It has been ages since I've actually been into the church, despite actually living in Adelaide…read more Actually, I really do appreciate how some of these churches leave the doors open to allow people to wander in and walk around, and this church is certainly no exception (though there is some volunteer sitting there ready to help people out, and to answer any questions). I wouldn't necessarily say that it is impressive, not compared to some churches that I've visited, but for a cathedral in Australia, it still isn't all that bad.

On my first visit to Adelaide I had the pleasure of attending this beautiful,architecturally…read moredesigned 150 year old Cathedral, to witness a wedding. This most holy and serene place is certainly a wonderful setting for two people to start their married lives together.

The Lion Gate is the entry way to China Town and consists of Paifang, or Chinese style gate guarded…read moreby two Shishi lions. The lions appear to have come from a standard mould and are by no means unique. They resemble somewhat the Guardian Lions at the National Palace Museum in Taipei although lacking in the ferocity department. The Paifang is intricate bright and inviting. I really like the Lion Gate, it serves as a great meeting place and colourful entry to the China Town strip.

Norwood Town Hall on the corner of the Parade and George Streets is the home of the combined…read morecouncils of Norwood, Payneham and St Peters. The Town Hall is the main customer service centre for the councils and is open Mon - Fri from 8.30 to 5pm. The building itself was opened in back in 1883 and is similar in style to many other town hall buildings like the Adelaide and Glenelg Town Halls. While the oldest section of the Town Hall fronts onto The Parade, the section behind extends into George Street and is actually a large concert hall and performance venue. Back in the 1880 when it was first opened, a prestigious art school where the likes of Hans Heysen studied was located upstairs in the Town Hall's commercial offices. The Norwood Town Hall has been lovingly cared for over the years and is still a formidable building among the sites of the Parade. While everything has changed around it this elegant building has remained proudly unchanged.

I've lived in Norwood (on and off) for quite a few years. And only once have I made use of the…read moreNorwood Town Hall's facilities as a council service - more frequently my experience has been retail in nature. I visited the customer service section once, for on street parking permits. And my albeit brief encounter was A-ok: friendly staff, easy process. I had pictured it kind of like "Parks and Recreation" but it wasn't really...but I can't hold that against it. More often though, I've visited the Hall for the regular sample and designer clearance sales. (I think this says more about me than the Norwood Council though). Every so often designers will hold their sales in the huge old concert hall you enter via the side. It's a perfect venue for it, with a huge space for the racks and racks of clothing, makeshift change rooms (warning: you will get partially undressed in front of a bunch of other girls) and registers. The interior is as old school as the iconic exterior suggests: it's a lovely building and addition to the local flavour.

Without a doubt, Australia's most celebrated cricketer would have to be Donald Bradman. Known to…read moreall as 'The Don' there is a statue commemorating his sporting achievements just outside Adelaide Oval on Victor Richardson Road and it is simply one of most stunning statues I've seen in Adelaide. This larger than life bronze - it is actually a 2.5 metres - commemorates the sporting feats of a man who was viewed as a cult hero through his entire life and possibly will be forever more. I first noticed the statue one night as I was driving down Sir Edwin Smith Avenue from the opposite side of King William Road. The statue was perfectly lit from beneath and looked incredible in the evening light. I think I had the perfect viewing experience. Having visited the statue again, during the day and from a closer vantage point was a totally different experience. It was still a stunning piece of art but somehow different. Like the legend of the man, everything about the statue is oversized from Bradman's feet to his cricket bat. The artist is Robert Hannaford and depicts Bradman playing a shot. If you're a sports buff or you just appreciate good art, go and take a look but I suggest you go at night when viewing is at its best.

The Don is one of Robert Hannaford's finest sculptural works. This wonderfully expressive sculpture…read morewhich sits outside the Adelaide Oval is a bronze cast from a clay sculpture by Hannaford. It depicts Sir Bradman performing his trade mark cover drive and quintessentially captures the movement and quality of Bradman's poise. The gaze of the work is strong, piercing almost, and adds to the vitality of the habit so well caught. The direction of Bradman's vision directs us up, so as to imagine the flight path of the ball he has just struck. The handling of the work is textural and loose. A lovely aged patina gives Hannaford's sculpture the air of antiquity adding credence to the eminence of Bradman's legend.

Bonython Hall is a gothic revival style building situated on the North Terrace in the Cty of…read moreAdelaide. The building was constructed in the late 1800's to serve as the "Great Hall" of the University of Adelaide. Both the architecture and function of the hall were modeled on the Tudor Gothic style Great Halls of Oxford and Cambridge. The Hall is these days largely reserved for ceremonial purposes such as graduations and the like, and is of some attraction to newcomers to the city. In reality, however, Bonython Hall is a bit of a farce. Miniature in comparison with "Great Halls" upon which it is modeled, the the purpose of its construction was so as to prevent the running of highway through the centre of the university. Its architectural stylings were chosen out of its time to provide a false historicity to the university and in the opinion of many experts, the concrete monstosity that is the napier building is of greater architectural significace as an example of contemporary 1950's architecture. Not only this, but the entire exterior of the building is a facade in the gothic style, laid upon a structure buit with materials contemporary to the time of its construction, namely brick and concrete. Despite this I still think its a pretty building. We don't have much else like it around town and tickets to Europe are quite expensive. So enjoy what you've got I say.

Yes, you will have a "you're a wizard, Harry" moment in here. Spectacularly old world in its…read morearchitectural stylings, Bonython Hall is a one-off in Adelaide and a simply lovely place to visit. I worked at the Uni a few years back and as part of this I attended graduations and reunions held in the big ol' Hall on North Terrace. They were pretty magical. The huge pipe organ playing, the deafening sound of hundreds of feet, the proud parents and giddy be-gowned grads. The reunions were especially heart warming, with oldies who had studied at the University of Adelaide 50 years back re-visiting the Hall and re-enacting their graduation ceremony in the very place it was first held. This sense of continuous history is a great thing for a University and its students...and a far cry from the off-campus graduation ceremony I had at the Festival Theatre after finishing my degrees at UniSA (not that I'm bagging out my alma mater). There is a bit of a lean to the floor and it can get quite slippery: my advice to grads, maybe opt for the sensible flats and keep the heels for later! Yep I'm nothing if not practical, peeps.

Part of the rather delightful Rose Gardens of Adelaide Walking Tour, you can download the guide…read morehere free of charge http://www.sa.rose.org.au/rose_garden_walking_trail.pdf and take the walk on any day you like here in Adelaide. This is one of those gardens that sits in a very obvious spot next to a busy main street, King William Street to be precise, but it is a rare thing to see anyone sitting here - possibly because there is no shade to speak of, or maybe because the general population simply don't really appreciate the spot is actually very quiet and peaceful even though it is close to the road and the city. Named after and in honour of the first woman Councillor, Alderman and Deputy Lord Mayor that Adelaide ever had back in the late 1950's. If you were in a party of sixteen there would be enough seating for everyone to sit and contemplate. Twenty would be a slight squeeze. When it is a quiet morning and the weather is mild this would be a gorgeous place to stop and smell the roses.

The Whirling Mandala is a large work by Australian Sculptor Greg Johns…read more It is situated on the grassy median strip of Osmond terrace, just before it crosses Magill road and becomes Stephens Terrace. Cast in Austen Steel, The Whirling Mandala presents a spiraling circular form constructed from rhythmical waves. As with a number of Johns' works, The Whirling Mandala was designed using principles of fractal geometry, which gives the work its natural, albeit abstract, form. Another similar example of John's work with fractal forms, entitled rhythm, may be seen on the foreshore at Glenelg.

The quite achiever! I think the mudbutt incident of '09 when the Torrens Lake drained was a cry…read morefor attention from the Weir! Like, "hey look at the good work I do! Half of the people in this town don't even know it's a lake..!" The Weir marks a point where the River Torrens starts to let its hair down a bit. Down stream the banks are a little unkempt, a little wilder and perhaps a little more fun. Surrounded by shady trails, the Weir is a nice starting point for a break from the city or suburbia. It's also a good pedestrian link, with a shiny new timber surface, between the north and south banks. The signage "No Bathing" seems unnecessary. And the original plaque reads 'these gates were opened 1929' acchumm, opened..? Granted the state gov is capable of building an 'open' weir... But, they mean shut! Keep it shut! Those shopping carts are below a couple of meters of water for a reason! Lets keep them there.