About South Australia
Founded as a planned free settler colony with no convicts, South Australia has always been a bit different from the rest of Australia, with the capital Adelaide offering a genteel feel and cultural depth reflected in events like the WOM Adelaide World Music Festival – indeed South Australia is called the Festival State as it boasts so many arts events going on year round.
Many top attractions are within a couple of hours of Adelaide, like the Barossa Valley wineries and their German heritage, Victoria Harbour and Kangaroo Island for a magnificent wildlife experience including seals and koalas, and the mighty Murray River for a taste of how the heart of Australia was opened up by paddle steamer.
Yet 60% of the state is desert, and to seriously explore some of it 4WD tours are the way to go – visit the underground opal mining town of Coober Pedy full of amazing characters, the Flinders Ranges, Simpson Desert, Lake Eyre and more.
Or do it luxury on the Ghan train up to Alice Springs and Darwin.