What to do in Adelaide?

Aussie201

Hi all!

Just arrived in Adelaide last week, staying in a short term apartment in the city until I can find a nice spot to rent out. Anybody know of any good areas I should look at? Trying to get work on construction sites operating machinery however my son will be going to college so he'll need to be near enough to the city.
Also, any good pubs about the place? Went to a place called PJ O'Briens lastnight, far from an Irish pub! Looking for a place where one can sit down and enjoy the banter.

susy

Hey!

Welcome to Adelaide! There are tonnes of good things to do - I definitely recommend getting up into the hills and going to the wineries - McLaren Vale, Barossa, Clare Valley. PJ O'Briens is a pretty horrifying place, I live really near there and it always seems messy, and not even a lot of Irish folk tend to drink there.

The Wheatsheaf is a pretty good spot but it's not in the city. The Exeter on Rundle Street is a favourite of mine but not to everyone's style.

What kind of stuff do you like doing and I'll try make more suggestions! It's a great spot to live in, not a whole load going on for tourists but I like it here.

Aussie201

Hi Susy!

Glad to hear that I'm not the only one turned off PJ's! Will definitely check out those places you listed, even if I have to catch a taxi I will. Walking around the city, randomly, street by street trying to find good places to eat or to have a pint is hard work.
I Wouldn't really have a list of things what I like doing. I'd do pretty much anything that would keep me busy, that's what I like. Maybe taking guided tours of the city, any good shopping centres to window shop, any good cinema's. Even a place to meet new people like a social club or something similar.

Anything you think might be fun let me kno, I'm open to trying everything!

susy

Right oh - broad brushstrokes so... wandering the streets of adelaide can get quite boring in certain spots.

I love the Palace Nova cinema on Rundle Street - it's got a lovely mix of arty and blockbuster stuff. Get a memebership - you'll see what I mean cost wise if you check it out but it makes so much sense! Wandering through the old Adelaide arcade is nice - I've spent too many hours in the board game shop there!

Have you been to Central Market yet? It's amazing for all your foodie needs, lovely mix of cafes and stalls. The yogurt shop is lovely, as is Lucia's Italian stuff in general. It takes a while to get to find your way around but well worth the time.

The Botanic Gardens are super. East Terrace Continental (next door to PJ's) is a great breakfast all day spot. Walk / cycle along the Torrens river. Hop on a bus out to Port Adelaide and try spot dolphins - there's a boat trip you can take (but I havent yet) thats pretty cheap like $5 ish. Museums are good - the South Australia museum, Art gallery and Immigration museum are all on North Terrace and are free.

I don't know shopping centres really well - I've heard good stuff about the one in Marion (also Marion aquatic centre) but I don't drive so stay around the city mostly.

If you're going further afield there are great public buses to bits of the hills - you can get to Mount Lofty (look out point) & Cleland Wildlife Park (pricey but good for your fix of Aussies animals), Hahndorf (a strangely attempting to be German style town) with some lovely bakeries and pubs.

Pubs for pints - I struggle here because I've spent so much time between the Belgian beer cafe (friends choice) and the Exeter (more my style) but the Grace Emily is a good spot too.

Um, ok that's all I can think of right now! I've not tried any social club kind of spots... but I'll try find something in my head!!

seipeal1

susy wrote: »

Right oh - broad brushstrokes so... wandering the streets of adelaide can get quite boring in certain spots.

I love the Palace Nova cinema on Rundle Street - it's got a lovely mix of arty and blockbuster stuff. Get a memebership - you'll see what I mean cost wise if you check it out but it makes so much sense! Wandering through the old Adelaide arcade is nice - I've spent too many hours in the board game shop there!

Have you been to Central Market yet? It's amazing for all your foodie needs, lovely mix of cafes and stalls. The yogurt shop is lovely, as is Lucia's Italian stuff in general. It takes a while to get to find your way around but well worth the time.

The Botanic Gardens are super. East Terrace Continental (next door to PJ's) is a great breakfast all day spot. Walk / cycle along the Torrens river. Hop on a bus out to Port Adelaide and try spot dolphins - there's a boat trip you can take (but I havent yet) thats pretty cheap like $5 ish. Museums are good - the South Australia museum, Art gallery and Immigration museum are all on North Terrace and are free.

I don't know shopping centres really well - I've heard good stuff about the one in Marion (also Marion aquatic centre) but I don't drive so stay around the city mostly.

If you're going further afield there are great public buses to bits of the hills - you can get to Mount Lofty (look out point) & Cleland Wildlife Park (pricey but good for your fix of Aussies animals), Hahndorf (a strangely attempting to be German style town) with some lovely bakeries and pubs.

Pubs for pints - I struggle here because I've spent so much time between the Belgian beer cafe (friends choice) and the Exeter (more my style) but the Grace Emily is a good spot too.

Um, ok that's all I can think of right now! I've not tried any social club kind of spots... but I'll try find something in my head!!

Aussie201,


Great to see Suzy really trying to get to know Adelaide. There is quiet an underground Irish presence here in Adelaide. We live in the Eastern Suburbs but quiet a few Irish in the Northern, Southern and beach suburbs. Adelaide Irish Connect on Facebook is a good meeting point if you are into that.
I agree lots to do and see, especially for families. We close down for a few months this time of year but as you will get to know, come September, happy days!!!
Good city, be patient with it. It is not like Ireland but if you take the time to get to know it, I think you will like it. We do and have no regrets.

Mick

woolymammoth

Aussie201 wrote: »

Glad to hear that I'm not the only one turned off PJ's!

lol! understatement of the year so far..

welcome to Adelaide btw, also known to the locals as the largest country town in the world! You would think that, in that case, good pubs wouldn't be so hard to come by. Problem is, gambling! Not that i'm against it, but i am against pokie machines in pubs. I'm told that pubs are required to re-invest a percentage of the pokie profits back into the pub. Hence, lots of the pubs here are sh!t and shiny.

Anyway to get back on topic, there's more to adelaide than the cbd, but it's not always easy without a car. The wine regions are great, and you can spend a whole day touring just one of them. Places like hahndorf are good to see, but it's a tourist trap, and once is usually enough. Cleland is good, and i've been up the mount lofty trail more than a few times. If you like hikes, get yourself up there early.

I can't comment on a lot of pubs because i'm a bit more settled these days! But there are some in North Adelaide (the lion, the o'connell). there are a few placed in the city that are OK, most of them down rundle street. I tend to spend an occasional friday night in the Wakefield hotel after work :pac: The more late night craic will tend to happen down Hindley street, keep your wits about you there. Where there's pubs, there's never any cafes places for food too far away. IF you get a chance, pop into the Pancake Kitchen. Go out to Glenelg. The central markets are good, china town right beside.

There's pretty much nothing on the south side of the CBD util you get to the Unley area. There's more shops and cafes down King Willian road and Unley road. Around the city there's Mitcham (east south-east), Norwood (north-east). Much further out is Tea tree plaza to the north east, Marrion to the south west, west lakes to the north west. Marrion is the biggest shopping center in the city.

When you're anywhere, you kinda have to think out of the ordinary for entertainment. Get into the tourism shop on Grenfell street, beside the CityCross food courts. City council have bikes for hire i think. You can go kyaking on the port river and see dolphins and all that. Take the bus on a day trip to victor harbour. I'm clearly just babbling at this stage, but like seipeal1 says, there are irish about, you just have to seek them out. I'm not that proactive about it and I've met maybe one or two of my fellow countrymen & women in the last few years! Maybe pop in the irish club on carrington street!

regarding the renting, there's lots of areas that are good. have a look on domain.com.au Where are you studying?

Adelaide Irish Club

Hi - Contact the Adelaide Irish Club ~ we are open Monday nights & Friday nights and most Sundays with live music and entertainment and also have special events throughout the year. Great place to meet other Irish (and non-Irish) people in a comfortable environment....and we have the best pints in town!

Check out our facebook sites for regular updates on what's happening:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shamrocks-n-Shenanigans-Irish-Club-Acoustic-Sessions/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/sendtoiaa/