GOURMET

ADELAIDE- FESTIVALS, WINERIES AND AN ISLAND OF FOOD

Ocean Road Magazine

// July 31, 2021

WORDS: Kylie Mitchell-Smith @travellingsenorita PHOTOGRAPHY 📸IHG, Kylie Mitchell-Smith, IG credit 📸 @lucypartingtonphotography

There’s something about Adelaide that feels authentic, steeped in history and at the same time contemporary.

The festival state is well known for ‘Mad March’ the month of fringe, music and comedy festivals-but you can visit Adelaide anytime of the year for fresh food and local wine.

There is a plethora of wine regions to choose from, from the Riverland to Barossa Valley to McLaren Vale. We choose to stopover at McLaren Vale on our way down to Kangaroo Island.

Destination ‘Battle of Bosworth’ to taste their organic ‘Spring Seeds’ collection. The long winding treelined driveway leads to a stunning vista that overlooks the flourishing vineyards and rustic cellar door.

The winery has been certified organic for over twenty years and can rival any modern natural product on the market. The spring seeds collection pays homage to the Australian bush with a light European style-ideal for the educated wine palette.

Wine tasted and ready to go we head an hour south to Delawere (the last town on the mainland) ahead of our daytrip to Kangaroo Island the next morning.

Delawere, perched on the hills of the Fleurieu Peninsula is known for its livestock farms, arid landscape, lavender fields and towering gum trees-it’s as serene as it is spectacular.

Rising early to a brisk South Australian morning, we catch the catamaran to Kangaroo Island, in less than an hour we are in the hire car and heading for the hills and dramatic coastline that makes up this stunning island.

We stop off at honey ice-cream farms, gin distilleries, organic wineries and pop-up street food vans along the way. The destination prides itself on being ‘Authentically Kangaroo Island’ preserving the environment and living locally off the land.

Stocked up with Kangaroo Island fare we head back to Adelaide just in time for the opening of WOMAD (world of music and dance). One of the first festivals to bounce back after the global pandemic, we catch a line-up of Australian talent-headlined by the dynamic one woman show Tash Sultana.

A night spent dancing in our seats, in pods of 500 people with the hospitality South Australia is renowned for-local wine, fresh food and friendly staff.

We opt to stay at the newly opened Hotel Indigo adjacent to the Adelaide Markets and China Town, just a short walk to the CBD. The hotel has all the right touch points from ambience to service to the freshest home-made pasta bar in town.

The acclaimed Sofitel recently opened in the heart of the city, the hotel is the first 5 star international hotel in Adelaide and has historical charm with a modern whimsical twist.

There’s a collective pride to Adelaide, known as the city of churches- dig a little deeper and you’ll find fringe festivals, thriving wine districts, open farm gates and a friendliness that welcomes you at each destination.