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Australia is more than Sydney or Melbourne though that's the image that comes to the mind initially. There is much more to it. Adelaide, the capital of the state of South Australia, is pleasant surprise. In fact, Adelaide has been voted as one of the most liveable cities in the island continent and is a centre for cultural activities. Finding your way about Adelaide is quite easy as it is laid out on a square-mile grid of wide streets and lined with gracious Victorian and Edwardian buildings and ample parklands. Designed by Colonel William Light in 1837, the effect is that of an unhurried pace. One has to remember though that South Australia is younger than many of the other states and did not start as a convict colony but as a freely-settled British province. The local people are very proud of this fact. Before the Europeans arrived, the Adelaide plains and the surrounding hills were inhabited by the Kaurna people of Australian aborigine natives. Adelaide's Australian Aboriginal Cultures Gallery is an ideal place to get introduced to their rich culture and history. For museum lovers, there are other interesting ones like the Migration Museum, National Motor Museum, National Rail Museum, etc. For cricket aficionados, which most Indians naturally are, Adelaide has two great attractions: the pretty Oval cricket ground which has tours with guides who have the anecdotes and statistics on their fingertips. Then there is the Don Bradman Museum which has an interesting collection of memorabilia on the legendary cricketer. It also has the bat that was used when he scored his 100th century- against India! It was during India's 1947-48 tour, one of the first by the newly independent country. The Adelaide Hills that circle the city were called Yurridla by the Kaurnas. Today, a trip to the Adelaide Hills takes you back at least two centuries where old German settlements like Hahndorf nestle serenely. Started in 1840, it is Australia's oldest surviving German settlement. This part of Australia has a thriving German origin community. Most of them were Lutherans and religious persecution made them flee from Prussia, the old German empire in the 19th century. They evolved their own little Germany here with German language schools, churches etc. Today, the place has been preserved under the state's heritage route. At the Hahndorf Inn restaurant the ambience tells the story of those pioneer days. The giant mugs of beer and hearty German-style meals add to the atmosphere. Outside on the street, boutique stalls sell memorabilia with German overtones. The Adelaide Hills hosts another heritage listed complex, the Melba's Chocolate & Confectionery Factory. This place is renowned for its chocolates and confectionery produced by using old-fashioned methods and with the same old machines. Wander through the old-style production rooms, take the opportunity to taste the delicious chocolates and load up on purchases to take back home. Adelaide, the chocolate capital of Australia, also has famous products from Haigh's confectioners. The original retail store, established in 1915 in Adelaide's historic Beehive Corner is today a landmark spot with the famous bee motif perched atop the building. There is even a free 20-minute visitors' tour to find out about the history of the company as well as getting to know how bitter cocoa beans are turned into delicious chocolates. It is rounded up by a complimentary chocolate, tea and coffee. When we talk about food, a visit to the Central Market, operating since 1869, is a must, just to experience its mind-boggling variety. It is South Australia's biggest food mart with some 550 outlets offering local land produce as well as imported items like French cheese, Belgian chocolate etc. It is a veritable treasure trove if you are interested in gastronomic delights, walking around tasting cheese, biscuits and cakes before deciding on the purchase. As for confectionary some favourite buys for locals are Chocolate Crackles, Fruchocs, Kool Mint Rocky Road, to name a few. As you know, follow the locals for authentic taste! There are also Indian shops here selling food, DVDs of popular Bollywood and Tamil films, Moroccan shops with spices and special coffee. At authentic tea rooms, a bewildering variety of the brews from across the world invite you to perk up. As for restaurants, you can hop into a variety of options. One can have organic pizza as at the Good Life Organic Pizza restaurant with everything organically produced to or Indian restaurants like Beyond India where dosas, lassi and kebabs vie for attention. Adelaide also has day-out options like a wine tour at the famed Barossa Valley, just an hour away where wine tasting and buying straight from the cellar make for great outing. You can hire a car and drive down to the Barossa Valley or there are group tours organised by tour operators. Wildlife lovers can visit the Cleland Wildlife Park set in natural bushland where you will have kangaroos literally eating out of your hands; or you can hug a koala and pose for photographs. If you want more, the Kangaroo Island is half an hour flight away from Adelaide, where you can have a date with sea lions, seals etc. in their natural habitat. With its pristine beaches and forest trails and aborigine legends, the island is worth a visit. As I said earlier Adelaide is a little secret that awaits discovery.
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Dal moments
