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Coordinates: 34°54′40″S 138°42′26″E / 34.911185°S 138.70735°E / -34.911185; 138.70735

Adelaide Hills South Australia
Looking out over the Mt. Lofty Botanic Gardens lower lake.
Population:	~ 60,000
Established:	Early 1800s
State District:	Kavel, Heysen, Morialta, Schubert
Federal Division:	Mayo, Sturt, Wakefield

A view of the Adeliade Hills from South Terrace Adelaide

The Adelaide Hills are part of the Mount Lofty Ranges, east of the city of Adelaide in the state of South Australia. It is unofficially centred on the largest town in the area, Mount Barker, which has a population of around 9,000 people and which is also one of Australia's fastest growing towns.

History

The Adelaide Hills were amongst the first areas of South Australia to be settled by European settlers. A number of towns in the Hills were started as German settlements; Hahndorf, and Lobethal are two widely known examples. The original town names and architecture still reflect this. Descendants of these first settlers and others of German origin still reside in the area. This explains the strong German cultural connection seen in the number of Lutheran churches, Lutheran schools which often have German on the curriculum, and the number of older residents who still speak German. Some customs have grown, such as the Lobethal Christmas lights which began in the 1950s.

Culture

The Waterfall Gully waterfall in the Adelaide Foothills

For most Adelaide residents, a drive through the hills is a popular pastime, particularly due to the slightly (2-3 degrees) cooler temperatures in summer and lush green and moderate winters. The Mount Lofty area, home to Adelaide's television transmission towers, has a lookout area, restaurant and a fire-spotting tower run by the Country Fire Service. The area receives a light snowfall approximately once every 3-4 years, occasionally enough to stay on the ground for half a day.

The Adelaide hills region is close enough to commute to the city, yet is the gateway to the country, so residents enjoy the best of both worlds - the country community life and the convenience of the city. Desirability of the area has increased, particularly since realignment of the road and construction of the Heysen Tunnels on the South Eastern Freeway improved road access. Rising real estate prices reflect this. The tunnels are named after Sir Hans Heysen, a famous painter located near Hahndorf.

The region is also a premier wine region within Australia and also one of the oldest. The veritable maze of valleys and sub-valleys, with slopes offering every conceivable aspect, means there is as much mesoclimatic variation as one can find anywhere in Australia, making generalisations of wine type very hazardous. The first vines were planted in the Hills in 1839, three years after South Australia was declared a province, a case of that wine was delivered to Queen Victoria in 1844. There are over 50 wineries (2005) within the Hills region which are open most days for tasting and cellar sales.

The Hills region also has many National Parks, including the Cleland Conservation Park with its free roaming kangaroos, wallabies and emus. The park also has enclosed areas for dingos, koalas, native birds & snakes. Many native species of fauna can be encountered within the hills region. Among the more common species include the Kookaburra, Tawny Frogmouth, Southern Brown Bandicoot, Kangaroo, Brown Tree Frog, and Bearded Dragon. Several of the less common species include the Antechinus (Morialta Conservation Park), Heath Monitor (Scott Creek Conservation Park) and the very rare Inland Carpet Python (greater Mt Barker region). Many walking trails, including a portion of the Heysen Trail and bike trails, including the start of the Mawson Trail abound within the Hills.

See also

The Adelaide Hills from Mount Lofty

• List of towns in the Adelaide Hills
• South Australian food and drink
• South Australian wine

External links

• Discover the Hills
• Visit Adelaide Hills,
• Adelaide Hills online, local businesses
• Adelaide Hills Council
• Adelaide Hills Wineries
• Adelaide Hills National Parks
• Cleland Conservation Park

From Wikitravel

Adelaide Hills [1] is in South Australia. An easy 30 minute drive from Adelaide central business district. The highest point is Mount Lofty, 712 metres above sea level.

• Hahndorf
• Stirling
• Mount Barker
• Woodside

Get in

Transitplus [2] operate services around the area, including bus services direct to Adelaide central bus station. The fares and timetables are integrated with the Adelaide services. Google maps operates the trip planner service, and the fares and route details are on the Adelaide Metro site [3].

Get around

The Hills is a challenge to drive around by car, with poor signage, and winding roads where even the locals get lost.

Public transport isn't great around the Hills, which is a shame given the fantastic wines of the region, however there are a couple of tour companies providing regular services.

• Mount Lofty Lookout [4], around 20 minutes drive from Adelaide - and has spectacular views of Adelaide and Gulf St Vincent, a great tourist attraction in its own right but also home to a restaurant offering modern Australian cuisine and a Visitor information Centre. There are a couple of buses a day that will take you directly there, so check the timetables carefully.

• Mount Lofty Botanic Gardens [5]

• Hahndorf - One of the Adelaide Hill's most famous towns, Hahndorf is Australia’s oldest surviving German settlement. Hahndorf has plenty of souvenir shops, craft outlets and galleries to explore, including the Hahndorf Academy. There’s still a strong German flavour in the town, most evident in the smallgood outlets and German bakeries that line the main street. Visitors can pick their own strawberries at Beerenberg Strawberry Farm or visit the former home and studio of Sir Hans Heysen, The Cedars. There are several good winery cellar doors in the area and the Hahndorf Farm Barn is an enjoyable stop for families

• The National Motor Museum [6] in Birdwood is much more than a fantastic collection of vehicles – it tells the stories about Australia’s love of cars, and how motoring changed Australians and where they go.

• Visit some of the 29 winery cellar doors. The following are a range from the very small to the larger corporate producers.
  • Petaluma
  • Hahndorf Hill Winery
  • Nepenthe
  • Shaw & Smith
  • Tilbrook Estate
  • Bird in Hand
  • Barratt Wines
  • Ashton Hills

• Wine Tours
  • Rich & Lingering [7] Offers bespoke food and wine tours which gratify the senses.

• Visit food producers - small goods, cheese makers, chocolate makers, espcially in Hahndorf, Balhannah, and Woodside.

• Visit country markets in Echunga, Uraidla, Woodside, Stirling.

• Visit Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens

• Visit 'The Cedars' home of artist Sir Hans Heysen, just outside Hahndorf. His historic property, home, gardens and studio remain much the same as when the great artist died in 1969. Tours of The Cedars cost $10 for adults.

• Cladich Pavilons [8]
• Adelaide Hills Country Cottages
• Mount Lofty House [9]
• Dumas House

Get out

It is easy to drive north to Barossa Valley or south to McLaren Vale to visit other wonderful wine region, or south to the ocean and the Murray and the towns of Victor Harbor and Goolwa.