Youth experiences - South Australia
Adelaide is a haven for youth and adventure travel, with contrasting landscapes and activities easily accessible from the capital.
Get close to the untouched wilderness and wildlife on Kangaroo Island and hike the multi-day Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail. Head four hours north to the outback and camp in the ancient vastness of the Flinders Ranges.
South Australia offers quad biking, sand boarding, hiking, skydiving, swimming with wild aquatic animals, and cage diving with great white sharks – the only place in Australia where this exhilarating experience takes place.
Adelaide, South Australia is the ultimate adventure playground.
Destination Highlights
Adelaide Oval RoofClimb, South Australia
Adelaide is a city that surprises and delights its visitors. It is unpretentious, elegantly relaxed; a vibrant mix of food, art and happy locals.
Through the warmer months (September – April) the city is alive with alfresco dining, festivals and street parties. ‘Mad March’ brings the city’s creativity to the fore with arts festivals, world music, food festivals and the Adeliade 500 V8 motor race.
Adelaide is the gateway to the four major wine regions, all within a two hour drive. Off the southern coast of the State lies the famed Kangaroo Island, naturally pristine and teeming with Australian animals. North of Adelaide are the vast rocky landscapes of the ancient Flinders Ranges.
Highlights
- Cage dive with great white sharks for the ultimate adrenaline rush, the only place in Australia where this is possible
- Get a bird’s eye view of Adelaide on the Adelaide Oval RoofClimb
- Experience the real Australia in an outback pub and have a beer with the locals
- Get to know the friendly aquatic locals and swim with wild sea lions and dolphins
- Stay in an underground hotel carved out of the rock in Coober Pedy
Accommodation
Prairie Hotel, Flinders Ranges & Outback, South Australia
Adelaide, South Australia has adventurous travellers covered with a wide array of accommodation options across the State. From trendy youth hostels to campsites, outback station stays to cool, hip hotels, South Australia is well equipped for the modern young traveller.
Stay in the outback, by the beach, near the river, in the lush hills, or in the city.
Highlights
- The compact Majestic Minima Hotel in North Adelaide is a modern hotel, in just 14m2. No artwork hung on the walls here – the walls are the artwork, all originally created by local South Australian artists
- For an outback experience with a difference, try a station stay in the rugged Flinders Ranges, and experience what life on the land is really like
- South Australia has some amazing backpacker accommodation like Paringa Backpackers Resort - Murray River, Port Elliot YHA on the Fleurieu Peninsula and Port Lincoln YHA - Eyre Peninsula.
Local Immersion
The Market Shed on Holland, Adelaide, South Australia
Live like an Adelaidean. Indulge in quality, locally made food, wine, beer and spirits; sit on the beach enjoying the warm Mediterranean climate; spend time with friends and enjoy a relaxed life.
Adelaide has a boutique feel, which means it’s more like a home away from home. The person who sells the wine is likely the winemaker; the person who serves the food may well have grown the vegetables.
Local pride in Adelaide can be felt in the vibrancy of the city, where visitors are welcomed with open arms and a warm smile.
Highlights
- Visit the Adelaide Central Market, the largest undercover fresh food market in the southern hemisphere
- Join the fun and get a fix of the arts during ‘Mad March’ in Adelaide
- Swim with a pod of wild dolphins at the city beach of Glenelg, just 20 minutes from the city centre and ideal for swimming, shopping and al fresco dining
- Cycle the Riesling Trail in the picturesque Clare Valley, two hours north of Adelaide
Nightlife
Pink Moon Saloon, Adelaide, South Australia
The small bar business is booming in Adelaide. Venues with a max capacity of 120 patrons are springing up around the city, revitalising previously empty buildings and laneways. They’re pouring South Australian craft beer, wine, and locally distilled gin, and others still are specialising in cocktails or whiskey, complete with nibbles and bar snacks.
The warm Mediterranean climate of Adelaide draws people out in their thousands, spilling on to footpaths for dining, drinking and socialising.
Highlights
- Peel St and Leigh St laneways, for small bars specialising in a variety of themes and cuisines
- Beer tasting at the only microbrewery within the city limits, and enjoy some of the brewhouse fare with a Portuguese twist
- A charming Adelaide traditional pub scene, complete with beer garden, local brews on tap and hearty Australian pub food
Useful Links
Destination Highlights
Accommodation
Local Immersion
Nightlife
