Australia and New Zealand.

Your guide to Adelaide.

One of Australia’s best-kept secrets, Adelaide, is a beautiful, well-planned city nestled between fine sand beaches and hillside villages. Ringed by sweeping foothills, the city is one of culture and sophistication with a surprisingly European feel. A thriving art, theater and food scene is giving Adelaide renewed kudos while annual events, like Adelaide Fringe, attract world-class entertainers to the city. The square mile is easy to explore, but Adelaide’s countryside rewards those who venture north, east and south. Savor the scenery, match vintages in the verdant Barossa Valley, admire native animals at the Cleland Wildlife Park or discover historic Hahndorf.

Exploring.

Adelaide is ideal for exploring on foot, with plenty of public transport should your legs get weary. Anyone wishing to enrich their knowledge of Adelaide should seek out North Terrace. Here you will find the Art Gallery of South Australia, South Australian Museum and Migration Museum. If you are horticulturally inclined, the 50-acre Adelaide Botanic Garden is sure to inspire. Should seeing wildlife appeal, Adelaide Zoo offers rare and endangered species, including squirrel monkeys, giant pandas and hippos. If you prefer to observe animals within their natural habitat, a boat tour to The Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary is highly recommended. Roughly 30 native bottlenose dolphins live here year-round, while a further 300 frequent throughout the year.

Eating and drinking.

Adelaide boasts hundreds of restaurants and almost every type of cuisine is catered for. When hunger strikes head to Central Market, an undercover food market that has been a culinary staple in the city since 1869. Offering everything from fresh oysters to tangy cheeses, the 80 stalls are a smorgasbord of taste and color with many artisanal products available to take-away. Alternatively, seek out pedestrianized Leigh Street, one of Adelaide’s growing number of laneways. Leigh Street is one of the best and you will find many an Adelaidean eating in the multicultural bars and cafes that line this staunchly independent area.

Shopping.

There is no shortage of shops in Adelaide. From designer labels, to high street brands and small boutiques, the city has it all. Rundle Mall is the city’s main shopping street, offering a blend of department stores, independents and heritage arcades. The attractive, pedestrian precinct is lined with late 19^th century architecture to admire as you duck between the various shops on offer. Nearby Rundle Street is less busy and the place to head for local designers and trendier labels while the Southern side of Adelaide is where you will come across the city’s most exclusive boutiques and higher-end brands.

Beyond Adelaide.

The popular beachside suburb of Glenelg (around 15 minutes by tram) offers a sand beach, replica HMS Buffalo and the Old Gum Tree, where settlement was proclaimed in 1836. Hahndorf, 15 miles from Adelaide, is a small German-founded town with a number of buildings built in German village style. South of Adelaide, Cleland Wildlife Park, is the place to see wombats, emus, Koalas and kangaroos. Of course, no visit to Adelaide would be complete without sampling at least one of the city’s award-winning wines. Adelaide is home to some 200 wineries within an hour’s drive, producing everything from fresh Sauvignon Blanc to fruity Shiraz.

Akaroa means “long harbor” in Maori, and the town certainly lives up to its name. Overlooked by a dormant volcano on its thin peninsula, the sheltered Akaroa is a popular resort with stunning views.

In a nation where stunning scenery is a given, this water wonderland, “City of Sails”, sparkles in the sunlight, surrounded by more than 48 extinct volcanoes in wild mountainous scenery. A natural joy.

Albany is a small city on the southern corner of Western Australia. Once a whaling town, it’s today known for its beautiful beaches, coastal granite formations, nearby wineries and majestic forest.

North of Auckland, along the narrow Northland peninsula, lies a shady “cathedral” of some of the world’s largest trees. These hulking specimens stand up to 170 feet tall, and are over 1,200 years old.

The capital of Queensland is a wonder. The Brisbane River meanders through the heart of the city, past the elegant Georgian buildings of native sandstone and their neighboring towers of sleek glass.