Things to Do & Must-See Attractions in South Australia

When most people think of chocolate they think European. Belgium, Switzerland—these are nations known for creating smooth and creamy pure cocoa treats. But Aussies know some of the most decadent chocolate pleasures are made at their very own Haigh’s Chocolates. Since 1915 this fourth generation, family owned company has been churning out candies that are worth the trip. From classic dark chocolates to new salted caramels, travelers can find a taste of Australia at one of the company’s 14 retail stores across the country—including six in Adelaide.

Stroll, jog or find yourself a grassy patch to read a book in the splendid, city-fringe Adelaide Botanic Garden, established in the 1850s. Highlights here include a unique prefabricated palm house (1877), the Museum of Economic Botany (check out its stencilled ceiling), and the 1988 Bicentennial Conservatory, which recreates a tropical rainforest environment.

Comprising the Botanic Gardens of Adelaide are two other sites: the Mount Lofty Botanic Garden and Wittunga Botanic Garden. Mount Lofty is less than half an hour from the city centre and has plants which thrive in cooler climates than those of the plains below. Wittunga in the Adelaide Hills was once the private Garden of Edwin Ashby and has been open to the public since 1975. It is a popular place for picnics.

It took 65 years for this building to be erected, but despite major delays it’s a stately structure Aussies are seriously proud of. Daily tours provide access to Chambers and the chance to view historic documents, like the Magna Carta, up close and in person. Permanent exhibits on women in government and an impressive art collection—including one of the world’s largest tapestries and an outdoor sculpture garden—make this a cultural destination for visitors locally and aboard.

Present-day Australia is a country based on immigration. This fascinating and unmissable museum tells the stories of the migrants who came from all over the world to make South Australia their home - where did they come from, why, and how did they get here? There's information on over 100 nationalities in their database, along with poignant personal stories displayed to full effect including some hands-on displays.

Paying respect to the indigenous people of the country, there are also displays of Pre-European Australia and the impact that immigration has had on Indigenous people. Through its education service, the museum actively works to teach about cultural diversity and tolerance.

Remember the days of buying your fresh fruit and vegetables direct from the people who grow it? The thrill of bargaining, and buying according to what's in season, with a recommendation of what's best tasting at the moment and how you should eat it? You can still experience that at Adelaide Central Market.

For 140 years this market in the heart of the city has been providing residents with fresh produce. Over 80 stalls selling direct from the producers, include fruit and vegetables, meats and seafood, bakeries, cheeses, small goods and plants and flowers. There are cafes to rest in with a coffee or snack after an invigorating session of bargaining.

Victoria Square is actually a rectangle—a cheeky point of geometric contention amongst the locals who sprawl on its grass. Every day, particularly around lunchtime, you can find office workers enjoying an outdoor lunch on a shaded table or bench, or families playing with young children around the famous three-spouted fountain.

More than just a public square, however, Victoria Square is where the Adelaide community gathers for outdoor events. Enjoy outdoor yoga classes and community vegetable gardens or evening concerts in the park, and since the square is within walking distance of notable sights such as the teeming Central Market, it’s always a flurry of pedestrian activity and is unbeatable for its energy and people watching. Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the ground where the modern day square is built was a traditional Aboriginal gathering place, and cultural groups still assemble today to partake in ceremony and song.

Australia is known for its excellent wine and South Australia has always been at the heart of this thriving industry. But how do all those grapes you see growing as you drive by end up in your glass and tasting so delicious? The National Wine Center of Australia aims to explain that. In an impressive architecturally-designed building overlooking the Botanic Gardens, you can take the Wine Discovery Experience and have an interactive lesson in wine-making. Don't know your Shiraz from your Merlot? There are courses in wine appreciation: impress your friends with your knowledge of grape varieties and wine styles.

If just enjoying the stuff with good food is more your style, head for the Concourse Cafe and taste and purchase the wines you try with your meal. After, stroll through the center's own vineyard and appreciate just what a high tech business wine-making has become.

This museum, with its huge whale skeleton in the front window, is one of Adelaide's landmarks. The enthralling exhibits showcase Australia's natural history and include a gallery devoted to Antarctic explorer Sir Douglas Mawson (with expedition footage). The absorbing Aboriginal Cultures Gallery displays artifacts of the region's Ngarrindjeri people.

Six floors of exhibits range from the focus on Australian and Pacific collections all the way through to the popular Ancient Egyptian room. There is a major fossil collection including perhaps the oldest piece found at 550 million years old. You can bring your own finds in for identification at the Discovery Center and visit the Information Center to find out more about Australia's Indigenous cultural heritage.

Some 400,000 customers flock to this shopping Mecca every week—including 85% of Adelaide’s international travelers. With 700 retailers it’s no surprise. Make a stop at the Adelaide Visitors Information Center, where friendly staff and a library of brochures offer up advice on what to do, where to go and what not to miss in the area. Next walk through Adelaide and Gays Arcade, where beautiful skylights line the ceiling. Retailers here were the first in the country to have electric lights, and locals believe six ghosts live in the arcade, including a caretaker who fell to his death repairing the generator that powered the lights.

Around 1,800 exotic and native mammals, birds, reptiles and fish reside at the 8-hectare Adelaide Zoo, comprising 300 species. Major attractions include the Southeast Asian rainforest exhibit, Immersion, a walkthrough jungle environment where tigers and orangatuns feel within reach. Also the giant pandas Wang Wang and Funi!

Opened in 1883, it is Australia's second-oldest zoo and the only not-for-pro fit zoo in the country. Many of the structures are National Trust registered although these, such as the elephant house, these days are used for educational exhibits while the animals have moved to more natural environments. There is a Children's Zoo where you can pet animals including kangaroos and koalas, and the Envirodome, an education/interactive center.