# Adelaide



## BMitch1027 (Nov 8, 2009)

Hello, I'm thinking about incorporating four days visiting Adelaide into our vacation, then taking the Overland train down to Melbourne. I was wondering though if Adelaide is the best choice versus say Brisbane instead. Would any of you who have spent time in both places offer your thoughts? Is the Overland train a memorable enough experience to use a full day on versus a two hour flight for less money? It seemed like it would be a fun experience if it's somewhat scenic and possibly stopped a few times long enough to get off for a few minutes? Thanks to all who have a moment to respond.


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## johnnymac (Dec 4, 2007)

The trip from Adelaide to melbourne is a lot scenic than doing the Brisbane-Melbourne in my opinion.

Via overland Adelaide - Mel is a scenic experience (other than the very comfortable old school atmosphere), a lot picturesques than the later. pass through adelaide hills, tunnels, farmland, valley, yellow fields , murray bridge, ararat. although tunnels doesnt count.

brisbane - melbourne can be done by countrylink (seats are a lot standard), do the brisbane - sydney - melbourne. On the first 30 minutes its pretty nice going through the brisbane river, outskirts.. then bushland and residential areas..then goes the trip on the hill, valley, farmlands, then more minutes comes the urban of Sydney


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## BMitch1027 (Nov 8, 2009)

Thanks Johnny,

If we decide to visit Adelaide instead of Brisbane, we'll definitely look at taking the train to Melbourne to finish up our trip. I'm excited to see Australia and want to make the most of the time we have there. As far as the cities themselves goes, what's your opinion on spending time in one versus the other?


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## its_a_mini_adventure (Nov 10, 2009)

I never made it to Brisbane but my friend and I had a camper van from Adelaide to Melbourne. And it was fabulous. 

So if you can squeeze an extra few days then i would really suggest renting a car and tent or a camper.

It's so beautiful (although most of Oz can be described as such!) and you can do it all in your own time if you drive. The Great Ocean Road should not be missed. And there's gems such as Mount Gambier too.


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## Wanderer (Jun 16, 2007)

I wouldn't rate the overlander experience as being too scenic, but more nice for the couple of hundred kilometres either end and about half the trip in middle part is open relatively flat and dry farmland.

Much bettter to plain doing a drive if possible and enjoy the Barossa Valley/Adelaide Hills and then coastal route with perhaps a detour to or through the Grampians.
When you do it could also be a big factor as to what kind of weather you're after. 

Brisbane is subtropical and Brisbane to Sydney has some lovely temperate forests and waterfalls with some great country to be experienced in diverting inland, Pacific Highway not really along the coast at all but already a ways inland for the most part.

Make Google Earth your friend to get an idea of different terrain and growths.


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## BMitch1027 (Nov 8, 2009)

Thanks guys,

All of this info helps. It sounds like self directed travel between places with an overnight somewhere may be the way to go.

I get the sense that maybe Adelaide is the place to spend a few days rather than Brisbane? Also with the bonus of the scenic opportunities along the road between them. Brisbane would more likely be a fly-to destination if we went there. 

From what I can tell, Brisbane seems like a good place to visit if you want to hit the beaches there, Gold coast, etc, but I don't see a lot of other things heavily mentioned as attractions in or near around Brisbane. 

Adelaide sounds more laid back with a lot more in the way of local Wineries, although I rarely drink due to headaches. Clipsal will be on around the time we'll be visiting as well which I would guess makes Adelaide a bit more busy and alive than usual. 

The more I learn, the more I feel that driving between places is going to be more and more worthwhile. I don't want to necessarily jump city to city and thereby miss seeing so much more of Australia that could be seen had we driven. 

I would still be very appreciative of any thoughts and opinions as to whether Brisbane or Adelaide may offer more to first time visitors in terms of history and heritage and overall experience. Our group is older (32-62) and without children.

Thanks again,
Brandon


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## Wanderer (Jun 16, 2007)

It's a bit hard re the history/heritage bit for Australia Brandon as we're a relatively youngish country as far as westernised development goes but indigenous life as long if not longer than most countries though you'll not find much of that in cities though some indigenous centres in Melbourne and Sydney, a great museum in the former.

Both Adelaide and Brisbane in being younger cities are a lot more scant on westernised history/heritage than Sydney or Melbourne or even Hobart for that matter and if it was really the h/h you're after you will find more of it in those three, there also being the Port Arthur penal history, a place of much brutality and that was revisited in mid nineties with a massacre of 30+ people by a crazed madman.

There are also quite a few places of historical interest out a bit from Melbourne, Point Nepean and a little unknown early settlers grave on a Sorrento headland and then what would make a very interesting little tour would be to take the ferry across from Sorrento to Queenscliff which is small town as it was developed virtually.
You could head down the Great Ocean Road from there and then inland to Ballarat which is thought of being somewhat of an icon re the culture of Aussie nature, a rebellion of sorts under the Southern Cross at the Goldfields.
Eureka Stockade - Australia's Culture Portal
Ballarat would make a great overnight stop for you as it is one of our older regional cities and probably has a s much if not more history than either Adelaide or Brisbane.
Though it's touristy, Sovereign Hill is done with a historical nature [ a bit like those US history theme parks/battles ] and you can stay right in history - Sovereign Hill - Home and the Dinner show - Blood on the Southern Cross is supposed to be superb.
Ballarat and Bendigo to the north were essentially developed because of Gold and there is still gold mined at Bendigo. A nearby town of Maldon might also interest you - Historic Maldon, Australia - Accommodation, B&B, Cottages, specialist shops, wineries, ... and there are many more villages in the region coined as the Golden Triangle - Finders - Victoria's Famous Golden Triangle

Heading back towards Melbourne you can also find some picturesque if drier country with quite a few wineries in the region about Mt. Macedon and then over the other side of Melbourne you have the Picturesque Yarra Valley, some parts scarred tragically with bushfires about 12 months ago but still much untouched.

Many museums are in the Melbourne CBD and do use the free city circle tram [which actually uses the older style trams for a heritage feel] which does a route about the city perimeter going near much of history including Captain James Cook's [he visited Hawaii too] cottage in the Fitzroy Gardens - it was dismantled stone by stone in England, transported and re-erected.

Sydney likewise has much of history about it's harbour, none more so than the Rocks precinct and if you are after accommodation there with a heritage feel, you can do no better than The Australian Heritage Hotel , right in The Rocks precinct alongside Sydneys famous Coathanger look bridge landmark [ There's a smaller version in NY did you know?] but do ask for a room on opposite side to the bridge or hopefully the traffic counter plate or whatever clacked all night long about 15 years ago is no more - but superb heritage style rooms and great value too.

In your travels, you can do far worse than stay in places with some history, The Seahorse Inn just south of Eden that incorporates a small whaling museum - Seahorse Inn - Boutique Waterfront Hotel, Boydtown Eden or the Surveyor General Inn at Berrima - Welcome to Surveyor General Inn claimed to be Australia's oldest continuously licensed Inn and on what was the original Great Southern Road, much of it hewed out by Convicts.

Other than those cheap relocations, country pubs can create an inexpensive heritage touring theme as many have rooms around the $50 mark and most pubs have great wholesome lunch and dinner meals, Counter Teas, the latter are still often referred to as.
But have a look at Welcome to Gday Pubs | G'day Pubs - Enjoy our Great Australian Pubs and you'll get the idea, Tanswell Hotel in Beechworth Victoria being a prime example of a heritage pub in a heritage town.
Tanswell's Commercial Hotel
You're up in Bushranger and Winery territory that way too.

Anyway, hope that helps to plan a great trip.


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## BMitch1027 (Nov 8, 2009)

Wow! Thanks Wanderer!

I have been going over these links you posted and I'm excited. I'm going to try to work in some of the Blue Mountains Pub Crawl and the Melbourne City one as well. Also the Melbourne Museum. 

The Sydney Heritage Hotel looks good, but mostly sold already for our dates in March. If we drive South from Sydney then I'd definitely like to visit the Surveyors Inn. The Seahorse Inn looks like a very nice place to stay. I think our budget is going to direct us more toward vacation rentals if we can find them. That way maybe we can find something to accommodate all five of us for less than two hotel rooms would run. 

When down Melbourne way, we're definitely going to visit Sovereign Hill and I want to see the Blood on the Southern Cross show if at all possible. Hopefully we'll have at least a full day or two in Ballarat. Also would love to get out to work in some kind of visit to the golden triangle area. My Dad jokes about wanting to walk around and trip over a nugget somewhere.. something I presume to be highly unlikely, and in any event not something he could probably keep anyway.. but still he likes to think about these things. I'm sure having a whiskey and reading about it in one of the local stops will be good enough for him. 

Driving down from Adelaide, I thought maybe we'd spend the first night in Horsham. The next day at Grampians. Then maybe back over towards Mt Gambier if it's worth the little bit of back tracking with the time constraint. Then down along the Great Ocean Road with a couple stops, maybe an overnight in Flagstaff Hill or somewhere around there. Then on and up to either Ballarat or into Melbourne with Ballarat a day or two later. I was trying to figure a way to get out to Broken Hill and Silverton via Silver Hwy (I think it was.. out of Adelaide, over to Mildura then North, which is the long route, but seemed more interesting), but just don't see a good way to incorporate it. 

As I'm looking at all of this, I'm beginning to see that even with a fast paced itinerary, our total trip length is not near enough time to spend and do any single place justice. I'd love to include a distillery somewhere and a brewery as well as a couple of wineries if possible, the others in the group would all enjoy this I think. Of course maybe the pub crawls will suffice for these purposes.. 

At any rate I know we are going to have a very good time seeing your Country and I hope pay her some respect in seeing as much as possible and learning as much as possible along the way...

I thank you all for your continued advice and input.. I hope if anyone is planning to visit Hawaii, I'll be able to offer some useful insights..


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## Wanderer (Jun 16, 2007)

Just remember Brandon that sometimes a better time can be had seeing less better rather than attempting more without time.

March can be brutal weather, a good time to steer clear of Broken Hill as interesting a place as it is [lived there once for several years] for it'll still be rather warm even if a drier heat.
Adelaide likewise will likely be reasonably warm and even Sydney can be quite muggy, the CBD are generating it's own micro climate with so much concrete about and not always benefiting from sea breezes.

If you land in Sydney, coming from Hawaii jetlag will be less than a full trip from US mainland but still a factor and you might want to work in some quieter days for Dad to recharge a bit unless he is one of those super fit types that still enters the Hawaii Iron Man triathlons!

If he stumbles across a nugget, tell him to just shove it in his pocket and not shout Eureka! - that was a cry for a find back in the old days.

If you travel from Sydney to Melbourne via the south coast, when you get to the Latrobe Valley and Gippsland, it's not too long a drive to detour from Traralgon or Moe up to an old gold mining town called Walhalla, great litle place wedged into forested hills and if you buy yourself a gold panning dish [ ask at what we call Army disposals stores, one in Traralgon or camping stores and plenty of those about] and then just before Walhalla there's a bridge over the Thomson River or you can access it in Walhalla and he can try panning for some gold - take a little jar to put any mini nuggets in.

Watch out for snakes though when out in the bush.

If you go in there, a drive out to the Thompson Dam is a great place for a BBQ and a great temperate rain forest walk to a place just called the Bolders [on side of Mt. Erica]
It's like a fairy dell, just a little known and visited spot in middle of nowhere.
http://www.visitvictoria.com/displayobject.cfm/objectid.000E85C5-4F85-1A66-88CD80C476A90318/
Parks Victoria: Walhalla Historic Area page , the Parkweb site being a good one re a lot of parks info too.
Rock Climbing at the Mt Erica, Victoria, Australia


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## BMitch1027 (Nov 8, 2009)

I've spent some time today looking at Wahalla and Gippsland and I think we are going to have to make sure we can visit here as well.. It looks beautiful there.. I also read that the town was without electricity until 1998!

I am glad you commented on the weather in Broken Hill in March. I had not given that serious consideration as I expected March to be similar to September in the US.. still warm, but cooling down and nothing like August. In any case I think the weather settles it for sure and we'll opt not to visit that part of the Country this trip. 

In fact I wonder if maybe we won't have to drop Adelaide as well.. Maybe just drive down from Sydney to Melbourne with some diversions and then up along the Great Ocean Road and on at least to the Grampians. Maybe by that time we'll have realized a good share of travels at that. I need to get to the calendar and try to pencil it out. So much I want to see and so little time! I'm pretty sure I'll have near as much time in research as we'll be spending there, but that should all be time well spent. It's so interesting to read all of these things out there, although it does make it more difficult to choose exactly what we should do..


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