tried hard to change my flight reservations to spend only one morning in
Adelaide, but I just couldn't do it. I met at least 5 people who told me
that I really wouldn't like Adelaide. 'But I've liked everywhere in
Australia, so far' I told them all.
Adelaide is a planned city, probably one of the most organized in the
world, laid out in a perfect grid, one mile on every side. The central focal
point is the attractive Victoria Square, which is lined with impressive
buildings; the general post office, town hall, and the beautiful St. Francis
Xavier Church. Adelaide has been called 'the city of churches', but also
'the green city' because of the number of parks, and 'the festival city'
because the huge Adelaide festival which is held there every two years.
Adelaide is so often bad mouthed because of it's lack of sights. The
Rundle Street mall is a handsome pedestrian area in the northwest corner of
the grid, and to the west becomes Hindley Street, with Casinos and most of
the city's tame nightlife. To the east, Rundle Street is Adelaide's small
Little Italy. The north most city of the grid is known as North Terrace,
where most of it's major buildings are. This includes the old and new
Parliament Houses, the Central Railway Station, the festival grounds, the
State Library and the universities of South Australia and University of
Adelaide, which have attractive campuses. Also on North Terrace is the Art
Gallery of South Australia, which has a pretty good collection, but pails to
the galleries in Victoria and New South Wales, in Melbourne and Sydney
respectively. The Museum of South Australia next door, however, is one of
the most impressive museums I have seen anywhere. It's specialty is
Aboriginal life and artifacts, and also has a great section of animals which
have been stuffed and put on display, as well as a great exhibition on
Douglas Mawson, the preeminent Australian explorer of Antarctica. The
curator of this museum, Tim Flannery has written many good book on
Australian and Pacifica history.
landing in South Australia took place. It is a nice beach resort, but lacked
lots of the charm that St. Kilda outside Melbourne had. I did have a great
meal of fish there.
There were quite
a few things I did not like about Adelaide. First of
all, the social policies of the South Australia almost cater to
alcoholics
and transients. They are given the same benefits as the disabled and you
see
them loitering the streets everywhere. More than one resident of
Adelaide
told me that being and alcoholic or drug addict in this city was a
'career
move', as the benefits were greater for them than the working class in
this
town. This was also the first town when I was harassed for money by a
number
of dodgy looking characters, who were quite angry when I wouldn't give
them
any money.
I had also been informed by my very nice
hostel owner that Adelaide had the best
pace of life of all Australian cities. I definitely did not find this,
and I
thought the people looked and acted hurried and brusque, not having the
time
for conversation that people in all the other cities I've visited have.
Adelaide also had the most aggressive drivers I've seen in Australia,
many
using their horns to hurry pedestrians across at crossings.
Well, I knew I couldn't like everything about Australia, and Adelaide is
one city I didn't like. At the airport on my way out, I passed a booth
giving tourist information for Adelaide. The woman at the booth ignored
me
while I looked at brochures to see if maybe I missed something. Most
just
referred back to the city's many nicknames. She finally acknowledged me
and
asked if I had just arrived, and I told her no, that I was on my way out
of
town, and then I asked why Adelaide has so many nicknames. In a snotty
voice
she said, 'Why not? Why do you have a better one?'
'Sure', I said, 'The city to miss'. For some reason, I don't think she
found that too funny.