I had the need to head into the centre of Adelaide city yesterday as an item I required could only be purchased in a store exclusively located in the city. I don't go there much despite living under 15 minutes away from the city; In fact I avoid it when possible as the crowds, noise and hustle and bustle tend to agitate me. Still today I had no choice. I was flying solo and decided, considering the nice sort of day the weather presented, to take a walk on my way in.
I drove in and parked on the northern city fringe down by the zoo thinking a walk along the banks of the Torrens River would be a nice way to make my way into the CBD. The central business district of Adelaide is surrounded by parklands and the river winds its way on the the north and west boundary of the city before heading out to sea. It's not a big river like the Brisbane River although is the only one we have so we make the best use of it that we can.
This is a view from the northern side of the Torrens River, the Adelaide Oval side, looking back towards the Adelaide Convention Centre. You can see the foot bridge which links the city to the oval which is a world-class sporting facility including restaurants and function rooms also. The Memorial Drive tennis facility sits just beside the oval. The second image was taken beneath the footbridge which you can see in the upper right of shot.
The two images below were taken along my walk beside the river. Part of the Torrens River is developed in that it has moorings, formal concrete banks, fountains, architecture and other man-made things. Some of the banks have been left natural though. The river attracts a lot of birds, ducks and pelicans mainly although there's many other's I don't know the names for. It also attracts a lot of people; Bike riding, running, roller-blading, picnics and paddleboats are some of the preferred activities. There's even a pontoon boat people can hire that has a BBQ in the middle. Groups can cruise up and down having a floating picnic!
Here's a couple more images. The first shows the waterfall that flows over the end-point of the footbridge. The image doesn't really do it justice and it looks a little more impressive in person. The second shows the Adelaide University footbridge and the north and south banks of the river. You can see the north bank (to the right) is undeveloped riverbank. In the second image you can see the white roof-structures of the Adelaide Oval...You'll need keen eyes though.
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Moving on and up into the city itself I was pleased to see very little traffic. It was early on a Sunday though so not too surprising. This image shows the intersection of King William Road and North Terrace which marks the northern edge of the grid that makes up the CBD. You can see the network of tracks and overhead power lines, the infrastructure that keeps the trams moving. To the left the old building is Parliament House and directly behind me is the Government House complex, walled and gated off of course.
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Walking east on North Terrace brings you to the State Library, Art Gallery, Museum and Adelaide University buildings, all quite old. It's a wide boulevard and tree-lined with very old trees. You can see they are still emerging from their winter nakedness however within a few weeks North Terrace will be a lovely tree-lined and shaded Adelaide street! The second image shows one of the may fountains along the Terrace.
These images were taken in the Mall (Rundle Mall) which forms the cities premier CBD shopping precinct. The Mall has undergone some recent improvements however one of the most iconic features can be seen in the first image. The Malls Balls which is an architecture piece by Bert Flugelman. The 4 metre tall sculpture erected in 1977 is one of the most recognised places to meet when catching up with some mates in the Mall. The words, "meet you at the balls" has been uttered by many South Australian and tourists alike.
My retail business concluded I headed out of the city and back to my car. It was a nice day, about 20 degrees and obviously clear as you can tell, so the walk was really nice. On the way back I stopped off at the War Memorial which sits on North Terrace. This is where I go every year on the 25th of April (ANZAC Day) for the Dawn Service to remember those who paid the ultimate price in the wars Australia has fought in. Thousands of people turn out for the 6am service to remember them.
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These last two images were taken looking south towards the CBD. The ANZAC Memorial Walk is a newly completed pathway leading to the War Memorial at the top on North Terrace. Embedded into the pavement is the name of every theatre of war in which Australian's have been deployed. The second shows one of the place names, Gallipoli, from a campaign in 1915 during the First World War. The black wall has images engraved over it depicting Australian's at war; Airmen, Naval and Army service men and woman from all conflicts.
And so, there's a brief record of my walk yesterday. I enjoy being a tourist in my own town when possible. When I get around for work during the week I rarely have the time to observe what's around me but when I walk around I'm able to take note, to pay attention to the little things. Today was an errand to the city that turned into a really nice three hour walk around the river and city and I feel fortunate to have had the chance.
Adelaide is not a big city, it's not pretentious and boisterous like Sydney and certainly doesn't have gigantic tourist attractions like some of the other Australian cities but it's a nice place to visit. Come on down sometime.