SA The Adelaide Thread

[Scotland]

I'd quite like to go to Adelaide one day. Might go over for a West Coast game or test match some time. Everyone hangs s**t on it but from all reports it's nice. I like German stuff and red wine and... Adelaidey things.

Since the SA economy never has anything going for it Adelaide has grown at a sensible pace. Growing up I always considered Perth and Adelaide about the same size with Brisbane a bit bigger. Now we're closing in on Brisbane and it won't be long until both are double Adelaide. I'd like to see how the city is laid out and how it copes with the population size. Perth feels horribly congested to me because it simply wasn't designed to be a city for 2 million.

 

[MarcusP2]

Adelaide's rush hour lasts about 20 minutes. Very spread out north/south though.

 

[Milang_Panthers]

Yeah the hills make it impossible for the city to expand any further east, so it's very spread out North and South. Unfortunately Mt Barkers expanded way too quickly and they are playing catch up with infrastructure etc

 

[brucetiki]

Mt Barker also has far better trading hours than Adelaide itself. Surprised a big shopping centre hasn't taken advantage of that yet.

 

[Portsmeff]

I'd quite like to go to Adelaide one day. Might go over for a West Coast game or test match some time. Everyone hangs s**t on it but from all reports it's nice. I like German stuff and red wine and... Adelaidey things.

Since the SA economy never has anything going for it Adelaide has grown at a sensible pace. Growing up I always considered Perth and Adelaide about the same size with Brisbane a bit bigger. Now we're closing in on Brisbane and it won't be long until both are double Adelaide. I'd like to see how the city is laid out and how it copes with the population size. Perth feels horribly congested to me because it simply wasn't designed to be a city for 2 million.

Problem with Perth seems to be its endless low density suburban sprawl. There was a report in The Australian last year that showed despite Perth growing much faster than Adelaide, Adelaide is currently building and selling more city centre apartments than Perth CBD

 

[Scotland]

Problem with Perth seems to be its endless low density suburban sprawl. There was a report in The Australian last year that showed despite Perth growing much faster than Adelaide, Adelaide is currently building and selling more city centre apartments than Perth CBD

100%. Perth is way too spread out and we're feeling the consequences. Adelaide must be building a lot of apartments because they've really taken off here the last few years.

 

[King Elvis]

100%. Perth is way too spread out and we're feeling the consequences. Adelaide must be building a lot of apartments because they've really taken off here the last few years.

Let us know if you do Scotland; would be happy to keep up for a vodka, like and soda.

 

[SmAshmoto]

I like Adelaide, its my home town, but there are some things I'd improve

- Don't waste millions extending a f'ing bus line by about 1km by destroying half the East End to put a tunnel in
- Put some of our big events on some other time than March
- Redevelop Port Adelaide. That place could be the next Williamstown or Fremantle if you had the right people organising it.
- Work on our public transport. Less buses, extend the tram lines up past Adelaide Oval (why this wasn't done with the oval development I don't know) to North Adelaide and another line up the Parade to Norwood.
- Add to our rail network and extend a passenger rail line to Mt. Barker. Also bring back a regional V/Line style regional rail service and have lines to Port Augusta, Port Lincoln, Whyalla, Murray Bridge and Mt. Gambier.
- Make the pit structure used for Clipsal in Victoria Park a permanent structure. Instead of having the park be a construction site 9 months of the year, build it then use it for Clipsal, Adelaide International Horse Trials, Tour Down Under can have their tour village there instead of taking up half of Victoria Square etc
- Build some more tall buildings, it's a little embarassing.

 

[Papa G]

Not that I'm against tall buildings, but I don't see them as that important. Some of Europe's great cities are low rise.
The V Line type trains wouldn't work. Air travel and or car travel are too easy and cheap these days. It would be a financial disaster. They should have however, got the Ghan to dock at the Adelaide Railway Station rather at the barren wasteland at Keswick with nothing around it.
I'm indifferent about the O Bahn tunnel, but aren't they closing off Rundle road in the process? That is stupid.

The rest I agree with.

 

[Norwood1878]

Also, Adelaide is the birth place of AC/DC.

No it's not. They were around a while before they grabbed Bon.

 

[Portsmeff]

I like Adelaide, its my home town, but there are some things I'd improve

- Don't waste millions extending a f'ing bus line by about 1km by destroying half the East End to put a tunnel in
- Put some of our big events on some other time than March
- Redevelop Port Adelaide. That place could be the next Williamstown or Fremantle if you had the right people organising it.
- Work on our public transport. Less buses, extend the tram lines up past Adelaide Oval (why this wasn't done with the oval development I don't know) to North Adelaide and another line up the Parade to Norwood.
- Add to our rail network and extend a passenger rail line to Mt. Barker. Also bring back a regional V/Line style regional rail service and have lines to Port Augusta, Port Lincoln, Whyalla, Murray Bridge and Mt. Gambier.
- Make the pit structure used for Clipsal in Victoria Park a permanent structure. Instead of having the park be a construction site 9 months of the year, build it then use it for Clipsal, Adelaide International Horse Trials, Tour Down Under can have their tour village there instead of taking up half of Victoria Square etc
- Build some more tall buildings, it's a little embarassing.

how the hell is building a fairly straight forward bus tunnel going to ruin the East End? Its transport planning 101 they you don't funnel traffic from the suburbs through the parklands into a narrow high street full of cafes (ie Rundle Rd to Rundle St). Its common sense to funnel the road of traffic into the wider, busy street such as Grenfell St. Its also transport planning 101 they you don't end a rapid transport corridor 2 km from the city centre and then make "rapid" O'bahn buses fight with cars into the CBD for 20 mins. The original plan to redivert Rundle Rd away from Rundle St intersection and direct into Grenfell St made complete sense. It would have given more land back to the parklands and made a more pedestrian friendly parkland at the end of Rundle St. However the senile conservative element of Adelaide pretended it would ruin the parklands when in reality it would have increased parkland space, removed road space and lessened traffic snarls by making a direct route to Grenfell St. But you reckon senile conservative Adelaideans (especially the wealthy Nimbys in the Garden East apartments) would approve of better public transport in place of reduced roadspace and less carparks for their SUV's? yeah nah, lets pretend we think of the trees and oppose just because the Advertiser says so

 

[Richard Cranium]

One word:

Monorail

 

[bradrowe#32]

I've been to Adelaide twice and thought it was a nice place. The first time we flew over for Pearl Jam at Adelaide Oval and it was just ridiculously hot. My wife looked at the map and thought we could walk from the airport to the city. So we did - for 6kms at about 10am in 35 degree heat. It took over two hours. The next day we took the bus that runs from the city to the airport for a couple of dollars for a 10 minutes trip...

Did I mention the heat? FMD is it always like that? The day after Pearl Jam we went to the John Brack exhibition just to get some respite. Cool exhibition though. After the concert she was taking photos of the Oval and when she took one of the scoreboard, this turbo ran up to her from 50 metres away to ask her why she was taking photos of him. Met some cool people at the show though.

Second time was on the way through to Perth from Melbourne. I don't know the road, but the drive heading into Adelaide was pretty hectic after being in the car for 10 hours. It was dusk and that descending. winding hill was a bit much. Stayed right in the city and had a stroll around and it was really laid-back. From Adelaide up to Port Augusta was genuinely one of the most depressing drives I've taken. The land was so bleak and arid and devoid of life that on occasion I felt like gently veering the car into a tree on the side of the road.

 

[imadodgyumpire]

I am pissed off that due to urban development. There's no possibility of the full GP circuit ever being used.

 

[Chris_1493]

From Adelaide up to Port Augusta was genuinely one of the most depressing drives I've taken. The land was so bleak and arid and devoid of life that on occasion I felt like gently veering the car into a tree on the side of the road.

As boring as that stretch can be, the road between Port Augusta and Whyalla is even worse. Nothing but bloody saltbush either side of the road, and there's no better alternative route either.

 

[RolandF1]

I am pissed off that due to urban development. There's no possibility of the full GP circuit ever being used.

In what way? The roads still exist.

 

[MarcusP2]

As boring as that stretch can be, the road between Port Augusta and Whyalla is even worse. Nothing but bloody saltbush either side of the road, and there's no better alternative route either.

Turn right at Porta Gutta instead of left and drive for 2 hours seeing nothing except trucks coming from Roxby Downs. Then you can arrive at the centre of civilization known as Pimba. LOL. At least Whyalla is only 45 minutes away.

Also if you were driving to Perth, surely something like Port Augusta - Ceduna is worse.

 

[kfc1]

Port Augusta-Ceduna has pretty regular towns to make it a bit more interesting

 

[MarcusP2]

Suppose. Not much between Augusta and Kimba though.

 

[Nothing]

One word:

Monorail

Then Adelaide can compete with Brockway, Ogdenville, and North Haverbrook.

 

[TubbsFarquhar]

Then Adelaide can compete with Brockway, Ogdenville, and North Haverbrook.

And by gum it put them on the map!

 

[Dagless]

Acceptable weather returning.

 

[radiojake]

My summary of my home town goes something like this..

"Adelaide is OK if you have a good reason to be there"


Which is why I tend to only be back there once or twice a year... for a couple of days at a time....

 

[Freofalcon]

Problem with Perth seems to be its endless low density suburban sprawl. There was a report in The Australian last year that showed despite Perth growing much faster than Adelaide, Adelaide is currently building and selling more city centre apartments than Perth CBD

After 5pm, the Perth CBD is a ghost town. From what I hear from mates who have been to Adelaide, it has a fairly active inner city pub scene etc. Things that would attract people who are looking at inner city living.

 

[MarcusP2]

I remember thinking Perth was bizarre that way when doing a stint there for work. If I wanted to unwind with a beer after work better have bought a six pack already. That was a while ago though.