Day 15 Australia - Wilpena Pound to Adelaide

Sunday 8th March, 2015 - Wilpena Pound to Adelaide

We get on the road by 7:30 and just pick up some coffees when checking out.

Approx 430 km / 5.25 hrs


No one is on the road as we start out.

The moon is right up there!

What are you looking at?

All of a sudden, out of the blue, a kangaroo appeared beside the car, ready to cross the road. John braked and I think both us and the kangaroo got such a shock that he ran beside us for a bit and then took off.

The drive seems endless and we make a wrong turn in Port Augusta that requires us to backtrack. We are keeping our eye on the clock as we are supposed to drop the car off by 2 PM, which seems a little odd on a Saturday afternoon.

We pass many of these salt lakes. Natural freshwater lakes in Australia are rare due to the general absence of glacial and tectonic activity in Australia.

Depart early this morning for Adelaide. Drive through Clare Valley Wine Region and drop your
car off before 2:00PM when the car depot closes.

We get into Adelaide around 1 as traffic is terrible, it is Saturday afternoon and finally find the Hertz based on the address we were given,  125 North Terrace, there is a sign saying the drop off is up and around the corner.
By the time we get around to there, Morphett is one way the wrong way, we were too late. The guys were there but they wouldn't take the car.

We decided to keep the car until Tuesday when we are supposed to pick up a smaller car anyway.


Adelaide, the Festival City, is widely regarded as the best planned city in Australia. Since the construction in 1970 of a magnificent arts complex on the banks of the Torrens River, Adelaide has been the proud host of a biennial cultural festival that is known throughout the world.

Miller Apartments
16 Hindley Street,
Adelaide SA 5000
Duration: 3 nights


Miller Apartments Adelaide is an award winning property consisting of one, two and three
bedroom fully self-contained apartments and is superbly located in the heart of the city. Friendly,
impeccable service is coupled with spacious, contemporary apartments to create a pleasurable
I wait for Room Type: 1 Bedroom Deluxe Apartment

There is absolutely no parking outside the hotel, the police station is almost next door, so I ran in to check us in and find out about parking, no problem, just $20 a day. I step out and wait for \john to come back around the block and direct him to the parking down another lane, rather tight quarters but we're in.

Adelaide is hosting the world cricket and the tennis Davies Cup so hotels are scare. We have a one bedroom apartment.

We are hungry now and just want to relax. We crossed King William and are on Rundle Mall, and the Adelaide Fringe Festival is on so it is crowded and full of great free performing acts from all over the world. Australia’s first pedestrian street mall with shops and restaurants, and many Adelaidean icons to behold.

The Gothic building which stands on the corner, built in 1896, boasts a beehive turret with a golden bee sitting atop it and the name Beehive Corner embossed in gold. It’s now home to Haigh’s Chocolates, another South Australia icon.

A 19th century fountain, restored in vivid Victorian colors, gurgled and spouted.

Isn't this amazing! So cute and there are several other little piggie statues around. Known as the mall's pigs, the comical bronze statues of pigs raiding a trash bin is entitled “A Day Out” by Marguerite Derricourt. Further investigation indicated their names are Horatio,Truffles, Augusta and at the bin, Oliver.

 After a bite at McDonald's, we were starving as it is now gone 3 PM and we can't find or agree on a place. Fortified we go exploring.


The National War Memorial is a monument commemorating those who served in the First World War. Opened in 1931, the memorial is located on the corner of North Terrace and Kintore Avenue, in the heart of the central business district and adjacent to the grounds of Government House. Memorial services are held at the site throughout the year, with major services on both Anzac Day (25 April) and Remembrance Day (11 November).
Anzac is a new topic to us, and we are learning more and more about the Australians and WW II along with Gallipoli which has it's 100th anniversary this year.

Parliament House.

It's been a rather stressful day so we head back to the apartment and pick up Subway for dinner. We have a very early start tomorrow morning with pick up at 6:20 AM.