“Excellent,” I replied, picturing myself burning across Fraser Island’s sand dunes, wrestling with Kakadu’s crocs or going native with Aboriginal medicine men in the deepest Outback.

But shaking me from my dreamy haze, TNT’s tyrannical supremo shoved a ticket in my hand. “You’re off to Adelaide,” he said.
”Shit…”
Okay, maybe I was being a little harsh. There can, however, be no doubting that some travellers do see Oldelaide (yawn) as little more than a stop-off to somewhere more exciting.

I know I did when first visiting the city en route to Coober Pedy five years ago.

Even the city council seems to lack confidence in Adelaide’s attractions, having launched a recent ad campaign in the UK encouraging Brits to move to the city of churches because it’s better than… Staines (Ali G’s home town). Now, I’ve been to Staines and that ain’t a big boast.

But, anyway, as any road-weary traveller knows, everywhere deserves a second chance…

Sh-sh-shark

I stayed in the charmingly relaxed suburb of Glenelg, where vibrant restaurant and bar scenes back up a chilled-out beach and pier.

I was out of bed early, keen to meet some of Adelaide’s friendliest locals – the numerous pods of bottlenose and common dolphins.

Onboard the alluringly-named Temptation I was soon enjoying that mainstay of Aussie trips – hanging out in wetsuits with a load of strangers – when I distractedly caught the words “Shark Shield” in the intro talk. That woke me up quicker than a schooner of espresso.

There’s nothing even close to boring about great white sharks. Especially if you’re about to share the water with them.

It had slipped my mind that I was about to go swimming near the one place in Oz that you can actually do a great white shark dive.

Indeed, the waters off South Australia are so reliably known as one of the man-eater’s favourite holiday homes that parts of Jaws were actually filmed here. But apparently the Shark Shield makes everything cool.

Placed at the end of the line we would be hanging from, the shield produces an electric current which isn’t felt by humans or dolphins, but inflicts spasms in sharks without causing them permanent damage – they’re sensitive souls these sharks.

I was just wondering how worried I should be, when we got a dolphin sighting… We were in.

Seeing any animal in its natural habitat is always a privilege, and that’s most true when in the ocean.

Pod after pod of playful dolphins ducked and dived around and through us, chatting away with their high-pitched chirps and whistles. One time they even fed right alongside me. It was amazing and I was transfixed. The morning flew by.

–

Learning to love

On the way back I stopped at Rodney Fox’s Shark Museum, a visit I’m glad I made after the dolphin swim.

Former spearfishing champion Fox was practically bitten in half when a great white mistook him for lunch back in 1963. But 597 stitches and several avenging fishing trips later, Fox saw the light and dedicated himself to the conservation of sharks. He later became a consultant on Jaws and started Australia’s main cage diving company.

As a result his small museum is a fascinating little treasure trove, in which I easily devoured an hour.

A highlight is the miniature shark cage used to make the Jaws shark look enormous – the cage was even manned by a dwarf diver.

Next it’s into town for a quick investigation of the colonial architecture, not missing the bizarre sculptures nestling among the Rundle Mall shops, before grabbing a tram back to the beach for a stroll along the pier and a quick roast in the scorching Adelaide sun.

For a state capital the pace of life in Adelaide is definitely slower. But I was starting to think that was no bad thing.

And my new affection for all things Adelaide was done no damage at all when I hit the Glenelg bars, discovering that my favourite Aussie tipple, Cooper’s, is in fact the local brew.

Making a splash

The next morning I headed off the beaten track, grabbing a hire car and driving inland to the Murray River, which measures in at 3,750km, making it Australia’s second-longest river.

I reached Renmark after stopping for nourishment at a couple of Outback pubs and was soon on board a dinghy for a guided tour of the labyrinthine maze of waterways.

As the light began to fade I traded my boat in for a kayak. It was truly fantastic and unlike the last time I stepped foot in a kayak (in a Welsh winter), I didn’t even care when it began to rain.

Relying on no more power than a paddle, the resulting quiet meant the riverland truly came alive.

Suddenly I was surrounded by a cacophony of birdsong and the bad-tempered growl of a koala. I saw a kangaroo drinking at the water’s edge.The magical scene was enhanced 
further as the sun dipped beyond the horizon, bathing the entire landscape in vivid colours and silhouetting the dead trees that rise mysteriously out of the Murray.

As I paddled back to shore to start the return journey to Adelaide, bringing my trip to an end, I realised to my surprise that South Australia had won me over.

Now I just hope Ali G stays in Staines. Adelaide is fine as it is.

The damage: Glenelg Beach Hostel, beds from $20; half-day Temptation swimming with dolphins $98; Rodney Fox Shark Museum, $6.50; budget car hire from $34/day (plus fees and taxes); two-hour Renmark River Cruise $60; two-and-a-half hour Riverland Leisure Canoes tour $30; Harvest Trail Lodge, beds from $15.

The details: Andy stayed with Glenelg Beach Hostel
Websites: Temptation 
Rodney Fox 
Renmark River Cruises visit 
Harvest Trail Lodge
Budget Cars

 

Photos: facebook.com/Coopers