This is my most local beach, albeit half an hour away, but is straight down 1 main road and the…read moreeasiest for me to get to from the north east. Semaphore is a bit quieter than the tourist beaches of Glenelg, Henley etc, and is the most Northern (as well as Largs) before hitting Port Adelaide. It suits all my needs, whether I want to run my dog, ride my bike along the esplanade, jog along the beach, sunbak, swim, jump small waves. This beach has it all, including so much parking so close and free! Semaphore is really safe so is the best family beach. It has lots of sandbanks which keep water shallow and there are no rips or large waves. The water is quite warm in summer and there is plenty of smooth sand to play games on. When you park your car there is heaps of grass for brushing off the sand from your feet, benches for picnics, some trees and paths through the small sand dunes to the beach. Other Semaphore attractions - summer carnival, The Palais, steam train, waterslide complex, carousel, playgrounds, jetty, cafes/kiosks.

After spending time in Europe, returning to Semaphore beach was like a little slice of Aussie…read moreparadise! (And a little bit of consolation for not being in London). It's a welcoming, fun-loving and wholesome beach: we're not talking L.A. style glitz here - we're talking families, teenagers (this is the middle of suburbia, after all), groups of friends, dog-walkers, kite-flyers, chilled out crowds and open expanses. All the preeners and tourists are at Glenelg, leaving the western beaches relatively uncrowded. Even in the height of summer, if you go for a stroll early you can pretty much have the whole beach to yourself...or feel that way, anyway. As a family-friendly beach there are plenty of facilities: barbecues, playgrounds, a miniature steam train to take you down the foreshore, lots of grass (by which I mean lawn, perhaps I should clarify!), a skate park and rides aplenty in midsummer. Not to mention the WATER SLIDE. It may be small, but it's a water slide. Enough said! There's no surf to speak of, but its calm unperturbed waters make for excellent swimming, or just floating around motionless (which frankly is more my style). And when you need that post swim munch session, there are plenty of cafes, ice-creameries and pubs on nearby Semaphore Road to keep you feeling the peaceful summery vibes. Pristine white sands, clear blue water, bright endless sky...yeah, it's good to be home.

If you're going to jump I find that it's best not to think about it too much and just throw…read moreyourself off the ledge. Of the jetty. I used to spend a lot of time in Port Noarlunga and part of my daily exercise was running along the jetty, even though the fisherman used to look at me a little strange. It's so beautiful here on a sunny day, I came here after being in freezing cold London for several months and I really appreciated the beauty of Australia. I believe this is a good spot to get squid, there is ink splayed all over the end of the jetty. Sadly I don't have the patience for this kind of thing, but if I did, this is where I would go first.

It is nice here, love the beach here. And this is the closest jetty to home. I personally try and…read moreavoid it. I would rather go to my most local beach if I am going to make the effort to go. Plus my teenager goes here and tells me stories of people jumping off the jetty and all sorts of accidents he has seen here. I don't want to see them, I would rather hear about it on the news later, so I avoid the area. But it is a great place for fishing near the Onkaparinga River inlet and the teenagers and younger adults love all the activities here in summer.

If Awesome could be melted down and moulded into a series of slippery dips, swings, flying fox's…read moreand other random fun stuff then it would be called the St Kilda Adventure Playground! When I was just a little tacker my mummy and daddy used to take me here with my gang (I was the boss), for an afternoon of red cordial fueled craziness that usually ended up in more than one limb requiring amputation (thats kid talk for a grazed knee with bits of ashfalt stuck under the skin). The old people enjoyed it too with bbq areas and plenty of space for beer enhanced Cricket (Eagle Blue was the choice of the time If I recall). Things have changed a bit over the years with the safety patrol ripping out some of the more enjoyable pieces of equipment because it was deemed too dangerous. Upon reflection I am actually stunned that I walked away alive after each visit! Even with the reduction of carnage, the soul is still firmly within the Playground, with the Fort, Maze and Priate ship still intact. If you do head out that way for the day, make sure you bring your inner kid, because if you don't at least fire up on the flying fox you will regret it because it is CRAZY fun!

All I can say is that this place isn't just for kids. Okay, when I was young we would come out here…read moreand run around the castle, get lost in the maze, and unsuccessfully try to push the pirate ship back out to sea, but honestly when I grew up, nothing changed. I remember when we would all, on the spur on the moment jump into somebody's car and drive up here for a day of flying foxes, slides, running around the maze, and of course trying unsuccessfully to refloat that damn pirate ship (maybe we should have brought to wood to try and plug up that hole). In a way little has changed because the pirate ship is still stuck on the rocks, and the castle still sits atop its hill dominating the skyline, however many of the older attractions have disappeared (no doubt due to legal advice). There was once a train that ran along the side of the park - no more; and the maze from what I can remember was vastly different. They have also closed off the slide that ran down the interior of the volcano. Still, this place will always have great memories.

Nice beach that's close and accessible to the Adelaide cbd. There are cafes and restos nearby…read more When we went here on a Saturday morning there were people playing with their dogs on the beach which was fun to watch. The premises were clean.

Too many people, to put it lightly. It actually is a bit of a cringe worthy walk along Glenelg…read moreBeach in the summertime. leathery old ladies wearing next to nothing, over weight men wearing budgey smugglers, idiots throwing volleyballs at your head. get lost everybody, I'm trying to be peaceful. It's not a long beach, 15 mins max from one end to the other, there are some shells but most of the good ones have been snaggled already if you aren't early enough. There is a jetty you can walk along and get your hair blown into a catwalk fashion, good for a walk along after dinner. Did I mention there are too many people here.

Well, this is certainly one of Adelaide's more popular beaches. In fact as a beach it is pretty…read morecool, and honestly, I really don't know how often I have come down here with friends, namely because it is definitely what I would consider to be one of those go to beaches. Not only that but there are some pretty nice places around to grab a bite to eat, and the foreshore area is also pretty cool. Mind you, it isn't the easiest place to get to, and on hot days, it gets pretty crowded, but as a beach it is still pretty cool.

Nice beach for kids to play. Adults can grab a beverage close by and chill. Parking is free :)…read morebeautiful sunsets.

24/12/2011 The River Torrens is amazing and I think is the…read moresingle most beautiful thing about Adelaide. You can only just look at my choice of my display photo for my Yelp profile, to understand why it's on top of my list of 5-star places to go to in Adelaide. No words will come close to describing it. But if I had to choose a phrase of my own, it would be "lovers' and joggers' paradise in the heart of Adelaide". Who comes here, you might ask? The joggers, young lovers cuddling up, wedding couples all nicely dressed, older adult couples just wanting some quality time walking together, bike riders, more serious-looking cyclists, exhausted students in need of a break, nappers, rowers, sexy sportspeople working out, boxers, bike riders, book readers, geeks, and tourists galore spend time around the river on a daily basis. I just wish they cleaned up or prevented the pollution of this once-pristine River. I personally find a personal escape from all the hard work of life, jogging around River Torrens via a warm early afternoon, with my handy towel and water bottle. It's the most inexpensive way to be one with nature and to get fit at the same time.

I've started walking along the River Torrens, and every time I find something new to smile about…read more It's such a gorgeous place with trees, wide river banks, and plenty of wildlife. It's got a great walking/riding track, if you walk further up closer to North Adelaide it's pretty hard to believe you're so close to the city. I've even been walking back and seen a giraffe poking up from the Adelaide Zoo. There aren't many walking paths that feature their own giraffes. Along the Torrens there are barbecues and picnic spots, and if you're near Elder Park you can enjoy the paddle-boats or the newer Adelaide Ballzup. I love this place, I really, really do. So why is it missing that extra star? Sometimes the River Torrens is a bit like Lilly Allen's LDN. Everything appears all lovely, and gorgeous, and wonderful. But then you look carefully and you notice it's not all roses. The river can stink, especially if you're out on a paddleboat and you get a little too close to the large fountain. You'll also notice various things floating in the river from time to time, that surely shouldn't be there. Walking at night doesn't always feel like the safest thing in the world, with a few too many secluded spots. Overall this picturesque spot deserves more attention from everyone, but gee wouldn't it be great if they could sort out the water issue. P.s. I'm still not entirely convinced that there isn't a lake monster of some description living in the River Torrens...

Behind the Windsor Cinema is the Lockleys R.S.L. Hall and beside this is a reserve called Mellor…read morePark. On the Reserve there is also the Mellor Tennis club's meeting room, and a Mothers and Babies Association centre and toilet conveniences. This Tennis Club has been operating since 1933! The reserve was once a block of land owned by a fellow called Mister Mellor, so when he donated it to the community, bang, Mellor Park! There are fenced tennis courts and beyond them a large grassed space for playing. Big enough for kicking a football or throwing a frisbee. There is also a small fenced off playground for the younger children to play inside. The park reserve has some old established trees that are probably sixty or seventy years old. Large and well established shade provided by the trees on the cool grass is great. If you want to get involved I'll Yelp out with a few contact numbers here: Club Captain Anthony Mezic (Mez) 0417 820 407 Junior's Coach Tony Rehn 0422 498 981 Social Committee Co-Ordinator Kirrily Banks 0423 318 149 Bar Managers Mez & Brocky Committee / Junior Liason / Publicity Leanne McMulkin 0433 922 107

Certainly not as glam as other Adelaide pools, but this one has everything you could ask for from a…read morepublic outside swim centre: wasps, a kiosk, a kiddy pool, lifeguards, and of course, a lot of people wearing speedo's and bikinis who really really shouldn't be. The best thing about Payneham Pool is that you can almost always get a lane to yourself for lap swimming (as long as you don't go during swim carnivals obviously), I like being able to rock up at my leisure and have a lane of my own. This place has enough room for kids and adults to swim and have a good day without fearing for their lives: this is not so much the case at the big leisure centres that are packed with madness and slides. The staff here are really nice (as you don't dive over the lane ropes, don't do that), and there's heaps of shaded grass areas to hang out in. It's a beautiful day and a nice relaxed vibe, dive on in.

Local northeast swimming centre with 3 different sized pools, 1 for the toddlers, 1 medium waist…read moredeep pool and one 50m pool with diving blocks and lanes. I have had heaps of summer holiday days here with friends where the pool gives out fun equipment like inner tubes, beach balls, volleyball nets and floating mats. It's not too busy usually, and there is plenty of outside grass area with some benches to chill out. But bring the sunscreen because there isn't much shade. Now that the aquatic centre had been improved, as well as Marion swimming centre with watersides and more pools etc, payneham doesn't receive much attention, and it could use some upgrading itself.