Admire the elegant colonial architecture and browse museums and libraries along North Terrace. Shop up a storm at Rundle Mall or sample the fresh produce from Adelaide Central Market. Embrace the alfresco ambience of Rundle Street in the East End or explore the exotic, bustling foodhalls of Chinatown. Swim with dolphins in vibrant Glenelg and fish from the jetty in Henley. Bike ride in Elder Park and row past rose gardens in Rymill Park. Picnic in sprawling Botanic Park, where the international music festival WOMADelaide is held. Explore the museums, markets and historic harbour of Port Adelaide or see heritage buildings and colourful summer sideshows in family-friendly Semaphore. Browse the world's largest collection of Aboriginal antiquities at the Aboriginal Cultures Gallery or do a cultural tour of Adelaide Botanic Gardens with a local Kaurna guide.

Visit our Adelaide section

Visit world-famous vineyards such as Yalumba, Seppelts, Penfolds and Two Hands and sample quality, local produce on the Butcher, Baker, WineMaker Trail. In the nearby heritage town of Gawler, you’ll find stone churches, galleries and museums set against rolling hills and manicured vineyards. Take a tour of historic wineries and boutique breweries. See artisans at work in one of the many studios or buy some of the region’s famous handicrafts. Of course, nothing beats a long lunch under the gum trees with a bottle of one of the region’s flagship wines, Barossa Shiraz or Eden Valley Riesling.

Stay in the outback town of Hawker and spend your days exploring the rugged, majestic Flinders Ranges. Walk to the rim of Wilpena Pound, a huge natural amphitheatre, or soar over it on a scenic flight. Hike to the top of Parachilna Gorge on part of the Heysen Trail. See fossils in ancient sea beds at Brachina Gorge and Aboriginal art at Arkaroo Rock. Explore the area’s pastoral past at Wilpena Pound Station. Deeper in the desert, you can fossick for opals in the quirky underground town of Coober Pedy or in the frontier town of Andamooka. Four wheel drive the Oodnadatta Track along a traditional Aboriginal trading route and the old Ghan railway to salty Lake Eyre. Or take the Strzelecki Track past awesome desert landscapes and scenic wetlands such as Coongie Lakes and Dalhousie Springs. Keep in mind this is remote country so a four wheel drive and thorough preparation is essential.

Frolic on the sand or in the world-class nightclubs of Surfers Paradise. Then trek the World Heritage-listed rainforest of the Gold Coast hinterland, where you can swim in crystal-clear rock pools, explore rainforest retreats like Mount Tamborine and see Australia’s largest glow-worm colony. Of course, you can’t miss the Gold Coast’s famous themed attractions. See dolphin and sea lion shows at Sea World, ride the world’s tallest and fastest thrill rides at Dreamworld or jump in a giant wavepool at Wet 'n' Wild Water Park.

See pink pelicans wheeling through the sky at Reeves Point and sea lions lying on the rocks at Cape du Couedic. Seal Bay is home to a colony of Australian sea lions that can be observed from a boardwalk or up close with a ranger. Watch packs and pairs of little penguins make their nightly pilgrimage to the shore in Penneshaw or from Kingscote Wharf. Fish from the historic jetty at Emu Bay or join a fishing tour from American River. Load up on fresh produce - from Ligurian honey to free range chickens and eggs - and wine produced by 30 growers from Cape Willoughby to Kingscote. Stay in a restored lighthouse keeper’s cottage at isolated Cape Willoughby on Dudley Peninsula. Swim on secret beaches at Stokes Bay and surf at Vivonne Bay. Dive through shipwrecks and with leafy sea dragons from American Beach. Take a scenic drive to the underground caves of Kelly Hill Conservation Park and the Remarkable Rocks in Flinders Chase National Park.

Hire a slow-moving houseboat from Mannum or Renmark. Or take in the sandstone cliffs, giant red gums and weeping willows on a luxury cruiser or historic paddlesteamer. Stop for a picnic at Sturt Reserve at Murray Bridge or a pub meal in Tailem Bend or Swan Reach. Go water-skiing, jet-skiing, canoeing and sailing at Lake Bonney, near Barmera. In Murray River National Park, you can stay in Berri or Lyrup and canoe through the bird-filled backwaters of Loch Luna, Chowilla/Ral and Katarapko Creek. Cycle along the scenic East Front Road and follow the Rail and River Walk from Murray Bridge. Four wheel drive and spot endangered malee fowl in Ngarkat Conservation Park. Visit the Loxton Historical Village, peek into the past at Morgan Wharf or see the birthplace of the Black Duck Dreaming with a Nganguraku Aboriginal guide.