South Australia Information

Though Australia’s driest state, Adelaide is also one the most important states for lovers of fine wine and great food. Almost three quarters of South Australia is desert or semi-desert, but the state is also home to some of Australia’s legendary wine producers and it is fast becoming the state of choice for serious foodies.
South Australia is a state of abundance with world famous wine and fruit producing areas such as the Barossa Valley, Coonawarra, Renmark and Berri.

Adelaide produces nearly three-quarters of Australian wines and there is no disputing that the Barossa Valley is Australia’s major wine producing area. Home to 50 or more wineries in a valley that is 30 kilometre long and only 14 km wide, the Barossa Valley was settled by German migrants in the 1880s.
The Barossa Valley is an internationally important wine region, as well as a major tourist attraction.

The Barossa Valley is close to Adelaide and can easily be reached as a day excursion. Many visitors take advantage of the wine tastings provided by most vineyards, as well as dining in the excellent eateries.

Bus tours of the Barossa Valley are a popular way of getting around many of the vineyards without the risk of breaking Australia’s drink/driving laws. Another popular way of seeing the valley is by bicycle and there are several businesses hiring bikes for half-day or day tours.

South Australia’s Riverland region is an important fruit growing region, with crops relying on irrigation sourced from the upper reaches of the Murray River.
Renmark and Berri are towns dependent on fruit growing and they are popular with backpacking visitors keen for seasonal work.  

South Australia has the majority of its residents in the capital city, Adelaide with a population of 1,100,000. The total state population of 1,500,000 makes South Australia the least populous mainland state.

 Adelaide is the fifth largest city in Australia. The state was settled by “free settlers” – a state established without the use of convict labour – and many of the early European settlers were non-conformist religious groups. This led to Adelaide being known as the “City of Churches”.

Adelaide is a coastal city with magnificent beaches and it is a culturally vibrant place. It hosts the Adelaide Festival of the Arts each year, as each year, as each year, as well as the world music and dance festival WOMAD.

For many visitors to Australia, South Australia represents the entry way to the outback. The state is largely desert with the Nullabor Plain situated in the south-west and the Great Victoria Desert to the north.

The magnificent Flinders Ranges are approximately seven hours north of Adelaide, while for the really adventurous, South Australia offers outstanding outback travel to the huge Lake Eyre, or along the Birdsville, Strzelecki or Oodnadatta Tracks. These can all be enjoyed with tours, although anyone travelling on these tracks privately is advised to seek guidance before setting off.

South Australia offers some of Australia’s most attractive scenery including coastal views from the Eyre Peninsula in the west to Mt Gambier in the east, as well as Kangaroo Island, which is rich in history, as well as wildlife.

South Australia is traversed by numerous long distance trains, and the best known are the Indian-Pacific between Sydney and Perth via Adelaide and the Ghan, which travels between Sydney or Melbourne and Alice Springs via Adelaide to Darwin.
South Australia is an important source of minerals, with iron ore mined at Whyalla lead, zinc and silver mined at Broken Hill and Port Pirie home to one of the largest lead smelters in the world.

Towards the north of the state is one of Australia’s main opal mining communities, Coober Pedy.