Adelaide is the forgotten city of Australia, that ranks well below our other capitals in the thoughts of the world, or indeed most Australians. It barely ever rates a mention in East Coast news. It's image is of a sleepy, slightly boring town, hence the 'Radelaide' tag. It's a city of around 1million people set in one of the driest parts of Australia, isolated from the rest of the country, the closest capital city being at least 1000km away. Its seems to hold on to its pride in being the first non-convict settled history; a fact that the rest of the country has long since forgotten (or cared about).
Hence, I've never had any desire, or reason, to travel to Adelaide, until a short work-related trip last year. I was quite surprised to find myself warming to the place; it has a lot to offer, and in comparison to Brisbane has a couple of pretty cool things:
a) a beach about 15 min drive from the city centre
b) great old style pubs that haven't been 'modernised' or 'stainless steeled'
c) no traffic - a massive bonus
d) a wealth of old buildings that seem to have escaped being swallowed up by grey, box-like70's highrises so prevalent in other capital cities
e) flatness - no hills to climb (if you've seen the one I have to walk up every morning, you'll understand my enthusiasm for this
f) a vastly superior local beer (I'll take a coopers over a XXXX any day)
Whilst the lack of hustle and bustle was sometimes disconcerting, I think on some level it reminded me of the Brisbane of my childhood when shops were shut on Sundays and everyone was home in bed by 9pm, including weekends. Okay, so maybe that still happens in Brisbane. People find time to stop and have a chat and greet you, which can take a while to adjust to; I've become accustomed to the 'chip on the shoulder' standard of service that seems the norm in Brisbane. So maybe I'm being a bit nostalgic, and the charm would quickly wear off I had to live there.
So what are your thoughts on Radelaide? Love or hate?
A few photos taken in the streets around our little cottage, at the Adelaide markets and in Glenelg.
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