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

This was our itinerary: a few days in Adelaide before heading to the 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, spending a few days in Victor Harbour before flying to Sydney. But the escaping from NSW to COVID-free South Australia did not go as planned.

Adelaide

Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, is known for its festivals, good food and wine, and stunning beaches. At The Central Market, you will find a great selection of fresh local produce, gourmet food, and cuisine from around the world. In addition, art lovers can spend days discovering art galleries and museums. And don’t miss a visit to the botanic garden and wonderful beaches.

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

In the morning, we explored the stunning landmarks along North Terrace. Including the Art Gallery of South Australia, the South Australian Museum, and the 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.

After that, we visited the Botanic Garden, a stunning oasis of diverse plants located not far 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 are less than 10 km from the city, and you can easily reach them by taking the famous ‘Bay Tram’ straight from the CBD.

Adelaide’s golden beaches are beautiful. We loved walking along the long historic jetties and the wonderful beaches. None of the many of the beaches were crowded. In the evening, we watched a spectacular sunset before enjoying dinner at one of the charming restaurants just behind the beach.

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. After enjoying a lovely lunch at one of the cellar doors, we continued to the stunning Adelaide Hills, a region renowned for its fine wines, picturesque villages, and natural beauty. Here, you’ll find nice restaurants, charming cellar doors, and delightful art 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 lovely Longview Vineyard, nestled near the nice country town of Macclesfield. The estate features cellar doors for wine tasting and an excellent restaurant, making it a perfect retreat.

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.

We had a wonderful time at Longview Vineyard, strolling through the vines while listening to the lovely birds and admiring the magnificent flowers. We also explored the beautiful region by car. 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 staff are incredibly helpful, ensuring we have everything we need, including food and enough wine.

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

During four days, we had the large vineyard to ourselves and just wandered around the amazing property.

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, we received wonderful news—the lockdown had been lifted earlier than expected, allowing us to resume our travels. We 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.

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.

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.

At over 710 metres above sea level, Mount Lofty Summit in the Adelaide Hills offers breathtaking panoramic views of Adelaide’s city skyline and coastline.

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