10 Things I Plan To Do in Adelaide After the Pandemic

Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the routine of the day-to-day. We get blinders on – focused on work and chores around the house – and forget to pay attention to the interesting things there are to do where we live. Until something, like, say a pandemic, forces you out of your routine and reminds you about all of those interesting little activities you wanted to do on a weekend.

Hubby and I have been working from home and practicing social distancing for six weeks now, and while we are finally getting some small home renovation projects done, I find myself looking out the window with more and more longing. Being stuck at home because of the coronavirus pandemic has certainly been a good reminder to not take my weekends and location for granted. When we come out the other side of this unusual time, I plan to see and do some of the things around Adelaide that are currently filed in the “I’ll get to that some day” folder. Ten of those things are below.

Museums

1) South Australian Museum

The South Australian Museum is one of the most visited in Australia and its regular collections house over four million specimens and cultural items.  It is home to the largest and most comprehensive collection of Australian Aboriginal cultural material in the world. The collections also include a polar collection, biological sciences, mineral sciences, a paleontology collection, and a library of books that dates back to 1898.

• Location: North Terrace, Adelaide
• Entry: free

2) Art Gallery of South Australia

The Art Gallery of South Australia is home to the oldest fine arts society in Australia, and today has one of the largest collections in the country with more than 45,000 works of art from around the world.

• Location: North Terrace, Adelaide
• Entry: free

3) The Migration Museum

Unlike the rest of Australia, South Australia was settled by free settlers, not convicts. The Migration Museum tells the stories of SA’s settlers through to modern migrants and celebrates the cultural diversity of South Australian. The building itself dates back to 1878.

Outdoor Physical Activities

4) TreeClimb

TreeClimb is located in the City of Adelaide’s Park Lands and is “Australia’s first inner-city aerial adventure park”. It is a bit of an adventure and physical activity, with eight elevated tree-top courses and zip lines. The courses are made up of obstacles, such as climbing walls or rope bridges, to get between platforms.

• Location: Kurangga Park (Park 20), Adelaide. At the corner of Greenhill and Unley Roads
• Cost: $39 per adult for 2 hours

5) Adelaide Oval RoofClimb

The Adelaide Oval is considered one of the most picturesque sporting grounds in the world. It was redeveloped in 2014 to expand the stadium.  You can now walk across the roof of the Western Stand and the Riverbank Platform. The RoofClimb includes 360 degree views of the surrounding Park Lands and Adelaide, as well as the world’s first rooftop stadium seats.

• Location: War Memorial Drive, North Adelaide
• Cost: Adult prices start at $109

6) Kayak on the Onkaparinga River

I feel like this activity would be better in warmer weather, but not at the peak of summer. It’s one I’ve been thinking about for years. The Onkaparinga River is south of the city and empties into the ocean at South Port Beach. The beach there looks fantastic and is hidden around a large dune.

• Location: The Onkaparinga River Recreation Park is between Port Noarlunga and Port Noarlunga South.
• Cost: If you have your own kayak then it’s free. If you need to rent one, the nearest place is Easy Kayaks in Port Noarlunga. Prices start at $25 for the first hour.

7) Stand Up Paddle (SUP)

I have been thinking about this one for years! It just never seems to happen; I’m always too busy during the summer or don’t think about it on a calm day. While I would prefer to wait until the weather warms up again, we do see dolphins from the beach in the winter so it would be nice to get a bit closer. SUP strikes me as something that is probably harder than it looks.

• Location: Stand Up Paddle SA hires out SUP boards at Seacliff Beach, year round. Henley Beach, Wednesday – Sunday during school holidays.
• Cost: from $35 per hour

Outdoor Activities

8) The Adelaide Zoo

The Adelaide Zoo is located in the Adelaide Park Lands between the River Torrens and the Botanic Garden. It is Australia’s second-oldest zoo. The Zoo is home to 2,500 animals and 250 species of exotic and native animals, including Australasia’s only breeding pair of Giant Pandas.

• Location: From Road, near the River Torrens
• Cost: $38 per adult

9) Walking Tour

I’d love to learn a bit more history about the buildings and parks I walk past on a daily basis. I have a strong feeling there are heaps of interesting stories there on a deeper look.  There are several tours to choose from with a range of free, tips-based tours and paid ones.  A few include:

• Flamboyance Tours
• Yella Umbrella Walking Tours
• Adelaide Haunted Horizons (for ghost tour options)

Indoor Activity

10) Room Escape

These are rooms where you get locked in for one hour. There are clues throughout the room that will help you escape. It sounds like a fun group activity with a small selection of friends. I keep picturing Dan Brown’s symbologist, Robert Langdon!

There are four in Adelaide to choose from:

• Escape Hunt Adelaide
  • Location: Rundle Mall, Adelaide
  • Cost: From $32 per person
• Adventure Rooms Adelaide
  • Location: Rundle Mall, Adelaide
  • Cost: From $28 per person
• Mindshift Escape Rooms Adelaide
  • Location: Pulteney Street, Adelaide
  • Cost: From $29 per person
• Escaplex Escape Rooms Adelaide
  • Location: North East Road, Klemzig
  • Cost: From $30 per person

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Since first publishing this post in April 2020, I have been able to do some of the activities on this list. The activities I’ve completed so far are: