This makes it an ideal starting point for a wide variety of nature tours, as well as offering many attractions of its own as well.
Residential Places in Adelaide
Adelaide has attracted a steady influx of visitors over the years, many of whom are drawn to the laid-back atmosphere and easy access to a wide range of cultural and leisure spots in the city, which range from pristine beaches and rolling hills, to charming cafes and fine museums.
Living in the heart of the city puts you right in the middle of the action, although apartment rental prices will obviously be a little bit higher. Recent ads for a one-bedroom apartment in North Terrace and a similar apartment in Frome Street for example, listed prices at AUS$400 a week. For this price, you can expect the construction to be top notch and the views excellent. The North Terrace apartment even offered amenities such as an indoor heated pool, a spa, sauna, a steam room, plunge pool and a gym.
In contrast, a townhouse over at King William Street was recently listed at AUS$360 per week, and it comes with 2 bedrooms, a double garage and a balcony.
Hospitals and Universities of Adelaide
The Royal Adelaide Hospital or RAH is the first hospital to be built in Adelaide, having been founded in 1840. It is still around to this day and is one of the major hospitals in the city, as well as serving as the teaching hospital of the University of Adelaide. There are two other RAH branches in the suburbs that specialize in specific health care services: the Glenside Campus Mental Health Service and the Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre in Northfield.
In addition there are three other large hospitals in the city, namely: The Women’s and Children’s Hospital on King William Road in North Adelaide, which has a total of 305 beds, the Flinders Medical Centre in Bedford Park, which has 500 beds, and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woodville, which has 340 beds.
In June 2007, the government announced plans to build a new 800-bed hospital that will take the place of the Royal Adelaide Hospital.
Known all over the world as a ‘City of Education’, Adelaide has a proud history of educational excellence as evidenced by the many public and private schools in the city. Adelaide has one of the highest numbers of schools that offer International Baccalaureate Diploma Programmes in the country, and three of South Australia’s universities can be found here. These are: The University of Adelaide, The University of South Australia and The Heinz School Australia.
Commercial Places in Adelaide
Adelaide’s Mediterranean-style climate, with its characteristic hot and dry summers, is ideally suited to that particularly Mediterranean pastime: al fresco wining and dining. You will notice that there is an almost European air to the city, and the great importance that the local residents place on enjoying their food and wine–outdoors more often than not–does nothing to dispel the comparison.
Shopping is an equally rewarding pastime in Adelaide, with the Norwood district offering some particularly interesting gems. Magill Road–with its dazzling array of antique shops–and The Parade–a vibrant strip full of cafés and pubs and bookshops–are certainly worth a look, but save some cash for the Orange Lane Market. Held every Saturday and Sunday, you can browse through a wide selection of books, knick-knacks and new and used clothes here and you’ll be sure to walk away with something uniquely memorable for very little money.
If you have a bit–or a lot!–more money to spend, check out Unley Road for even more antique shops and a wealth of elegant boutiques that tend towards the upper end of the price scale.
Service Establishments of Adelaide
Different companies are responsible for providing each particular aspect of the gas and electricity supply services in Adelaide. Generation of electricity is handled by TRUenergy, while the transmission of electricity from the generators to the distribution network is handled by ElectraNet SA. ETSA Utilities (which was previously a government-owned company before being privatized in the 90s) is tasked with distributing electricity from transmission companies to end users, while gas and electricity retail services are handled by AGL.
A lot of effort has been made in the reinforcement and maintenance of existing electricity supply network in recent years, in order to ensure a continuous and stable supply.
The majority of the city’s electricity supply comes from a gas-powered plant at Torrens Island, which is operated by TRUenergy. Some of it is provided by power stations at Port Augusta and Pelican Point and by various connections to the national grid, and there is also a small amount provided by wind turbines located on Sellicks Hill. The city is currently assessing the further viability of wind-derived energy with the installation of more turbines on certain city buildings.
The government-owned company, SA Water is primarily responsible for supplying water throughout the entire city. It draws this supply from the reservoirs Happy Valley, Mount Bold, Millbrook, Myponga, South Para Reservoir, Little Para and Hope Valley. Increased water demand in recent years has necessitated the pumping of additional water from the River Murray.
