South Australia Destination Guide

Quiet achiever South Australia has been slowly enhancing its international profile by producing top notch wines and hosting a smorgasbord of sporting and cultural events. Sharing a border with all of the mainland states and territories, South Australia gives way to iconic landscapes in every direction from the arid north to the sand-skirted south.

With wide city streets encircled by gardens, cruisy Adelaide is in no rush to become a bustling metropolis, only adding to its appeal. Recently, the South Australian capital edged out Sydney in the 2012 global liveability survey, earning brownie points for modern infrastructure and neighbouring natural assets. Come for the social calendar highlights (WOMADelaide, Adelaide Festival, the Clipsal 500) and stay for the booming cafe culture, multiple museums and long ribbons of beach within reach of the city centre.

Radelaide, to use its affectionate moniker, is ideally located within day-tripping distance of the state's illustrious wine country. The Barossa Valley is the most celebrated grape growing region, draped in patchwork farmland and prosperous vineyards. Wine is a way of life for Barossa locals, with more than one hundred cellar doors ranging from boutique producers to big name estates like Jacob's Creek and Wolf Blass.

What's a quality drop without a standout meal to match? The Barossa and, on a wider scale, South Australia's ever evolving food culture serves up regionally renowned dairy products, sustainably sourced meat and barrels of crisp crops, weaving a delicious tapestry of flavours from paddock to plate. Head to the local markets, chat to the producers and sample South Australia's finest fare for a taste of the good life.

A stone's throw from the southern coast, Kangaroo Island lures visitors with its rugged beauty and promises of escapism. Australia's third largest island, Kangaroo Island is teeming with wildlife from chocolate brown fur seals and little penguins on shore to southern right whales migrating to the Great Australian Bight. Far from being deserted, more than 4,000 South Australians call the island home, mimicking the mainland with abounding farms and wineries.

Bumping up against the Northern Territory, SA has its share of outback terrain. Visit the Flinders Ranges where hundreds of kilometres can pass between homesteads in the shadow of ancient craggy mountains. Why not see the magnificent South Australian landscapes from a different perspective with a nostalgic rail journey on board The Indian Pacific, The Ghan or The Overland?