Adelaide ranks top in the world – the entire world! – for a plethora of green initiatives. Recently, a new report from the energy industry found that South Australia won the first place ranking for the number of homes using solar power. As the state’s capital, Adelaide is leading the charge and has already got projects in place that will help it achieve its goal of becoming the world’s first carbon neutral city.
“Australia has not been a laggard on renewable generation with this [report] clearly showing that we are have made progress in terms of sourcing energy from wind and solar, and this can be expected to continue,” commented Matthew Warren, chief executive of the Energy Supply Association of Australia.
These words will be music to the ears of environmentally conscious travellers. Globally, the trend of eco-tourism and making green travel plans has been steadily increasing. Aussies take a lot of pride in being leaders when it comes to caring for the environment, and if you’re one of these planeteers, the power is yours by taking a road trip to Adelaide.
You can even drive around in a car from our Economy Car Hire range, such as the Nissan Almera, as these models have excellent fuel efficiency. Good for the planet, good for your pocket – a win win. Once you have given the engine a roar, be sure to explore these ecotourism spots in Adelaide and its nearby surrounds.
Go green with envy for eco-tourism in Adelaide
For those of you who are puzzled about what eco-tourism is, here’s a definition from none other than the International Ecotourism Society:
“Ecotourism is responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and involves interpretation and education.”
With this in mind, here are a bunch of places in Adelaide that fit the bill.
Adelaide-Himeji Garden
The very purpose of this serene, tranquil garden is to pay tribute to the beauty and power of nature. Inspired by historic Japanese traditions, there are two classic styles of gardens here – the senzui and kare senzui. The former reflects upon lake and mountains, as the floral formations, water and greenery evoking the grandeur and sheer size of these natural features. The latter is a dry garden comprising sand and rocks, designed to make us appreciate the balance of dry and wet.
Best of all, the Adelaide-Himeji Garden is open all week long, so you can easily plan your visit here – book in some good ol’ nature therapy here to de-stress from busy lives. Yes, nature therapy is a real thing – in fact, a study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that even a 25-minute walk through nature creates electrochemical changes in our brain that release endorphins and make us feel happy as a clam. Some medical professionals are even advocating for ‘nature dose’ to be a valid prescription for healing ailments.
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Aug 24, 2015 at 3:52am PDT
Conservation Parks – Morialta and Cleland
Situated a mere 10 kilometres northeast of Adelaide, Morialta is an especially great conservation park to visit this year since 2015 is the 100-year anniversary of Morialta Falls becoming a National Pleasure Resort. Three beautiful waterfalls are the highlight here as they cascade over sheer quartzite cliffs, with rock pools and creeks throughout.
Located 22 kilometres southeast of Adelaide, Cleland is home to the picturesque Waterfall Gully and Mount Lofty Summit (points for originality!). You can cycle through the trails, while the walking tracks showcase spectacular views over the terrain and bring you face to face to local flora and fauna. Blue and manna gum trees are a highlight. In true ecotourism fashion, gas fires are only permitted in designated areas while wood and solid fuel fires are completely prohibited.