Adelaide: city with festivals, beaches, and the hills wine regions

Our travel plan was a few days in Adelaide, then headed to the renowned Barossa Valley.Next, enjoy a three-day stay at Longview Vineyard in the scenic Adelaide Hills, with a visit to the charming town of Hahndorf. Finally, we planned to unwind for a few days in Victor Harbor before flying back to Sydney. However, our escape from New South Wales to COVID-free South Australia didn’t quite go as planned.

Adelaide

Adelaide, known for its vibrant festivals, stunning beaches, and world-class food and wine. At The Central Market, you will find a great selection of fresh local produce, gourmet food, and cuisine from around the world. We spend one day in the wonderful art galleries and museums. And don’t miss the serene Botanic Garden or the city’s stunning beaches.

In the morning, we discovered the North Terrace's beautiful and landmark buildings, including the gallery, museum, and government buildings.

On our first day, we walk along the stunning North Terrace. We visited the Art Gallery, the South Australian Museum, and the grand historic government buildings

After that, we visited the Botanic Garden, with its beauty and diversity of plants, which is located not too far from the CBD. Later, after a long walk, we enjoyed a glass of South Australian wine.

Afterwards, we visited the Botanic Garden a lush oasis of diverse plant life just a short stroll from the CBD. Following a long walk through its beautiful grounds, we relaxed at the charming kiosk, enjoying a glass of South Australian wine.

Adelaide's excellent beaches are within 10 km of the city, and you can catch the famous "Bay Tram" directly from the city.

Adelaide’s stunning beaches lie less than 10 kilometres from the city. They are easily accessible via the iconic ‘Bay Tram,’ which runs directly from the CBD to the coast.

None of the many of the beaches were crowded. In the evening, we watched a spectacular sunset paint the sky before enjoying dinner at one of the charming seaside restaurants just steps from the sand.

That’s where our holiday plan took a turn. Our apartment was next to this hotel, and when we returned from the beach, we wondered why there were so many police cars in front of it. The riddle was solved while watching the news. A COVID outbreak occurred in the quarantine hotel and other locations. We changed our itinerary, and skipped the Adelaide Central Market and straight to the wine regions.

Adelaide Hills

From Adelaide, we drove to the fascinating Barossa Valley. There we enjoyed a lovely lunch at one of the cellar doors. Afterwards, we continued on to the stunning Adelaide Hills. This region is famous for its fine wines, lovely villages, and natural beauty. In the Hills, are many inviting restaurants, charming cellar doors, and delightful art and craft shops.

We changed our itinerary and skipped the Adelaide Central Market. Instead of our original plans, we opted for the Barossa Valley and found lovely accommodations in the Adelaide Hills.

We stayed at the beautiful Longview Vineyard, nestled near the quaint country town of Macclesfield. At the Vineyard are a number of beautiful apartments, cellar doors for wine tasting and an excellent on-site restaurant. The estate is surrounded by fields of vine plants as far as your eyes can see.

We enjoyed our time in the vineyards, the relaxing walks, the magnificent flowers, and the lovely birds. Just as we reached the summit of Mount Barker, Adelaide Hills,, we received a phone call that changed our plan once more. This time due to a five-day lockdown in South Australia.

In Mount Barker, we hiked to the summit, but just before reaching the top, we received a phone call that once again changed our plans this time due to a five-day COVID lockdown in South Australia.

We could not travel further as planned and had to stay at the Longview Vineyard in the Adelaide hills. The staff were extremely helpful and provided the necessary food and wine.

We suddenly found ourselves stranded. We could not travel further as planned and had to stay at the wonderful Longview Vineyard. The helpful staff ensured we did have everything we needed, including food and wine.

During four days, we had the large vineyard for ourselves and walked around the magnificent property

For four days, we had the entire vineyard to ourselves. We spent our time strolling through the vines, listening to birdsong, and admiring the magnificent blooms. In the evenings, we relaxed on the balcony with a glass or two of wine, enjoying having this beautiful place all to ourselves.

Then came the wonderful news: the lockdown had been cancelled earlier, and we could travel as usual. A brief visit to Hahndorf in the Adelaide hills

Then came wonderful news the lockdown had been lifted earlier than expected. We could travel again and made a brief but enjoyable visit to Hahndorf.

Hahndorf, founded by Lutheran migrants in the nineteenth century, is known for its original German-style architecture and bakeries, pubs, and restaurants. While the buildings are authentic, the food is sadly not.

Hahndorf was founded by Lutheran migrants in the nineteenth century. During our walk through the village, we loved the German-style buildings and bakeries, pubs, and restaurants. While the buildings are authentic, the food is sadly not.

Finally, on our way to Adelaide Airport, we visited Mount Lofty Botanic Garden. It's a beautiful place to enjoy nature's beauty and tranquillity, with many lovely walks.

On our way to Adelaide Airport, we stopped at Mount Lofty Botanic Garden. We had a fantastic walk through this beautiful place, enjoying in the stunning landscapes and the rich variety of plants.

Mount Lofty Summit is in the Adelaide Hills and rises over 710 metres above sea level. Therefore, you have breathtaking panoramic views of Adelaide's city skyline and the coastline.

Mount Lofty Summit is 710 metres above sea level. From there we had a panoramic view of Adelaide’s city skyline and sweeping coastline.

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