Adelaide (pop. 1 million) has a major advantage over the other state capitals in that it has Outback, vineyards, wetlands, animal sanctuaries, a major river, and mountain ranges virtually on its doorstep. Meals and lodgings are cheaper in Adelaide than in Sydney or Melbourne. If you plan to travel outside the city, a trip to one of the winegrowing areas has to be on your itinerary. Of all the wine areas, the Barossa Valley is the most interesting. Centered on Tanunda, the Barossa is known for its German architecture as well as its dozens of pretty hamlets, fine restaurants, and vineyards offering cellar-door tastings.
If you want to see animals instead of, or in addition to, grapes, you're in luck. You're likely to come across the odd kangaroo or wallaby near the main settlements, especially at dusk, or you could visit one of the area's wildlife reserves. Otherwise, head into the Outback or over to Kangaroo Island, without a doubt the best place in Australia to see concentrated numbers of native animals in the wild.
Another place well worth visiting is the craggy Flinders Ranges, some 460km (285 miles) north of Adelaide. Though the scenery along the way is mostly unattractive grazing properties devoid of trees, the Flinders Ranges offer an incredible landscape of multicolored rocks, rough-and-ready characters, and even camel treks in the semidesert. On the other side of the mountains, the real Outback starts.
The South Australian Outback is serenely beautiful, with giant skies, red earth, little water, and wildflowers after the rains. Out here you'll find bizarre opal-mining towns, such as Coober Pedy, where summer temperatures can reach 122°F (50°C) and where most people live underground to escape the heat.
If you prefer your landscape with more moisture, head to the Coorong, a water-bird sanctuary rivaled only by Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory.
