Postcards from Adelaide Day 1

Good Morning Everyone,
Today we begin the "Postcards from..." series.  As  I explore each of the state capital cities in Australia I will share my adventures with you in this series.  Without further Adieu, let's get started at the very beginning.

Day One

Flew from direct from Brisbane to Adelaide (on Qantas Economy).   I was surprised at how difficult it was to find a direct flight. A two and a half hour flight went by quickly with the aid of a light breakfast (included in my ticket price) and a good magazine. After landing in Adelaide it was quick and easy to pick up my suitcase and walk out to the bus stop.  The only problem, I was expecting the bus stop to be bigger or more obvious or something.  Bear in mind this was public transport, not a shuttle, I was dropped off just across the road from my hotel.  The bus route (J1) stops at the airport then heads in to the city and does a circuit stopping at the nearest bus stops to most of the major hotels.  Adelaide public transport (especially around the city) is excellent and certainly designed to accommodate tourists.  The bus driver was very helpful.

Arriving at my hotel, Mansions on Pulteney (follow this link then click on Mansions to see this specific hotel), I was too early for my room so they stored my luggage for me while I went exploring.  :)

Mansions on Pulteney, 21 Pulteney St, Adelaide, Australia. 

My hotel (booked through bookings.com), is situated at one end of the Rundle Mall (the first shopping precinct of it's kind in Australia).  It's not as big as Queen St Mall in Brisbane and I suspect Melbourne could rival it easily, but it's certainly big enough and is surrounded by plenty of dining, shopping and entertainment venues, so it's worth a visit.  I wandered down the mall, listening to local buskers, taking photos of sculptures and artwork and window shopping.  Check out the famous Pigs of Rundle Mall and the Rundle Mall Fountain. 

The Rundle Mall Pigs are even listed on Trip Advisor as a Must Do in Adelaide!

Rundle Mall Fountain - matches the architecture of Adelaide Arcade (that runs off one side of the mall).

A stop off at Rundle Mall's Dymocks store to buy some new reading material then a walk through Adelaide Arcade was also in order.  The stop at Dymocks took a little while as there were two floors of books to review before settling on the two books I bought.  In Adelaide Arcade, I just had to visit "Adelaide Hatters"... I could just imagine Alice in Wonderland taking tea with the owner.  I tried on a few of the beautiful (and very expensive) hats.  No photos to share though.  I stocked up on a few postcards and stamps in the Arcade too.

I just got my bearings on Day One and when I was finally admitted to my serviced apartment I was ready for a nap.  The Rundle Mall has a Coles and a Woolworths as well as many food vendors, but today I visited Woolworths and stocked up on pre-prepared meals and some basics so I didn't need to eat out for every meal.  On Day Two, I bought more food when I visited the Central Markets.

While I said earlier that the public transport is great, it took me a while to work it all out.  On my last day in Adelaide I was still waiting at the wrong bus stop and putting my ticket in the machine the wrong way around.  Thankfully, the bus drivers were happy to help out and even picked me up at an unscheduled stop!  Locals offered to help me use the ticket machines too!

Despite the fact that Adelaide is home to more than 1.2 million people, it has a small town feel to it and I loved my daily walks (although some felt a bit long).   

On Day Two (next week)  I visited the Central Markets in the morning then spent the afternoon on a bus tour to Hahndorf. Tune in to hear all about it.