What to do in Adelaide as Air New Zealand adds extra capacity to route

Wednesday, 26 June 2024

Adelaide is a humming city with great art and exciting food.

Kiwi travellers now have more opportunities to experience the artisan food, renowned wine and rugged natural beauty of South Australia.

Air New Zealand is adding a fifth non-stop service from Auckland to Adelaide commencing October 28.

Due to strong demand the airline will now have a flight to the South Australian capital on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday.

Air New Zealand chief customer and sales officer Leanne Geraghty said South Australia has long been an attractive travel destination for New Zealanders and the route has been consistently popular.

South Australian Tourism Commission regional manager for New Zealand Stacey Kerr said that “while food and wine regions such as the Barossa are a key driver of travel for Kiwis, it’s the diverse landscapes like the Murray River and Kangaroo Island that are found so close to Adelaide that keep them returning.”

“In places like the Flinders Ranges, the winter months bring clear, crisp skies, making it ideal for stargazing. It’s also a brilliant time to experience the wildlife – from swimming with sealions on the Eyre Peninsula to ‘breakfast with the kangaroos’ in Barossa,” Kerr said.

Meanwhile Air New Zealand’s seasonal service to the Sunshine Coast resumes today, and earlier this month the airline announced it will fly to Bali year-round, rather than as a seasonal service only. Qantas has also announced its Perth to Paris service, returning after 20 years.

The Pie Floater. Green pea soup served with a meat pie and good old T sauce.

If the news of more flights has inspired you to head to Adelaide, here are some things to do.

Try a pie floater

Winter Reds Festival at Cobb’s Hill Estate in Adelaide Hills

This one is certainly unique. Native to South Australia, a pie floater is a meat pie inverted in pea soup with tomato sauce on top. It was first sold by pie cart vendors in the 1800s and was recognised by the National Trust of Australia as a 'South Australian Heritage Icon' in 2003. Nowadays it is often elevated into a more upmarket experience at various pubs.

Visit the Adelaide Central Market

Native and Indigenous produce is on offer from the stall, Something Wild, such as green ants and karkalla – also known as pigface and beach banana, – a succulent that goes well with fish or in salads. The market even has a free audio walking tour which takes you through the more than 150 years of history and hear insights from renowned foodies and chefs. It will take you passed the oldest camera shop in the state and Lucia's Pizza Bar, one of the oldest pizzerias in Australia. See: adelaidecentralmarket.com.au

Street Art on the Eco Caddy tour in Adelaide.

Sample the wine

There are 680 wineries in South Australia, so you are bound to find something you like.

Renowned wine and food regions like Barossa, Clare Valley, Adelaide Hills and McLaren Vale are within an hour and a half's drive from the city.

The Adelaide Hills’ annual Winter Reds Festival in July, has some of the wine region’s best pinot noir to highly-regarded syrah on show. Or try a lesser-known variety such as gamay, nebbiolo, tempranillo and cabernet franc. See: adelaidehillswine.com.au

Do a street art tour

It’s not just Melbourne that has colourful laneways and streets. In the city’s mission to increase public art, bold murals adorn brick walls, apartment buildings, shop fronts and garage roller doors. EcoCaddy takes you on a tour while riding in an electric pedal-powered rickshaw. See: ecocaddy.com.au

Hit up one of the city’s festivals

Every winter, Illuminate Adelaide entices people into the streets as 40 installations light up across the city. In 2024 it’s on from July 4-21. Adelaide also hosts WOMAD, a cabaret festival and a film festival, among others. You could check out the Ceduna Oysterfest on October 5-6, 2024.

There is of course the Adelaide Festival of Arts and Adelaide Fringe, which is the world's second-largest annual arts festival after Edinburgh Fringe. See: experienceadelaide.com.au

Getting there: Air New Zealand flies non-stop from Auckland to Adelaide four, soon to be five, days a week.

Carbon footprint: Flying generates carbon emissions. To reduce your impact, consider other ways of travelling, amalgamate your trips, and when you need to fly, consider offsetting emissions.