What does Adelaide Have to Offer?
Adelaide’s city centre covers and area of just one square mile. Wherever you are in the city, it is within the heart of Adelaide. Festivals, food, arts, culture, shopping and sports, this is Adelaide. Whether you want to party or relax on your next holiday, South Australia’s capital has it all. With vibrant inner-city districts, sophisticated architecture and beautiful gardens, plenty of hotels and motels to select from, Adelaide is the perfect place for a wide variety of vacation activities.
Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, located on the Torrens River and surrounded to the east by the ranges and to the west by the beach, it prides itself on its live music and arts scene, its historic building heritage and its central location to one of Australia’s best known wine growing regions, the Barossa Valley.
You might prefer to follow in the footsteps of sporting champions at the world-famous Adelaide Oval. Or retreat to the seaside suburbs of Henley Beach, Glenelg & Semaphore. As Adelaide is situated on the coast, its beaches are numerous. One can choose between city beaches or quieter out-of-town beaches about half an hour from the city centre.
Since Adelaide is situated in a gulf, the beaches are calm and safe. For those who enjoy surfing, the open sea beaches are about one hour away. Since the beaches face west, one can enjoy the most magnificent sunsets.
There is little doubt that Adelaide Oval is indeed one of the most picturesque and photographed cricket grounds in the world. Australians take their cricket extremely seriously, and Adelaide is without doubt an important element of the Australian sporting scene.
Residents of Adelaide can play or watch a number of sports including Aussie Rules Football, swimming, tennis, netball, soccer, hockey, cycling, horse racing and a variety of water sports. South Australians pride themselves on their level of involvement in sport and have a proud tradition of participation and winning in a wide variety of sports.
The mighty Murray River is an hour’s drive from Adelaide. It is a favorite aquatic spot for South Australians and provides many diverse leisure activities such as skiing, fishing and swimming.
At the University of Adelaide the new Business School creates a stimulating multidisciplinary learning environment that fosters the pursuit of leadership and excellence in both research and education.
South Australia has over 78,000 small businesses. Of these an estimated 55,000 are located within the Adelaide metropolitan area. Almost 40% of these employ between 1 - 19 people making small business a major source of regional employment within Adelaide.
Adelaide offers a diversity of food, wine & culture, it offers a thriving sports scene and growing small business sector. When planning your next holiday destination or a new residential location take a close look at Adelaide. When in Adelaide don’t hesitate to use the Adelaide Locality Directory to find everything form community groups, hospitals, restaurants, accommodation, employment and much more.
Norfolk Island
A tiny jewel set in the blue seas of the South Pacific, Norfolk Island is only 8 km (5 mi) long, and 1,600 km (994 mi) northeast of Sydney, Australia.
It is the biggest of a cluster of three islands on the Norfolk Ridge, fringed by coral reefs and crowned by pristine rainforest and some of the world’s tallest tree ferns.
On 10 October 1774, James Cook first landed on this diminutive island and named it in honour of the then Duchess of Norfolk.
Convicts started to arrive 14 years later and over time it gained quite a harsh reputation, becoming known as ‘hell in the Pacific’.
Then in 1856, descendants of the Bounty mutineers with their Tahitian wives and children sailed for five weeks from Pitcairn Island to settle on Norfolk Island. These new settlers brought with them a unique culture and language, and many held mutineers’ names such as Adams, Buffett, Christian and McCoy. From that day, Norfolk Island began its steady climb out of hell and into heaven.
Once sustained by agriculture and fishing, tourists now keep the island alive. But traditional culture remains deep rooted with dancing, singing and a unique cuisine. Banana dumplings, fried fish and Hihi pie, concocted with periwinkles, can be sampled at one of the fine restaurants scattered across the island.
The blue waters around Norfolk Island are teeming with fish, and there are countless fishing charters and scuba-diving trips out to the reef to explore this kaleidoscope underwater world. In the sheltered waters of Emily Bay, you can also indulge in some lazy swimming and snorkeling, and endless relaxation.
Norfolk Island is favoured by well-heeled Australians and New Zealanders, and a few millionaires have migrated to this tax-free haven. There are over 70 low-tax shops and many eager customers. Yet the island seems to balance the old and the new perfectly honouring its Pitcairn people, its rich environment and its visitors.
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Aldabra Atoll
Aldabra Atoll is part of the Aldabra Group, one of the archipelagos of the Outer Islands of the Seychelles. The second largest atoll in the world after Kiritimati, Aldabra is the coraline tip of a volcanic sea mount, coming up from depths of 4,000 to 4,500m (13,120 to 14,760 ft). At 34 km (21 mi) long, 14.5 km (9 mi) wide and just 8 in (26 ft) above sea level, the atoll consists of four coral limestone masses forming a circle around a lagoon of 224 sq km (86 sq mi).
The lagoon is tidal and two thirds of its water recedes back to the ocean at low tide. Aldabra was given World Heritage status in 1982 to protect its delicate natural environment.
Because the atoll is so remote, many of its species of flora and fauna are found only here. The islets and rocky outcrops in the lagoon provide nesting areas for thousands of birds.
It has possibly the largest population of red-tailed tropic birds and the second largest colony of frigate birds in the world. Many other birds are found here too, including the Aldabra flightless rail, the only flightless bird found on any Indian Ocean island.
The Aldabran giant tortoises are, however, the atoll’s most renowned residents, being the last of the giant tortoises which were once spread across the entire region. Commercial exploitation is believed to have made all other giant tortoises in the area wiped out by the mid-19th century, and very nearly exterminated the Aldabran population. Two species of marine turtle also nest on beaches on Aldabra: the green turtle and hawksbill turtle.
Unlike the nearby Seychelles, the atoll is inhospitable to humans as the limestone has been eroded into sharp spikes and water-filled pits. However, the mangroves support fish nurseries, and the lagoon is home to a wealth of marine life, from black-tipped reef sharks to eagle rays and parrot fish.
For almost a century, scientists have been studying the flora and fauna of the atoll, which is uninhabited other than by those working at the scientific research station.
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Munich: Beer, Bavarians and Business
Munich is packed with popular beer gardens, magnificent public green areas and buildings with ornate stucco facades. Tradition and modernism rub shoulders in Munich as in no other German city.
The small town charm of many Munich districts stands in great contrast with the hectic pace of big city life on the Marienplatz or along the sidewalks of Maximilian Street. Quite aside from the famed Oktoberfest held each autumn, this city on the Isar River offers visitors a wealth of architectural treasures. During the course of the last century, Munich has become one of Germany’s most important media and commercial centres. Munich’s unique combination of Blackberries and lederhosen have made the city one of the most frequented business and tourism destinations in Europe.
From Petersbergl to Munich.
Monks settled on the Isar in the eighth century, building Tegernsee Monastery at the place they called Petersbergl. The crypt of the church of St. Peter, Munich’s oldest, dates back to the early Middle Ages. In the twelfth century Heinrich the Lion, Duke of Saxony and Bavaria, founded the city of Munich around St. Peter’s. Under the command of this powerful duke, Munich became an important city. It was the official residence of the Bavarian dukes from 1255 and named the capital city of Bavaria in 1506.
A square for football celebrations.
Just as Munich is the heart of Bavaria, the Marienplatz is the heart of the city, the most popular and best known of the many squares in Munich. The new city hall is on the north side of the square, with the old city hall, the Rathaus, on its eastern side. St. Peter’s is just a few steps away. The famous and beloved Bayern Munchen football team has traditionally celebrated its championship titles on the Marienplatz with thousands of enthusiastic fans.
Munich conjures up images of Oktoberfest, the Hofbrauhaus, shady beer gardens and people wearing lederhosen and dirndl. All of these images are accurate, but Munich is more than simply a museum of Bavarian traditions. The city is one of Germany’s most important publishing and television centres, for example. Many publishing houses, radio and television stations, film production companies and music studios are headquartered in the media city of Munich. As a result, Munich is home to more actors, artists, TV producers and celebrities than any other German city.
Summer residence of the Bavarian monarchs.
The celebrities of the past, the Bavarian dukes, princes and kings, also resided in Munich. Their legacy has left the city with many fascinating historical attractions. There are so many to choose from, visitors may have a hard time deciding which of the many sights to head for first.
Nymphenburg Palace and its park should be near the top of the list. The former summer residence of the Bavarian rulers, Schloss Nymphenburg is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Bavaria today. Its elaborate interior furnishings, including King Ludwig I’s almost surreally ornate “Gallery of Beauties” should not be missed.
Symbol of Munich.
The twin towers of Munich’s most famous symbol, the Frauenkirche (Cathedral of Our Lady), are 99 metres tall. Duke Sigismund laid the cornerstone of Munich’s most beloved church on 9 February 1468. Today the Frauenkirche is officially the Cathedral Church of the Archbishops of Munich and Freisling. Its towers can be seen for miles around, is in part because the city administration prohibits the construction of any building within Munich’s central ring taller than 99 metres. New construction of taller buildings further away from the centre has been permitted in the past, but is currently under review. Only the south tower of the Frauenkirche can be climbed. It offers a unique view of Munich, its surroundings, and the nearby Alps, which on clear days appear to be close enough to touch.
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Rhode Island USA
Everyone is aware that Rhode Island, actually the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, is the smallest state in the USA. But not everyone knows that the state and island that gives it a colloquially abbreviated name are not one and the same.
Indeed, the Rhode Island part of the longest state name in America is unofficially called Aquidneck Island to distinguish from the state as a whole.
Now that’s cleared up, what of Aquidneck Island? It is the largest of several in Narragansett Bay, with its southern shore overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The area of this well developed island is 117 sq km (45 sq ml) and it is connected to the mainland by three bridges.
The Newport Bridge goes to Jamestown on nearby Conanicut Island, and thence to the mainland on the western side of the bay. The Mount Hope Bridge in Portsmouth connects the northern side of the island with Bristol. The same area is served by the Sakonnet River Bridge over a narrow saltwater channel to Tiverton. The nearby Stone Bridge was destroyed by Hurricane Carol in 1954. The island is divided into three municipalities: Newport, Middleton and Portsmouth.
The island’s population shrank by a fifth in the 10 years after the US Navy reorganized its major base at Newport in 1973, but is growing again, with over half its area now built over as housing demand increases. But wetland and woodland still occupy a third of the island and there is an active preservation society trying to keep it that way.
After the navy base, the island’s principal revenue generator is tourism. Narragansett Bay is a magnet for visitors and they come to Aquidneck Island principally for the beaches and coastline, enjoying related aquatic activities like sailing, kayaking, sailboarding, diving and angling.
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The Island of Zitny Ostrov - Slovakia
Ranging from Bratislava to Korman in southwestern Slovakia, Zitny Ostrov (Rye Island) is Europe’s biggest river island. It is so immense that most tourists are unaware of being on an island. It lies between the Danube, and its slower flowing off-shoot the Little Danube, in the Danubian Plain.
Several rivers flow across it and the rich alluvial deposits make it the most fertile land in Slovakia. The island also contains central Europe’s largest storage of high quality potable water and it has the warmest and driest climate in Slovakia.
A beautiful area of marshes, natural and man-made lakes and rich agricultural land, the south has been designated a Protected Landscape. The serene waters of the Little Danube provide excellent recreational boating through the alluvial forests. While on the water, the controversial hydroelectric dam at Gabcikovo may also be visited.
Zitny Ostrov has two main towns, both of which have deep Hungarian influences. DunajskA Streda has a majority Hungarian population, though the only reminder of a significant Jewish minority is a 1991 memorial. There is also evidence of Bronze Age settlement here.
In the late 1990s the town centre was rebuilt with unique white buildings capped by towers and elaborate tiled roofs. A large thermal park offers year-round bathing in naturally heated water.
Komarno, Slovakia’s principal port, lies on the Hungarian border — a bridge leads into Hungarian Komarom, which used to be part of Komarno. Here two thirds of the population speak Hungarian and the street signs are in two languages.
Europe Place is a large shopping and tourist centre built in a variety of European architectural styles. A native son of Komamo, Franz Lehar, is honoured with a biennial music festival, whilst the annual Komarno Days Festival celebrates Slovak and Hungarian culture.
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Cozumel Island - Mexico
One of Mexico’s largest islands, Cozumel, lies 20 km (12 miles) from the mainland, and 60 km (36 mi) south of Cancun. It is a flat, limestone formation in the shape of a handgun, and punctured by tens of cenotes (water-filled sinkholes), many with their own marine life, which are an extra attraction for tourists and snorkellers who come to experience the island’s amazing offshore reefs.
Jacques Cousteau first popularized Cozumel in 1960, when he identified Palancar at the island’s southern tip as one of the world’s best diving places. He triggered an explosion of tourist development, only reined in with the establishment of the National Marine Park in 1996: but the reefs were badly damaged by the deepwater piers built for cruise ships to bring new clientele.
Attitudes changed quickly. Cozumel’s new islanders (the 40,000 Maya who welcomed Herman (’Stout’) Cortes in 1519 were reduced to 30 by 1510, and Cozumel became uninhabited) realised the value, not just of their spectacular marine wealth, but also of the island’s unspoilt centre.
You’ll never get a better chance to appreciate Mayan culture so close to good beaches. The biggest Mayan site, San Gervasio (named much later), was for centuries sacred to lx Chel, the goddess of fertility, and one of the Yucatan’s most important sanctuaries. There are several others, recovered from jungle and swampy mangrove lagoons now teeming with cormorants, pelicans, primary-coloured tree frogs, iguanas and crocodiles.
These days, the duty of collective care is replacing the ecological mistakes of the 1970s. You can see 250 species in its clear waters, including the bright blue-and-yellow queen angelfish, the toad fish (unique to Cozumel), and enormous sponges like the barrel and elephant ear, which grows to 3.6 m (12 ft) across. Cozumel is fabulously pretty and exotic, and you should go there with someone you love and watch the sunsets.
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Fascinating Prague
The capital of the Czech Republic is one of the most important historical preservation areas in central Europe. Prague’s one of-a-kind city centre has been a UN world cultural and natural heritage site since 1992.
Prague is a great city for romantics. Remnants of the city’s past are found on nearly every corner.
A saunter through the Old City past Powder Tower (1475), the old town hall and other equally marvellous baroque architectural treasures leads to the Charles Bridge, one of the most photographed bridges in the world.
Prague Castle was created on the Hradshin River by a landowner named Premysl sometime around 870, and Prague soon became the seat of the House of Premysl.
Vratislav I, the first Bohemian king, transfered the royal household to Vysehrad Castle in 1085, probably due to a power struggle with his brother, Bishop Jaromir.
Prague Castle remained the seat of the bishops of Prague for many years. The Cathedral of St. Vitus, another early structure, is also located on the castle grounds.
Prague grows.
Protected by the two castles, an influx of German and Jewish merchants and local craftsmen led to rapid growth on both sides of the Muldau River. The largest fortified area was near the already ancient Prague Castle. Prague received its city charter in 1234 from King Wenceslas I, who made it his primary residence.
Shortly thereafter, the “New Town” districts of Mala Strana and Hradshin were ffounded. The fourteenth century brought yet more prosperity to Prague. In 1348 the first university in central Europe was founded here, Charles University, named after Emperor Charles IV.
In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, Prague was ravaged by two religious wars. The Hussite Wars (1419-1437) and the Thirty Years War (1618-1648) left deep scars.
The events that set off both of these wars took place in Prague. These include the famous “defenestrations”, in which Catholic office holders and dignitaries were thrown out of windows by dissenters, the first time by Hussites, followers of rebel reformer Jan Hus, and later by Protestants, setting off the Thirty Years War.
The victims of the first defenestration did not fall far, but luckily landed in the arms of a mob waiting outside to lynch them. The second time was from an upper story, but the Catholics were saved because they fell into a heap of manure. From the Catholic viewpoint, divine intervention prevailed. The two long, debilitating conflicts killed hundreds of thousands, setting back development for many years. Like other afflicted cities, Prague lost most of its international standing during this time.
Prague Spring.
In 1945, Prague became the capital of the Soviet Socialist Republic of Czechoslovakia. Communist leadership caused a deep-seated financial crisis: the Soviet central planning bureau contributed to nearly complete economic stagnation.
In the spring of 1968, public criticism grew and much of the population became increasingly disenchanted. Street demonstrations of the “Prague Spring” were news all over the earth.
Ultimately, power struggles within the ruling party led to the invasion of Prague by Warsaw Pact troops on 21 August 1968, and the brief period of expression was ruthlessly ended.
It would be 1989 before Prague separated itself from Russian control, and in 1993 was named capital of an independent Czech Republic.
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Queensland - The Blessed Sunshine State
When a state is blessed with a warm, sunny climate, an abundance of beautiful scenery, and a coastline that is the envy of the world, it is hardly surprising that thousands come each year to visit. Indeed, many locals will tell you that Queensland, with its relaxed lifestyle and friendly atmosphere, is the best place in which to live, work, and retire.
This is a State full of extremes. In the far west the Simpson Desert, with its dunes and inhospitable gibber plains gives way to the Channel Country, an area laced with an intricate web of often dry streams that after heavy rain may spill to cover the land like a vast brown sea.
Eastern Queensland’s spine is the Great Dividing Range, a mighty barrier that separates the fertile coastal plain from the vast outback tracts extending to the State’s western border. Stretching from Cape York to the southern border and beyond, the Great Divide comprises a series of high mountains, tablelands, and low rolling hills. Here, rainforest gives way to eucalypt woodland, waterfalls fed by tropical rains tumble over rock faces and escarpments, and boulder-studded streams flow through deep gorges.
The coastline is another world. Washed by the brilliant blue waters of the Coral Sea, long sandy beaches fringed with tropical vegetation edge the shores, broken only by rocky headlands and mangrove forests. Lying off-shore is a multitude of islands and one of the world’s great natural wonders: the Great Barrier Reef.
The second largest State in Australia, Queensland covers an area of more than 1.7 million square kilometres in the north-east corner of the continent. The northern marine boundary, passing within a few kilometres of Papua New Guinea’s coastline, includes the 200-odd islands lying off Cape York Peninsula in the Torres Strait; to the east, it includes all the islands within the Great Barrier Reef.
Until 1859, Queensland was part of New South Wales. The first European settlement, a penal colony, was established at Moreton Bay in 1824 and soon afterwards was moved to the present site of Brisbane — the State’s capital city. By 1839 nearly all the convicts had been returned to Sydney and the district was opened to free settlers.
The Brisbane settlement grew slowly at first; when the area was proclaimed the Colony of Queensland in 1859 the population was 23,520. Today, the State has a population exceeding 4 million — of which nearly half live in the Brisbane-Ipswich urban area.
For the Aborigines — the original inhabitants of the land — many parts of Queensland are ritual grounds of sacred Dreamtime legends, and there are important traditional rock-art sites, particularly on Cape York Peninsula in the north. It was in this area that a race of hunters and gatherers came to the Australian continent some 40,000 years ago, coming in across the Torres Strait when it was dry land during the last ice age.
Just over half of the State lies between the Tropic of Capricorn and 10 degrees south of the Equator. Inland, the summers are hot, but on the coastal plain the temperatures are milder — with far higher humidity. Winters are much drier and delightfully warm, though in the far south, nights can be quite cold with frost appearing on higher ground. Snow falls occasionally in the highlands near the border around Stanthorpe and Wallangarra.
The rainy season falls between December and March-April, and it is during this time that the coast may be lashed by tropical cyclones. Rainfall varies enormously throughout the State, with the heaviest falls on the north-eastern slopes and coast-lands - Tully averages 4550 mm annually and has the reputation of being the wettest town in Australia. Whereas Birdsville in the far west only averages an annual 150 mm - and in drought it might not rain for years.
Agriculture is a major industry. Cattle and sheep graze on the grassy western plains, their drinking water supplied by a myriad bores that tap the vast store of underground water in the Great Artesian Basin. On the fertile tablelands of the Great Divide and the lush coastal plains farms grow a wide variety of produce from cotton to sugar cane, to peanuts, pineapples
and a host of other tropical fruit and vegetables. The State is also rich in mineral deposits including bauxite, coal, oil, copper, silver, and gold. Indeed, the discovery of gold in the last century and the subsequent mining in the 1870s-80s did much to establish many of the coastal and inland centres throughout Queensland.
One of Queensland’s most important growth industries is tourism. Not only have overseas visitors discovered this favourable holiday destination, but Australians from other States now come in huge numbers. In winter, thousands flock to coastal caravan parks and holiday flats to exchange chilly southern days for delectably warm, sunny weather.
Apart from the lure of a warm climate, people return many times over to Queensland because there is just so much to do and see. Self-drive holidays are probably the most popular, but for those who do not wish to drive, there is a vast number of conducted tours to choose from. Accommodation ranges from remote bush camps to five-star luxury hotels with every type imaginable in between.
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The City of Seoul - South Korean Capital
Over 20 million Koreans live in and around Seoul, yet it is one of few a cities that has successfully preserved its buildings from the past and integrated them into the skyline of a growing global city.
Seoul is loud and bustling, as befits one of the most densely populated metropolises on Earth. Lines of cars and throngs of people press their way through the cavernous streets. Oversized illuminated advertising marks the way, selling products in a foreign script. The subway system is Seoul’s new and perfectly organized underworld. In the midst of all this chaos, visitors may suddenly come upon an oasis of stillness in one of the country’s numerous temples, parks and pavilions.
City on the river
Seoul was founded in 1394, following the demise of the Koryo Kingdom (1392). Its progress was long associated with the rise and success of the Choson dynasty (1392-1910). After searching for a suitable location for his city, King Taejo, better known as Yi Seonggye, decided on the north bank of the Han River. A small village named Hanyang was the only settlement in the area at that time. The name of the renowned Hanyang University, one of over 300 institutions of higher learning in Seoul, recalls that small village.
A modern sports city.
Contemporary Seoul came into existence during the first half of the twentieth century, and largely through the influence of the Japanese. The old city wall gave way to modern buildings, with only the ancient city gates preserved. After the catastrophic Korean War (1950-1953), nearly all of Seoul had to be rebuilt.
From that point onward, Seoul grew at a very rapid pace. The city underwent massive changes, at times with little planning and consideration of their long-term impact. Trams ran until 1968, only to disappear almost overnight. They were quickly replaced by an underground subway system. The economic upswing of 1988 that followed in the wake of the Seoul Summer Olympic Games was a boon to the cultural, financial and sporting life of the city, and the sports world again turned its eyes to Seoul in 2002, when the FIFA World Cup football championship was held here.
Kings’ palaces with curious names.
But Seoul is much more than a showcase for sporting events. it is the cultural heart of South Korea, where universities, theatres, museums and more abound.
When Seoul was founded in 1394, the Gyeongbokgung (Palace of Shining Happiness) was the first royal residence built. Happiness did not, unfortunately, shine on the palace and its inhabitants forever.
Serfs burned the palace to the ground in 1592, and the death of Queen Min in 1895 led to the relocation of the royal family to Deoksugung (Palace of Virtuous Longevity). In 1997, the Changdeokgung (Palace of Prospering Virtue) was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
It was built as an addition to Gyeongbokgung, and was the only structure destroyed in the 1592 uprising that was immediately rebuilt. Until 1872 and again from 1907 to 1910, it served as the seat of government of the Korean kings. The Secret Garden of Biwon is also especially worth seeing. The impressive burial cairns of King Sejo and his wife Yun Chon-hi are located there, just 30 km north of the city.
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