Discover Adelaide

South Australia's capital is a city that's mastered the art of living well – and wants you in on the secret. Adelaide's calendar is packed with festivals, races, gourmet weekends and cultural celebrations that add flavour to your itinerary no matter when you visit. As one of the world's Great Wine Capitals and the gateway to all 18 of South Australia's wine regions, this is a city utterly devoted to things that taste incredible and spark joy.

Adelaide's appeal doesn't stop at the city limits. Within an hour or two, you can safari alongside lions and giraffes, blend your own wine in McLaren Vale or board a ferry to Kangaroo Island for wildlife encounters and pristine beaches.

About our flights to Adelaide

Air New Zealand offers non-stop flights between Auckland and Adelaide, with connections available from all our domestic airports. There are direct flights from Christchurch to Adelaide from October to May. Flights take about 4.5 hours. You can choose the way you fly on all our flights to Australia.

Five absolutely Adelaide experiences

1. Blend your own wine at d'Arenberg Cube

Forty-five minutes from Adelaide sits a five-storey Rubik's Cube-inspired building that's as bold as the wines inside it. The d'Arenberg Cube in McLaren Vale is a winery lab where you can become a winemaker for the day. Join a blending session and create your own shiraz or grenache blend. Take home a bottle with your own custom label.

2. Discover global sounds at WOMADelaide

Every autumn, Adelaide's Botanic Park transforms into a four-day celebration of music, art and culture. WOMADelaide brings together musicians, artists, dancers and storytellers from across the globe. Watch Senegalese drummers, Indian classical dancers and Nordic folk bands all in one afternoon.

3. Wander through Mount Gambier's secret garden

Deep beneath Mount Gambier lies Umpherston Sinkhole, a sunken garden so beautiful it doesn't quite seem real. This natural wonder was a limestone cave until its roof collapsed thousands of years ago. In 1886, James Umpherston converted it into a lush underground oasis where ferns, hydrangeas and towering trees thrive.

4. Safari in the southern hemisphere

Just over an hour from Adelaide, Monarto Safari Park is the largest open-range safari park outside of Africa. Lions, cheetahs, rhinos, giraffes and zebras roam across 1,500 hectares of open savannah. Hop on a safari bus tour or walk the elevated boardwalks for giraffe-level views.

5. Sandboard down Little Sahara

On Kangaroo Island lies Little Sahara – a landlocked desert of golden sand dunes that seems wildly out of place on this wildlife-rich island. Grab a sandboard and launch yourself down the silky slopes. The dunes can reach heights of 70 metres, offering surprisingly good speed and soft landings for the whole family.

Adelaide is compact, confident and full of character – a city where everything feels refreshingly close, but never rushed.

A stroll from the CBD brings you to the Art Gallery of South Australia, the South Australian Museum and the tranquil Adelaide Botanic Gardens. Right next door, the National Wine Centre showcases hundreds of wines from across the state and around Australia.

Adelaide Central Market (open Tuesday to Saturday) is where the city's food obsession comes alive. Wander the stalls for barista-made coffee, European deli counters, warm pastries and produce picked that morning.

For dining with atmosphere, head to Rundle Street East, where restaurants spill onto footpaths and the energy shifts from day to night seamlessly.

Hop on a tram to Glenelg and you'll soon be strolling barefoot along the sand, watching the sun glint off the water. Jetty Road's cafes and beachside bars are perfect for post-walk refreshments or pop up to Soda Rooftop for a cool drink to watch the sun set.

In the heart of the city, Rundle Mall was Australia's first pedestrian shopping precinct. Today its 700-plus stores are accessorised by heritage buildings and amusing public sculptures. For dining with atmosphere, head to Rundle Street East or Gouger Street, where restaurants spill onto the footpaths.

Road trips around South Australia

After a few days getting to know Adelaide, it's time to rent a car to discover why South Australians are so enthusiastic about their backyard.

For a day trip, head to Mount Lofty for panoramic views and wildlife encounters. Then wind down to Hahndorf, Australia's oldest surviving German settlement.

Ready for something more substantial? The Epicurean Way delivers a delicious road trip through McLaren Vale, Adelaide Hills, Barossa and Clare Valley, where cellar doors and acclaimed restaurants are ready to wow you with taste sensations. More about food and wine.

For a longer road trip, discover the joys of the Southern Ocean Drive – a coastal route that strings together quaint fishing villages, historic towns and the Coonawarra Wine Region. See a one-week itinerary for touring South Australia.

Murray River cruising

Adelaide is the perfect launch point for a Murray River experience. Australia's longest river is continuously navigable for nearly 2,000 kilometres, so there's a lot to explore.

You can drift along on river cruises, captain your own houseboat, paddle peacefully in a canoe or simply drive from charming river town to river town. If your main aim is to unwind, a cruise on the historic paddle steamer Murray River Princess is ideal. If you want an on-foot adventure, the four-day Murray River Trails walk is one of the Great Walks of Australia. Dive deeper into the Murray River.

Hop on over to Kangaroo Island

Yes, there are kangaroos on Kangaroo Island – but that's just the beginning. This wildlife wonderland is home to a large population of koalas, as well as plenty of echidnas, wallabies, bandicoots and possums.

The island doesn't stop at marsupials. You'll cross paths with laughing kookaburras, black cockatoos, Cape Barren geese, wedge-tailed eagles and cute little fairy wrens. At Seal Bay Conservation Park, you can observe a colony of endangered Australian sea lions.

As well as wildlife, there's the island itself to discover. At Flinders Chase National Park you can check out Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch, where wind and waves have carved otherworldly formations. For a hiking challenge, take on the Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail – 73 kilometres of spectacular scenery.

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