Adelaide Transportation

Considering that Adelaide is the capital of South Australia, I had expected a bustling metropolis packed with businessmen in suits rushing back and forth between meetings, and I was almost planning on moving on as soon as I got here. It just goes to prove that you should never jump to conclusions. I like Adelaide. I like it a lot. If it can be possible for a big city to retain the charm of small town Australia, Adelaide seems to be having a pretty good try - the day to day business seems to be hidden away behind the scenes where it's out of sight and mind, while the streets remain relaxed and, well, Australian. Everywhere I went as I wandered, I saw fountains with people sitting around on deckchairs listening to music playing in nearby bandstands, colourful markets full of equally colourful traders, or street entertainers striding about on stilts. It is also incredibly easy to find your way around as the city is built on the grid system familiar in Australia and North America, making it very hard to get lost. Trams trundle up and down taking people from place to place, the pedestrian malls are cobbled and full of atmosphere, and the Torrens River runs right through the city with both banks covered in parkland and wide grassy verges where people sit eating picnics and soaking up the sun. In fact, one of the things which sets Adelaide apart from other cities is the sheer amount of green space. And of course, Adelaide is home to the Australian Oval where they routinely practice thrashing us at Cricket. In other cities around the world, it almost seems as though there's a competition going on to see who can build the biggest skyscraper or the largest office block - and if anything inconvenient such as a tree should get in the way, then they just pull it up and pretend it never existed. In Adelaide, it's obvious from the moment you arrive that the buildings are secondary features and are built around a beautiful city of parks, gardens and rivers - how rare it is to see the environment being considered as part of the future. My guide book describes Adelaide as a city of wonders and possibilities, a city of art and festivals, and it's now obvious to me why people have been heading here from all over the country in the last few days for the national cycling event - the city is criss-crossed with cycling and walking trails running through the parklands and along the river, and it's a pleasure to get around by leg power rather than petrol. The reason for Adelaide's apparent wish to stick two fingers up at the accepted way of designing a city harks back to it's inception and design by William Light in 1836 as a River Town of public spaces, wide boulevards and surrounded by parkland - a place inspired by the then unusual concept of civil liberties, where people could relax and worship freely within the "City of Churches". Unbelievably, this wasn't initially a very popular idea - but thankfully Light went ahead anyway, people came around and not much has changed in Adelaide over the years. Neither is there any sign that anybody feels a need to start expanding all over the surrounding green belt as many cities have done in recent years.

You can read my full travel journals at http://www.offexploring.com/globalwanderer and http://www.offexploring.com/globalwanderer2

HOT HOT HOT in this city! Gateway to the amazing Australian outback!!!

Getting TO/AROUND: The only tram line still operating in Adelaide is the Glenelg Tram which runs from Moseley Square in Glenelg to the Adelaide CBD.
This route goes back to 1873 and it still operates on weekends and holidays.

Read more: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/827ac/1c9ff4/9/#ixzz1KIsWRNt8