Boring? Yeah, Nah. South Australia’s Cleaning Up!
Are you like me and get a bit sick of South Australia being the butt of every eastern states joke?
Apparently we’re boring, Adelaide’s a sleepy old town and there’s bugger all to see or do.
Well, suck on a big fat Vili’s sausage roll and choke on a frog cake, because the latest Australian Traveller Readers’ Choice Awards suggest otherwise!
Turns out we’re punching well above our weight, and the rest of Australia is catching on.
More than 12,000 Australian Traveller readers had their say, and little old South Australia has walked away with three national wins and nine shortlist appearances.
Not bad for a place where apparently nothing happens!
Barossa And Fringe Bring Home The Goods
The Barossa Valley has been named Australia’s Best Wine Region, while Barossa wineries also claimed Best Foodie Experience.
And our annual festival, the Adelaide Fringe, full of the weird, wonderful and everything in between, took out Best Cultural or Arts Festival Experience.
Plenty More SA Favourites In The Mix
South Australia also picked up nine shortlist appearances across the awards.
Adelaide was in the running for Best City to Visit, Kangaroo Island for Best Island Escape and the Barossa Valley for Best Country Escape.
Mount Lofty House made the shortlist for Best Hotel, while the Adelaide Hills earned a spot for Best Road Trip and Best Wine Region.
The Adelaide Central Market food tour was recognised in the Best Foodie Experience category, Adelaide Fringe was shortlisted for Best Festival to Travel For, and even Adelaide Airport got a mention for Best Airport to Spend Time In.
Yep, apparently even our airport is worth hanging around in!
The Rest Of Australia Is Catching On
South Australian Tourism Minister Emily Bourke welcomed the results, saying the recognition was particularly pleasing because travellers themselves had voted.
“What a fantastic endorsement of South Australia, made even more special by the fact the awards were decided by the travelling public,” she said.
The latest wins follow more good news for SA tourism, including the announcement of the inaugural MICHELIN Guide South Australia 2027 and the Santos Tour Down Under taking out Best Sporting Event at the Australian Event Awards.
Of course, those of us who live here already know South Australia has plenty going for it.
And while we might still cop the odd joke from our eastern states neighbours, more than 12,000 travellers have helped put a few of those tired old stereotypes to bed.
So, to everyone who reckons South Australia is boring, we’ll be over here enjoying our award-winning food, wine and festivals. You lot enjoy your traffic jams.
