Be A Tourist In Your Own Town

Art Gallery of South Australia

Yesterday’s post [April In Adelaide] listing some of the major events taking place in and near Adelaide during April, may seem like a strange choice for a blog which has readers from all over the world. However, one of the things I am determined to do, now that I am back in Australia, is to be a tourist in my own home town.

Having recently returned from an eight month journey that took in New York City, New Orleans, Paris, Phnom Penh and other exotic locations, it would be a mistake on my part to think that dear Adelaide with its million or so people, has nothing of interest to offer a well travelled wanderer. Of course, that is simply nonsense, so over the course of my current stay here, I am going to make sure that Adelaide features a lot more prominently in this blog.

The month of March in Adelaide is festival month, and sadly I missed out on several major events I would normally try and attend if I were here. Three in particular have a long history and huge followings. These are the Adelaide Fringe, the Big Pond Adelaide Film Festival, and WOMADelaide. Add to these the Clipsal 500 Super 8 car race, the Come Out Festival and other events, and it is clear that for its size and location, Adelaide packs quite a lot of partying into its relatively small size.

April has its own rewards, but major events are not the only thing capturing the eyes and the attention of Adelaideans. Every day, somewhere across the city, smaller, more intimate events take place in museums, galleries, wineries, in small Adelaide hills towns, and elsewhere. I plan to build visits to some of these locations into my life here. For example, both the South Australian Museum and the South Australian Art Gallery offer free tours and talks throughout the year, and I will make sure I take the time to participate in some of these, and write about the experience here.

While it is good to dream and plan for your own overseas travels, I urge you to be a tourist in your own town from time to time. You will almost certainly be surprised and delighted by some of the things you discover there.