The Suburbs of Adelaide

Visiting the beaches for the Kite Festival and eating the Wurst meal ever

As if Adelaide wasn't enjoyable enough, you have a huge variety of places to go within close distance. You're a half hours drive from the Adelaide Hills to the east. The towns hiding in the hills get you feeling like you're completely out of the city. By contrast, on the other side of Adelaide you can go only a half hour to the west and be at the beach. Either Semaphore or the not-yet-world-famous Glenelg beach are the two we experienced and were not dissappointed.

For starters, Port Adelaide, while it isn't the liveliest port area I have ever seen it does have a light house. That's exciting, right? They also have a market, which takes place on weekends, but treasures here are few and far between, bordering nonexistent.

As for the light house, you can climb a circular staircase to the top for only $1. I didn't think you could do anything for that price these days. Excited yet? You can even see Adelaide from there, which will remind you that however ill exciting Port Adelaide actually is, you can always go back to the city in time for happy hour.

Swiftly making your way out of Port Adelaide won't be hard or difficult, and Semaphore Beach is only a few bus stops away. On this particular weekend in March they happened to have the Semaphore Beach Kite Festival.

More proof that South Australia really is the Festival State. Its as if every city or town you go to is either having a festival, just had a festival or about to have a festival. Every weekend there is something going on that can hold your attention for an afternoon.

So popular is the kite festival that one busty number even showed up. We may never know why the maker of the popular mermaid kite gave her a removable bikini top, but then who are we to judge. Great work, sir. You are a true artist.

From Semaphore, you can take the bus over to Glenelg, Adelaide's best beach area. The streets are lined with outdoor pub and cafe's, it is a pretty great atmosphere. There actually is quite a bit to do here. Check out the Glenelg website for events and activities.

From the Jetty is the best place in the area to catch the sunset before retiring to the nearest pub for dinner and drinks. The Tram to and from Glenelg runs all night, so no need to drink and drive if you're staying in the city.

For a completely different sort of day out, find yourself a bus into the Adelaide Hills and some of the charming towns that make up the higher ground. We chose Hahndorf.

Hahndorf is a good hours drive from the city, but is worth it for a day out. The city has been around since 1839, and has always had a strong German influence which it still celebrates today. Find store fronts playing traditional German music (which never gets old) and German flags that dot the streets.

You can find German beer (or should I say Beir?) at most any hotel or bar in town. It may be pricey, but as they say "when in Hahndorf..."

Hahndorf will also proudly lay claim to the most unoriginal pun involving food and the wurst meal ever, at the Hahndorf Inn. It included the Six Sausage Comination of Deluxe Vienna, Bratwurst, Bockwurst, Plain Kransky, Chees Kransky and a Weisswurst. Not to be outdone,. they add in Sauerkraut, rhine potato, not one but 2 german pretzels and 3 dishes of German mustard. At $44 this was a glorious day that will not soon be forgotten.