just falls into place .If you cannot find them the place is likely to be a dud .

HOTELS

I stayed in 3 being
The Medina Grand Treasury in the city ( 31 March to 2nd April and again from 6 to 11 April)
The Stamford Grand at Glenelg ( 2- 6th ), and
Mount Lofty House in the Adelaide Hills (11th to 13th )

I love the Medina .I first stayed there about 15 months ago . It was constructed within the confines of the old Government Treasury Building about 4 years ago and appeals to me for two principle reasons :- 1.It is really elegantly fitted out in both the public areas and the suites in a quite understated style but with an edge not usually seen in the price bracket . I also find it quiet but I think you need a room away from King William Street. I had suite 66 .
2. It has , in every suite , a full size washing machine and dryer in the bathroom,a properly fitted kitchen with a stove , microwave , refrigerator ,separate bedroom and living room , doors / windows that can be openned onto your balcony ( if you get one and for which I asked at time of booking )to let in fresh air .Tere is a basement indoor lap pool , sauna and small gym with good equipment .

The suites come in three levels and I took the mid range which cost me A$186 per night . There is a 2 bedroom suite and the 1 bed have a couch which can convert to a bed . As it is an old building it has 4 metre+ ceiling heights which increases the sense of space .Each suite is a little different in configuration in order to fit within the structural confines .Suite 66 has an entrance hall and separate galley kitchen whilst others have open kitchens into the living area .Some on the first floor have large terraces .It does not offer full hotel service in the usual way in that they have no kitchen but a restaurant / bar attached to the hotel across a lovely central fountain courtyard with outdoor tables etc also delivers and you can order a breakfast basket delivered to your room for $10 comprising juice , cereal , fruit and croissant if you cannot be bothered going to the supermarket 150 metres away behind the Hilton Hotel .Which reminds me that there is no comparison between the Hilton and Medina .The latter wins hands down in terms of room quality , amenity and price .

I have stayed at the H several times and the rooms allocated to me on a discount rate were tired and sometimes were so even at premium rates as well .But I have not stayed there for some years and base this also on collegues who have recently stayed there and were not happy . They seem to have been refurbishing rooms for years .

Any way the only criticism I make of the Medina is that they managed to throw out my very expensive custom made mouth guard / splint which I wear at night to prevent tooth grinding .Left it on the bedside table or on the bed itself one morning , got back near mid night and it was missing . Cleaners .Accident .But not covered and so will have to pay to replace it myself .I also reported 2 blown light globes - one on the desk lamp and the other on the balcony and after 5 days they were still never replaced

The Stamford Glenelg

I had no choice about going to Glenelg or staying there . The place reminds me of St Kilda in Melbourne without the good bits or charm . The tram runs from the city near the Medina and Hilton to it. High rise ugly monolithic hotel from the late 80's whose entrance is shrouded by an ugly multi level car park .However my room on the 12th floor had a vista over the water through its bay window and was large . The bathroom was typical hotel style and that is fine save that the tiles around the bath and in which you shower had soap scum / mould / grime on the grouting . The hotel food was , well , hotel food .

I do not like Glenelg and do not understand what the fuss is about insofar as pushing it as a desirable tourist locale . The main shopping strip is Jetty Road which has a large mix of forgettable shops . I did buy a coffee plunger at The Reject Shop for $6 so I could make coffee in the morning which was much better than the $30 the supermaket was asking .Good supermarket so if you are there in an apartment it is easy to stock up . The waterfront is hemmed by apartments but there is a small group of restaurants and we ate at Scampi one night .A wine , some fresh flathead tails and chips etc was about $45 .

I found the Glenelg Antique Centre at 6 Sussex St just off Jetty Rd and thought it good .It is open 7 days a week .Bought a wooden netsuke , signed ,of a monkey holding a coconut for $140 and another carving from old red coral as a 70th b'day gift for a friend .I had trouble choosing as there were nice options at reasonable prices . I haggled a little and got a discount .

Now work calls .As I expected this has taken too long and I have digressed . The next post in a couple of days will cover the other hotel , some food and mainly why I like these shopping precincts and include a few must do's on the cultural side

Reading your report with much interest John, as I hope to visit Adelaide this summer (AUS winter that is).

Curious about the weather in Adelaide - we don't like the heat, so we're trying to decide which month to visit...

We very much enjoyed our stays at both Medina properties in Perth, so it's good to know that Adelaide has one too.

Carry on...

Looking forward to the rest of your report, JohnF.

I agree with you on Glenelg - can't understand why it is often recommended as a destination. The high rise apartments are really the nail the coffin I think. It is a cheerless place.

Regarding the weather - we had a record heatwave this summer - if you don't like the heat, Melnq8, I would recommend that you come to Adelaide afer March. I am not a fan of hot weather as well and obviously live in the wrong place!

However, April/May are glorious - I think the best time in Adelaide is the autumn.

June/July/August can be rainy at times (I hope!!! We need the water) but relatively mild ( mid teens during the days).

Also - Melnq8 - excuse me John for highjacking this thread - but we have just returned from 6 days in the south east of WA and your hints and tips were a great resource! Loved the climbing trees!

Thanks for this, John

I'm hoping to visit Adelaide later this year - and every little helps!

Waiting for the next instalment.

Thanks Lizzy - glad to hear my WA info was of some use. Did you make it to the top of those massive trees?

Melnq8 - husband and friend from England climbed the Gloucester & The Dave Evans Bicentennial Tree . I have trouble with the height of a ladder so I didn't go up, but our friend said it was the highlight of his trip.

My husband is a fit guy but I could see his legs visibly shaking as he neared the bottom of the Gloucester - he said it wasn't from fear though LOL.Never would have found these trees and done this if it hadn't been for your trip report! Cheers, Liz

Lizzy -

Ah, yes, the sewing machine legs...had the same problem myself, but managed to climb all three. I think I've got that madness out of my system now.

Sorry for the hijack JohnF.

Not a hijack at all as these threads are meant to promote the sharing of information .It is one of the things that I enjoy about this site .
And thanks for the encouragement .Nice to try and give somethng back to all you regular posters .
I will get back to this tomorrow as it is a public holiday here and so I have , at least in theory , plenty of time to think and write .

Well I am back to try and get this finished but I expect I shan't as I lost 2 days because the internet server we use at our place in the Dandenongs crashed on Friday afternoon and so I have come back to town to try and do it.I will give it my best shot ansdpromise to try and not digress too much .

HOTELS (cont'd )and a brief detour to car hire , history of the Adelaide Hills and service expectations matching price

I forgot to mention that the Medina has an arrangement with a nearby carpark if guests need to park a car . My recollection is that it is a fairly attractive rate .As comes hereafter it is a city where you need a car to see my favourite bits .

The Stamford at Glenelg also has an arrangement with that ugly carpark that overshadows the hotel entrance .

And while I am on cars I used Thrifty again .Got a not too big four wheel drive type thing for 4 people capable of taking any purchases for $80 . Beware however that if you have an accident there is a nearly $3000 excess to be paid by you regardless of fault . So of course they have extra insurance cover for $33 .I took it . Found this out when we used them in Cairns. But their prices are good , we have had no trouble with them in Tasmania , Qld and now Adelaide . If wanting to compare prices search wwww.drivenow.com.au as it gives you nationwide comparative prices .

The Thrifty office is in Hindley Street and very convenient .Nice staff and you dropthe car back to the commercial parking staion opposite .

It is easy driving in Adelaide. For about an hour, morning and evening ,North Terrace is busy and slow moving but the rest of the time it is a dream . So do not think twice about it and what's more the city is a grid design so the main roads are either onits boudaries or bisect it making it really easy with a street directory to get anywhere .

My little shopping trip covered only 27 kms in the day and we did not even use enough petrol to move the gauge .

MOUNT LOFTY HOUSE

A good friend who works in travel put together a little 2.5 day tour for 12 people from Friday 3pm until flights home at 6pm Sunday after the conference we had all attended .The intent was to go to McLaren Vale on Saturday to Willunga Market , wineries and lunch .Saturday dinner at the hotel and Sunday breakfast in Hahndorf , lunch at a winery eating provisions from the market ,some more tastings elsewhere and then home .The hills are only 20 minutes drive out of town although they extend for a good further hours driving time to far flung little towns .

The hills were settled by two types of people - the Wasps who came in Summer and the German Lutherans who settled the hills and thus named the villages of Hahndorf , Lobethal etc .

The Wasps had names like Reynell , Bonython , Barr-Smith ,Elder and Goldsbrough , all free settlers ( no Sydney convict chains rattling or Bog Irish panning gold in Victoria )who made their fortunes as pastoralists , wool and tin mining .They went to their grand estates in Summer to escape the oppressive heat of the plains .It did not hurt that the Vice Regal Summer residence was there either .So society moved with it .The houses were furnished incredibly .For intance the best of te stuff made by thew leading Arts and Crafts movement designers in England and Scotland like William Morris or Louis Comfort Tiffany sent custom made everything to the houses. The result is that the largest intact and well preserved Morris interiors and rugs etc are in Adelaide.The largest Morris rug still in private hands is for sale at Tusmore Antiques in the city .It sits on the floor and youwander all over it .POA

So why is this relevant ?

Because Mount Lofty was built by the Bonython family .It is very grand stone Victorian Gothic house perched on the top of the Mount looking away from the city over the hills and valeys .As a hotel it pitches itself to a niche market .It is part of the Grand Mercure Group . It also charges high eg my single occupancy room was around $300 a night with breakfast .Now I could have had the Hyatt at the Club floor and all that goes with it ( free breakfast , cocktails ,canapes etc daily )for $260 .And i went to the Club florr and it was good .So you see what I mean in relative terms .

Now I want to make it clear that I am not a difficult guest but I loathe hotels or restaurants that lay claim to being something which after staying with them or eating at them , they are clearly not . If you say you are a 4* property then I expect nothing less than 4* service and amenity .

I will not go on but - lug your own cases to your room , bar closed for a function at 6.30pm so we had to sit in a billiards room and order a drink , no nuts or anything to buy from the bar , incapable, despite the request on 24 hours notice , to alter their fixed menu offering 3 starters mains and desserts for us in our planned separate dining room for Saturday night and then served a vegetable parcel as a main that was inedible with soggy pastry ,one bread roll allocated per diner and no offer of more bread ,breakfast billed as 7.30am but not open until 8am , not enough hangers in the wardrobe , nowhere to put your suitcase , dust and dirt under furniture on the verandah outside my room where they did not sweep or mop .....and last the squashed mosquito on the wall next to my bedside cabinet that remained there during my stay and no doubt had been there for some time prior to my arrival ....get the drift ?

Now some had rooms in the new wing that were nice .The breakfast room was charming with vistas over the hills but shocking dishwater as coffee . Lovely grounds .But nothing else around so if not in a car you have nowhere to eat but the hotel .

Verdict - look for alternatives as there must be lovely B&B's etc .

Now I must have lunch and then I have to buy a gift so I hope I will get back to Adelaide shopping today





Now the Ade

I'm really enjoying your report JohnFitz it will give me ideas for next time I visit.

I share your view of Glenelg, I found Hahndorf pretty cheesy as well.

Looking forward to your next bit.

Great minds think alike . I want to like popular places and generally I do because there is or at least once was good reason for them to be liked . But alas popularity also breeds greed and in come the people who want to cash in and up go the rents out go the bohemian , artists orthe little businesses who cannot compete and in their stead comes the chains or simply crass shops. And so Susan7 you rightly in my view comment on Hahndorf. The tree lined main street is charming but where are the truly interesting things to look at or buy ? More of that later .

I shall start at the end as I have been bagging Mount Lofty so let's cover the last weekend , doing the wineries etc , first.

But it will have to wait as unfortunately it is Sunday night and I am tired and need to check some of my facts from the itinerary in my office tomorrow before I commit them to this post .

WILLUNGA MARKET /

- WILLUNGA MARKET - McLAREN VALE -AND THE ADELAIDE HILLS

It is an easy 15 to 20 minute drive from the city to the Hills . So if you have a car it is fine to use the city as a base unless you find something else more to your liking such as a B&B.

Willunga Farmers Market ( www.willungafarmersmarket.com )starts about 8am and runs until around noon and is held every Saturday .The stalls are set up adjacent to The Alma Hotel .

All goods for sale must be locally grown and as far as I could tell most were organic or made from organic ingredients. There was an excellent range of hand kneaded bread , spices and herbs , cakes ,meat , chocolate , candles tarts , fruit , vegetables etc.Gay Bilson of Berowa Waters fame lives down there and she is one of the people who has put W on the map .

I bought wonderful bitter hot chocolate to drink at a stall that mainly sold untreated honey . I bought bee pollen and medicinal tea tree honey . The former is taken as a teaspoon full daily to build immunity .The latter is, unlike commercial honey , not heated etc and so its medicinal properties are not damaged .It can be used on cuts etc .I just eat it normally .Then whilst deciding what else to buy for lunch the next day we had a dozen freshly shucked Coffin Bay oysters for $12 with some lemon . They were fabulous .Then olives , pasties , olive oil , sourdough and spelt loaves , fragrant tomatoes , smoked trout ,dips etc hit the shopping bag and we took off to Penny's Hill winery .

If you like dry Riesling then Pennys Hill " Mr Rigg " is great . Bought a straight dozen which gave a 10% discount and free shipping. The wine arrived 4 days later at home . Now they have an excellent restaurant there for lunch .I have not eatenin it but others I know did that week and spoke highly .

Then we went to D'Arenberg for a tasting and lunch in D'Arry's Verandah Restaurant . This place has produced wine of quality for a long time .The food was excellent .As there were 12 of us we had a 2 course lunch with a choice from 2 entrees and main courses . I had a carpaccio of Kingfish and then Duck confit that fell apart as a result of being cooked slowly .They use quality Riedel glassware and we sampled wines over lunch , had some lovely dessert wine , coffee and petits fours then hit the road to Woodstock winery .By this time I was tired and sat in their pleasnt garden watching guests arrive for a wedding whilst others tasted and bought.

On Sunday we went to Hahndorf for breakfast at Udder Delights . This cafe is in the main street .They hold cheese tastings in one part of the premises . We were served lovely juice , local yoghurt with organic muesli and fruit , some bruschetta topped with tomato and fresh basil ( last of the season I expect )croissants and coffee.

Now Hahndorf is in my view pretty but otherwise it is a " buy an icecream and walk up and down the main street "sort of town .Nearby is the wonderful Bridgewater Mill restaurant which is a gem and highly recommended as is Magill Estate restaurant as well .

We then went to Nepenthe Winery .Again a good cleanskin riesling for $90 a dozen .It too arrived home a few days later .The next winery was Bird in Hand .This is on the site of an old gold mine .They allowed us to picnic as long as we bought wine from them to drink.They make a lovely sparkling with a pink blush which was perfect in the Autumn sun with our picnic fare .

Then I took everyone to Aptos Cruz Gallery in Aldgate . Always good to see that others who saw it for the first time were enthused .If you are there on aweekday go into Aldgate and sample something from the bakery and the butchers has wonderful smallgoods

After that we headed to the airport and home .

next - SHOPPING - once I finish chores .

FAVOURITE SHOPS / PRECINCTS

Now I am unable to give definitive advice on the best spots for ladies fashion but can at least tell you that the 3 girlfriends thought these were terrifically good when I took them on a little day tour to these places last month .

The following are all within easy distance of the city and each other . Our hire car travelled about 17km in the day and the petrol gauge did not move . As far as I am aware none of these spots are well served by obvious public transport although there are bus and train services . Best to check yourself .

I will give you the UBD Street Directory coordinates .I am told it is the commonly used directory in Adelaide .

HYDE PARK SHOPS (map 130 G 7 )

You follow King William Street ( the main boulevard )until it becomes King W Rd and keep driving until shops either side of the road appear . I think the furthest boundary before the shops dwindle in numbers is Park St.
It is all low rise shops , many verandahed with grape vines trained along them .Quite charming . The road is paved , is two lanes plus parking either side .Lots of cafes , homewares , fashion . The girls loved the shoe shops which were stocked with new seasons boots in every style and price . A homewares shop called Uccello at number 149 had interesting things but what really impressed me about it was the owner . I enquired about where she got a large clear perspex stand which displayed a necklace . I have a tribal piece from Nagaland which I have never been able to properly display and this looked like it would fit the bill . Well she happily wrote me out , without my asking , the name of the company and its email address and after I admired a lamp but regretted it was not suitable for me volunteered that they did a range that might suit and gave me those details as well .

In Elephant and Wheelbarrow , a homewares shop , we admired large black and white wax candle garden torches at $4.95 each but knew they would have to be checked in baggagge and thus ruined .Sales assistant offered to check stock in Melbourne , reserve some etc . This assistance was given matter of factly and with good grace .It was like that throughout the city .I was impressed .

We spent about 1.25 hours browsing including a coffee .Not long enough really but enough to check it all out .

UNLEY RD , UNLEY ( map 130 J 6 )

Turn left from King William Rd into Park Street and drive to the end which is the intersection with Unley Rd . To your right is a small mall of shops selling Australian womens designer wear etc . To your left and along no more than a couple of hundred metres are some shops I like . First is McKays on your right .It is a large shopfront warehouse full of second hand and antique furniture .Been there forever . Some good buys . I missed (luckily for my budget ) a fantastic Moroccan inlaid games table and 2 matching stools . All sorts of odd chairs and kitsch .Last time I got a great lamp made of shells that is basically awful but a lot of fun . Further along are 2 small antique shops selling oriental porcelain and other eclectic pieces .One of the girls bought a lovely Murano glass parrott which was old , on sale already but she did a bit more haggling and got it . There used to also be an antique dealer in a church on a corner selling English and French pieces.I got a lovely carved timber leaf a few years ago for little money .I think it was called Lindisfarne but cannot be certain . The shops are not dense along here and unless you like doing what I do then don't waste your time .

NUMBER ONE RUNDLE TRADING ( map 119 C15)20 Stuart Rd Dulwich and 1 Rundle Street Kent Town

Now everyone loves this shop . It is a must . Beautifully displayed goods . Helpful staff .Great gift wrapping . They stock a wonderful range of soy wax perfumed candles , chic womens fashion and a mix of antique , new and pretty timeless homewares . $10 or $1000+ will get you something nice . I buy my favourite pistachio, cranberry and cherry nougart ( gluten free ) from them and it is $4 cheaper than David Jones .

They also have their original store at 1 Rundle St Kent Town , open Friday and Saturday only from 10 - 5 . I have not been but it is on the way to or from Magill Rd near the state wine centre .

Diagonally across the road from the Stuart Rd shop are a couple of nice cafes to grab a coffee or lunch .

MAGILL RD , NORWOOD ( map 119 D 6 )

I won't rabbit on as there are about 12 shops .But if you do not mind a walk it is about 2 maybe 3 km from the city walking past the Botanical Gardens . I did it on the way home .The only thing is that it is a busy road and there is really nowhere to buy a drink oranything to eat . I found one milk bar and bought a pastie .However I also came across the shop selling shells and some other intersting second hand stores .There are 2 really good looking pubs as well with great beer gardens .

Explore from the start of Magill Rd or at least from around number 129 - Mid Century Modern ( scandinavian ) and then just keep walking and crossing the road to explore . The shops range between French , English . Provincial, Scandinavian, at least 3 largish junk / mixed places such as Kensington Antiques at 169 that has all sorts or Retro at 187A which has 60's - 70's . Pedlars at 205 has lots of smaller items and I think is well priced .On the other side of the road are Eureka at 152. Bought from all of them and they all are prepared to tak price .

Do not miss Khai Liew to look at his exquisitely crafted furniture . The National Gallery has a piece of his work.

Around these places are other shops . I never fail to find something I do not need but like or buy as a gift .

THE PARADE NORWOOD

Long shopping strip with a really good mix of everything you might want .Runs parallel with Magill Rd but a few blocks between the two but a delightful walk along wide tree lined streets .

CHURCH STUDIOS 234 Port Rd Alberton .

You have to be keen to go here as it is by itself in a suburb near the port .Another big place in an old church ( what is it with churchs in Adelaide )selling Bauhaus, mid 20th C Danish , antiques ,repro . A lovely rear garden and worth a look .

TUSMORE ANTIQUES 427 Pulteney St .City

High end . This is the place with the huge William Morris rug .

GENERAL

The far end of Rundle Street where it ceases to be a mall is good for eating ,shopping ( fashion and homewares ) or bars for a drink .

COUNTRY STYLE at 188 Grenfell St on the corner of Pulteney I think ( enter from Pulteney and its near the Majestic Roof Garden Hotel )is a place called Country Style .I think from memory . Great clearance section on the first floor .

IMPRINTS BOOKSHOP 107 Hindley St.

An Adelaide institution in the midst of the night clubbing street . And on the opposite side is a good second hand / antiquarian bookshop

CENTRAL MARKET , Grote and Gouger streets entrances .Open Tuesday , Thursday Friday and Saturday . Lovely produce , excellent coffee , snacks etc .

GROTE ST ANTIQUE CENTRE

Kill two birds with one stone before or after the Central Market

ADELAIDE ARCADE , Rundle St Mall
Historic and lovely old arcade of shops .Great hat shop , philatelics fashion and jewellery

HAIGHS CHOCOLATE ( branches throughout town but if in doubt one in Rundle Mall ) Excellent quality .

ART GALLERIES

Hill Smith 113 Pirie St city
open Mon - Frid 10 - 5.30pm and Sundays 2 -5pm .Represents some excellent artists particularly some wonderful exponents of still life .

There are too many to name but if interested look at wwww.artnews.com.au/state and select Adelaide city . Links to them all and across every part of Australia as well .

The State Gallery is excellent .A very manageable size with a good collection of art and decorative arts plus an excellent cafe .

THE JAM FACTORY at end of Hindley St

Unique facility to train people in the artisan crafts especially glass blowing and furniture .Lovely shop

NORTH ADELAIDE

First settled in 1837 it is a lovely spot .Essentially surrounded by parkland . If you feel like a walk across the river and up King William St. ,gently clmbing to St Peters Cathedral or a little further along and to your left or right you will be rewarded with lovely vistas of the city below . O'Connell and Melbourne Streets are the commercial part with cafes etc .Kingston Terrace is a good example of well preserved old Adelaide as is the whole area .

Now if I think of other places I shall add to this post . I hope it is of some use .

JohnF - your report is most definitely helpful. I really appreciate the winery info as I'm a shameless wino and visiting wineries is always high on my list.

And the chocolate... Haigh's chocolates has come up before - I've made it my personal mission to find those - are they only sold in Adelaide?

I am glad Melnq8 that you got some useful information from the report .I did not say too much about the wine we tasted but you will find some interesting wines in lovely settings . As you like your vino I strongly suggest that if you go to Adelaide you arrange dinner at Magill Estate with the matched wines from the top-shelf of Penfolds wines .A splurge but worth it .

Haighs is sold Australia wide as far as I know and certainly in Melbourne and Sydney . I love their chocolate aniseed rings .

"what is it with churchs in Adelaide"

- John, did you know that Adelaide is known as "the city of churches"? It might explain a few things.


"Haigh's chocolates has come up before"

- Melnq8, that would have been me. I love Haighs and am a regular. I've heard they sell Haighs in other states, but it is actually a local Adelaide company since 1915. The factory and store is at Parkside, 5 minutes south of the city. They have stores at:
- corner Rundle Mall & King William Street, city centre
- in the shopping arcade behind Coles supermarket near the Central Market
- corner of Adelaide Arcade and Grenfell St, city centre (currently being renovated til August)


To get to King William Rd, Hyde Park which John mentions as an interesting road to shop on, one could catch the tram in the city centre and travel the 5 or so minutes to the stop near Greenhill Road and walk 5 or so minutes up King William Rd.

SOME MORE

Speckles , thanks and I do know Adelaide is called that .I was talking about it with a collegue whilst I was in Adelaide (and the other undeserved reputation of "The City for Pushing People in The Torrens River and Drowning Them " ), and comparing our recollections of our first visits to it and he recalled that when he came in about 1963 there were no highrise buildings and all you could see throughout the city were the spires of the churchs marking the skyline . It must have been lovely .

GARDENS

I forgot to mention one of my favourite things about the city and that is its gardens both public and private . The Botanical Gardens are really charming and an oasis in the city . Add to them the glass house and then the wonderful rose garden alongside and you can spend a delightful few hours especially in mid spring - October / November - when the roses throughout the city are in bloom.
Adelaide has the perfect climate for roses and you see them en masse in gardens across the city . When in Summer they are in flower and the street trees like Jacarandas are in bloom it is superb .

Other gardens are :-
Veale Gardens on South Terrace , and
Hazelwood Park , Burnside .

I also love Fergusson Square in Toorak Gardens .It is a small square planted with roses surrounded by lovely houses built in the 1920's and 30's and very charming .I would not say you must seek it out but its just one of those little secret places I always find lift the spirits.

I also think a visit to Carrick Hill in Springfield a good thing to do .A wonderful old estate left on trust by the Heywood family who owned the John Martin Department Store ( the Xmas parade still happens a la Macys )and it has a superb collection of Stanley Spencer paintings which for them alone is worth the trip .It is well known so there are tours to it .

speckles -

Your ability to list every Haigh's shop in Adelaide indicates that we're like-minded chocoholics.

I can provide a similar service for some states in the US, so if you're ever looking for a See's or an Ethel M, let me know...

Can you provide a similar list for Haigh's in Perth?

Assuming we survive the Australian visa process, we'll be moving to Perth in a few months.

On second thought, I'll google it and see what comes up.

No Haigh's in WA! Say it isn't so!

JohnFitz, thanks for a terrific report and so much terrific shopping detail!

Melnq8 if you come through Sydney, try Belle Fleur hand made chocolates, they are fabulous with all sorts of unusual ingredients:

http://www.bellefleur.com.au/index.htm