Here in South Australia, we’ve just passed the Winter Solstice. The days are rainy and cold and there are still two months of winter ahead of us, but at least we’re at the point in the year where the days will become longer again as we slowly creep towards spring.
I’ve spent the first month of winter bundled up indoors, enjoying all sorts of cosy things – catching up on reading, spending evenings at friend’s houses, generally staying indoors as much as possible. But now I feel that pull to go out and explore the beautiful region where I live (while being COVID safe, of course), taking advantage of the crisp days of winter sun to explore outside, and turning rainy days into inside days by venturing out to museums, galleries, and restaurants with real wood-burning fireplaces.
So what should I do? Here’s what I’m currently thinking:
Experience Illuminate Adelaide
Illuminate Adelaide, the newest addition to Adelaide’s festival diary, will run for just over two weeks from 16th July to 1st August. This winter I’m most looking forward to going to see ‘Light Cycles’, which will light up the Adelaide Botanic Gardens at the end of next month. We’ve already got our tickets booked, and I’m hoping it will be something as surreal and magical as ‘Borealis’ was at this year’s Fringe Festival.
Visit Ayers House while I still can
Ayers House, is a stately home on North Terrace, which has been managed by the National Trust of South Australia for the past 40 years. However, the government is looking to end the National Trust’s lease on the property. It’s unclear to me whether the house will be kept open to the public as it is now, so I want to have one last chance to wander through its lovely rooms.
Do a museum crawl
There are so many museums in Adelaide’s CBD that I haven’t stepped foot in for a long time: the Art Galley of South Australia, the SA Museum, the Migration Museum, all of which I’d like to return to to see how they’ve changed. In addition, there are many others which I haven’t had the opportunity to visit before – the Jam Factory, MOD, Tandanya to name a few – that I’d also like to visit, especially on grey rainy days when the best place to be is inside!
Hike to local waterfalls
The good thing about rainy days? They provide the main ingredient for spectacular waterfalls! We have a few near the city that I’d like to head out to when the weather plays nice: Waterfall Gully, and the First, Second and Third Falls in Morialta Conservation Park.
Take a tour of a chocolate factory
I can’t remember for how many years my friends and I have said that one day we would do a tour of the Haigh’s Chocolate factory, based right here in Adelaide. In addition to doing that, I also plan on taking a drive through the Adelaide Hills and picking up some chocolate honeycomb from Melba’s Chocolates on the way – yum!
Go whale watching on the Fleurieu Pensisula
Winter is the best time to see whales off the South Australian coast as they migrate to the warmer waters. I’ll need to plan a day trip down to Victor Harbor to see if I can spot one or two.
Do a self-guided walking tour of Adelaide
I recently discovered there are several self-guided walking tours you can do around the streets of Adelaide. From discovering the history of the magnificent old mansions which line the streets of the East End and North Adelaide, to following art trails through the laneways of Adelaide, I’m looking forward to discovering more about the city I call home.
What’s on your bucket list for the next three months? Share it in the comments!