Adelaide’s most popular beach is at Glenelg, on the coast south-west of the city centre. To get here catch the old tram from Victoria Square, which takes about half an hour. The original settlers of South Australia put ashore here, and there are a couple of sights of historic interest. The harbour has a reconstruction of HMS Buffalo, which brought the first settlers (the original was built in India at the beginning of the 19thC). Just down the road you can see the Old Gum Tree, where the proclamation of South Australia was read out in 1836. Glenelg has plenty of guest houses, and several pubs and restaurants, as well as the traditional fish and chip shops. The beach is suitable for swimming and windsurfing, and on summer Sundays you can play at being a sardine. Less crowded, but also less atmospheric, is West Beach, which lies a few miles to the north. My favourite is Henley Beach, which is a little further north still (buses from North Terrace, just over half an hour’s journey). During the week the pubs and restaurants here quieten down somewhat.

Winter sun: Adelaide, its surrounding area and South Australia generally are where Australians go for sun in the Southern Hemisphere winter, September to March.