2009 World Cruise – Adelaide is the capital of South Australia.  The city was founded in 1836 and designed  by Colonel William Light.  It was a planned city set out in a grid pattern with many parks and green spaces.  Silver was discovered in 1841 and mines popped up all over the state.  During the economic downturn that hit Australia in the  1890’s Adelaide was spared by its silver and lead.  It is now a notable wine country and agricultural area.  After the two World War’s the government enticed industries like General Motors and Chrysler to utilize the no-longer-needed wartime manufacturing plants.  Today Adelaide is also home to 70% of Australia’s defense technology and industries.

The city had organized free shuttles that ran from the port into town every 30 minutes until 7:15 pm.  We had a tour that took us on a drive around interesting parts of the city and out to the Bicentennial Conservatory at the Adelaide Botanic Gardens.  St. Peter’s Cathedral

Our guide at the conservatory was told we were running late so only had a half hour before we needed to be on our way to the South Australia Museum for the second part of our tour.  I think she did her talk so often she didn’t know how to change it.  She was unable to walk and talk and she stopped at every tree and bush for 5-10 minutes.  I wandered off and looked around the conservatory on my own.                                                      Fish Poison Tree.

                                                                                                      Bottlebrush

By the time we got out of there and to the museum we were very short of time and could only give a cursory look at a few of the aboriginal displays.

At the back of the South Australia Museum was The Migrant Museum.  I wish we had been able to go through it; there would have been interesting stories.

We returned to the ship, had a quick lunch and caught the shuttle into town.  We walked around the main blocks, through Victoria Square and onto the University of Adelaide campus. St. Francis Xavier’s Cathedral.

John was really hoping a fireman would walk by so he could talk shop, but despite lingering for a photo and checking out a firetruck parked at the curb, no one appeared.

We discovered this interesting child’s park.  Very creative climbing apparatus. Hindmarsh Square Playground.

Goodman Court on University of Adelaide campus.

Despite the somewhat disappointing tour we enjoyed our day in Adelaide.  The final port-of-call in Australia, after three days at sea, was Freemantle; the port city near Perth in Western Australia.