Blogs are like Tequila. They should be taken with a pinch of salt.



Monday, November 18, 2013

Adelaide Doesn’t Need Your Approval.

This is going to be a rant, but I’ll try and make it funny and I’ll include the word ‘asshat’. Bear with me.

I’m from Adelaide. I’ve lived in Melbourne for seven years – not because I don’t want to live in Adelaide, but because I wanted to challenge myself by moving away – and I find myself having to defend my city’s honour on a daily basis. That much, I can deal with (since I took up kickboxing). But then, this happened.

A douchebag who shall remain nameless (alright, his name is Anthony Sharwood) recently wrote a sarcastic article* about Adelaide’s recent accolade as one of Lonely Planet’s Top Cities in the World. I read his article a couple of weeks ago, and I put my anger on simmer. And then today I stumbled across a photo I’d forgotten about that I took earlier this year of a man on a tram in Melbourne wearing an Anti-SA t-shirt. And my blood went from simmer to boil. But you know what I realised about these two dickwads who couldn’t tell their ass from their elbow? You know what I would say to these wankers if ever I felt like starting a conversation with two men who, put together, have less personality than a box of hair?

Adelaide doesn’t need your approval. If you don’t want to live here... bugger off. Shut up about it. We are doing fine without you.

You know what, dirty tram-man? You are wearing a leopard print hat, three old Sexpo wrist tags and a Hustler bag.
Adelaide didn't want you anyway.

Sharwood referred to Adelaide, among other things, as ‘dysfunctional’ (as well as calling us ‘bitchy’. People in glass houses shouldn’t throw catty articles across the internet, ASSHAT). Our city is fucking brilliant. Everything is easy to find because good ol’ Colonel William Light planned it properly, on a grid. We have a beautiful, syringe-less beach only a tram ride away. Our CBD is surrounded by parklands that harbour far less sexual activity than yours by a buttload (pun intended). Yes, Elizabeth may be our ghetto suburb, but you can bet your ass we’d fiercely protect it against the slumlords that might travel over from Sydney’s bogan areas. At least our ghetto doesn’t cause riots that make the WORLD FUCKING NEWS (way to make Australia look good, Redfern. I mean, Maroubra. Cronulla? Shit, I don’t remember, there’s been too bloody many of them).

And as for referring to the Fringe festival as “an excuse to get really drunk in the park while watching B-Grade acts because no decent act ever makes it to Adelaide”. Come a little closer and say that. Our Fringe is the largest in the Southern Hemisphere, second only in the world to Edinburgh, with over 4000 performers and 1.5 million audience members. Yours is three years old and the biggest in New South Wales between Woy Woy and Wollongong. Accept defeat and don’t be a bitch, Sharwood. Your city is also notoriously bad at nurturing the Arts and new acts. You may have NIDA and the Sydney Theatre Company, but when it comes to the Arts, we are more supportive than a DD-cup push-up bra. You also used a forty-year-old photograph to criticise our fashion sense, and made fun of a lagoon ecosystem. Were you running out of ideas, much?

I frigging loved growing up in Adelaide. I love that the three most magical places of my youth had magical names – The Lost Forest, Dazzleland, and Magic Mountain. What’s even more magical is that they no longer exist, except perfectly in my memory. I love that getting stuck in peak hour traffic means only having to slow down to 30kph for twenty minutes of the day. I love that you have a good chance of bumping into people you went to school with, most likely out at a pub that has been around for years but a recent revamp has made it become cool again. I love that there are a million great restaurants and bars, and that you people from interstate seem to have no idea where to find them (what are you, idiots? Ask locals, get on Google - the good places in any city are easy to find if you have half a brain). I love that I have no knowledge of wine, but I feel safe that it will be good enough when I read ‘made in SA’ on the label. I love that we speak with a slight English accent. I love that, on my 21st birthday, I got to dance with a local celebrity – Johnny Haysman**. I love that we reportedly live longer than Melbournites and Sydney-Siders (maybe from being kinder humans, dicknose). I love that we have special terms like ‘heaps good’ and ‘fritz’ and ‘yiros’, like our own little language. I love that I once saw some door graffiti that said "Look at yourself. Go on, look. You are beautiful." (And a week later in Sydney saw door graffiti that said "You are a c*nt-fucker"...). I love that Farmer’s Union Iced Coffee outsells Coca-cola by almost three-to-one, the only city in the world where a milk drink is more popular than Coke. I love Adelaide.
 
I casually snapped this myself (and then instagrammed it in a never ending attempt to be cool), of one of my many favourite Adelaide spots.
And you know what the absolute best thing about Adelaide is? We laugh at ourselves. We admit we aren’t perfect. We admit we have a stupid expressway, and a few shark attacks. We admit we own the heritage of Snowtown as proudly as you admit you own that of Ivan Milat (a.k.a. not proudly at all). But at least we have never required a season of Underbelly. We don’t feel the need to be arrogant about which is the best city or put others down (unless they piss us off with stupid sarcastic articles). We are also happy to openly love other cities. I love Melbourne. Despite my rant, I actually love Sydney (so thanks a lot for forcing me to play dirty and say mean things, Sharwood). And maybe it’s that lack of arrogance and bitchiness that keeps getting us voted as one of the BEST AND MOST LIVABLE CITIES IN THE WORLD. And we are more thick-skinned than any of the other cities because we get so much crap from Melbourne and Sydney (except probably Hobart, those two-headed Tassy freaks get a lot of flak). Adelaide is the harmless little kid at school who got picked on by the self-important bullies. She stayed quiet and kept true to herself, and slowly started to get recognised for being beautiful and kind. Unlike the coke-snorting, king-hitting, street-walking bullies, who will wake up one day and realise they have no friends left, no money for rent, and a bad reputation for being a bitch.

I once heard that Adelaide and Los Angeles are the only two cities with lights that twinkle from outer space – something to do with the shape of the hills that surround the city, trapping in twinklifying gasses. Whether the outer space thing is true, I don’t know – I’ll get back to you once I’ve been up there. But I know that I can see them twinkling and blinking from the hill behind my parent’s house. Like the million good things we have to offer, our twinkly lights are only appreciated by those who have the perceptiveness to notice them. So, Anthony Shart-wood and dirty tram-man, come on back to Adelaide. Let me show you around properly (and I promise not to push you in the Torrens... more than once). And if you end up hating it, that’s fine. Thanks for giving it a real go, and have a safe onward journey. Adelaide will be okay without you. In fact, it will be more than okay. Adelaide will still be awesome, quietly rocking out behind your back as you drive away, its’ lights twinkling in your rear-view mirror.


*If you want to read that article, I hope you read it with a sneer on your face and a snarl in your throat. Feel free to leave him a rude comment, or pee in his fuel tank. http://www.news.com.au/national/in-honour-of-adelaide-being-named-one-of-the-worlds-top-10-cities-here-is-why-you-have-to-visit/story-fncynjr2-1226748955491

**For those readers who are not familiar with Johnny Haysman, he is a local who can often be found wandering around Rundle Mall in gumboots, briefs, and a fluoro vest. Like New York’s Naked Cowboy, but with crazier hair and an incredible outlook on life. We danced to a Spice Girls song at Flashdance HQ, and I was giddy with happiness.

 
Me and Johnny Haysman - An extremely happy moment.



By Lucy Gransbury. Follow her on Twitter @LucyGransbury. Or follow her in real life. She's in Melbourne... ironically.



306 comments:

  1. Well said Lucy. I'm a Perth boy but I lived in Adelaide for nearly 4.5 years. Loved every damn second of it. I always called Adelaide the cross roads for drifters and in many ways that was true. Its the only place you could see true multiculturalism at its best without the segregation that Melbourne and Sydney exhibits. I miss tons of things there, pie floaters, making out with chicks up at Skye, driving 'spirited' down upper Greenhill rd.. So many awesome things.
    I would gladly go back to SA to live if my career prospects there were achievable. When I read his article a few weeks back I felt like pushing him in the Torrens too, but the problem is that he's a pile of seagull shit which outweighs the radioactive duck shit in the Torrens so it wouldn't have any effect on him.

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    1. Thank you very much! That comment was brilliant, especially the 'making out with chicks up at Skye'!! Hahaha! I completely buy your analogy of the Torrens-meets-Sharwood, you must be a scientist. Only one way for us to find it if you are right....!

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    2. Scientists dont make out with chicks at Skye. Fact of life :)

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  2. Great article thanks Lucy! Been overseas for a few months but heading home (to Adelaide) to summer. I've been meeting a steady stream of europeans who have lived and worked in Australia but never came to Adelaide. I have to admit that no, we don't have many must-see touristy things like some other cities but its a great place to live!

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    1. Thank you Nick! I hope the europeans come to their senses and get on down there one day! Enjoy summer, Adelaide is the best place to be for it :)

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  3. Quite seriously one of the best articles I've read. I love our city. I love how Rundle Mall acts as a friendly-faced buffer, dividing the hipsters of Rundle Street from the more-than-friendly folk of Hindley. I love how one of our suburbs is included in a popular SA figure of speech ("that dickhead knows nothing north of Gepps Cross"). And I love how even in the busiest parts of the city, you'll always find a small coffee place that hardly anyone seems to know about, where the the barista will call you either love, darl, or bella/bello and will be able to talk your ear off about their story.

    Eastern states can get stuffed. They can keep their coastal cities and race riots. I'm happy here.

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    1. Tyler, I 100% love everything you said, and couldn't agree more. It's a hell of a place, and the people who don't realise it know nothing north of Gepps Cross!

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  4. Absolutely brilliant reply miss lucy *****

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  5. That article made my blood boil as well. So many people were sharing the article on facebook without even realising the guy was mocking us so much. They read the title and that was it. I was quite proud of how much Adelaide offers, but there was no reason to hate. He'd probably never even stepped foot in SA. This is my far the best article ive ever read in my life. Thank you for that :)

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    1. I know, I was overseas and began reading it with a smile, thinking it would be a celebration of Adelaide - apparently not! I heard on the grapevine that he actually is a fan of Adelaide but was asked to write an article in that vein - no wonder he struggled to round out the top ten! We are too good :)

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  6. I do not understand how someone can write such a childish, unprofessional and ignorant article regarding another city like this. Sharwood shows how ridiculous, self-absorbed and pathetic he is. Why are idiots like this allowed to write on news sites (or whatever?). Perhaps he should travel a little bit? Has he even been to Adelaide, let alone other countries? I love Adelaide for what it is. You either take it or leave it, it's not going to change and it's fine as it is. Keep your shitty attitude, Melbourne and Sydney and see where that takes you. Oh and enjoy your lives of meaningless consumerism, fear and stress while you're at it. Some people...are just idiots. Thanks for the article, enjoyed it very much

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    1. Bravo! Extremely well said! After reading the article, I scrolled through some other articles on the news site, and my GOODNESS there is some trash. Surely, none of them were from Adelaide! :)

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    2. Have you actually read the article Anonymous? You're completely misreading the tone of the article, it wasn't mean-spirited at all. If Sharwood wanted to be mean, he could have mentioned that some South Aussies are parochial bores who can't take a joke.

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  7. I have visited the Adelaide CBD 7 times this year. On one of those 7 occasions, I did not witness someone urinating openly in the street.
    I therefore give Adelaide an official score of 1/7 for non-displays of public urination.

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    1. I saw a man pooing in the street on my first day in Melbourne, but stuck around for a while afterwards regardless. You just can't tell a city by it's toilet habits, I guess!

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    2. I saw a guy taking a crap in a grate on the platform at the Opera metro station in Paris. You really can't judge a city by its toilet habits. Then a friend pops by for a cup of tea and asks if he can "use my grate" before leaving for his next engagement.

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  8. Enjoyed reading your response and had a few laughs as well. Have lived elsewhere but happy to be back in SA.

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    1. Thank you for reading, and welcome back to Radelaide!!

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  9. The only thing left to deal with is the rampant homophobia...

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    1. Unfortunately it's rampant everywhere. However, I did notice that this weekend's rally for gay marriage appears to be happening in most other cities except Adelaide. If you are there this weekend, be the change!

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    2. didnt notice feast festival or the rainbow flag hanging outside adelaide city council

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  10. To Unknown,
    I have worked in Adelaide CBD for the past 20 years and have never seen anyone urinating openly in the street.

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    1. Same. Nor have I ever urinated in the street. I think Unknown had some spectacularly bad timing!

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    2. I have lived in Adelaide for about about 36 of my 41 years on this planet and I can only recall one instance of public urination. It was about 2am in Hindley St so I think I'm lucky I didn't see more...

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  11. Thanks for your response to that mean spirited article, it made me angry at how childish and bitchy the article was to the world wide appreciation of an Australian city. Aren't we all Australian? We should be proud that an Australian city made it to the top 10 on Lonely Planet, not trying to bring each other down. I too love Melbourne and Sydney, I'm from Adelaide and I don't feel the need to put other cities down. But when we lived on the East Coast we copped plenty of barbs about being from Adelaide, most of which are old news (like the fashion photo in that article). Thanks for saying what I couldn't articulate! And by the way, the journalist that wrote the article is from Canberra, not reputed for exciting things and object of ridicule as well. So maybe he was just jealous and a sore loser. Or just sour with life in general, the rest of his articles are poorly formed, mean opinion pieces.

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    1. My point exactly Emma! We should all be celebrating each other's cities! Thanks for reading x

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  12. I'm so glad this article exists! I am tired of wanting to end friendships over the fact that 'friends' have biased unvalidated views. I grew up between Adelaide and Bundaberg, and honestly, Adelaide is a sight better than Bundaberg!

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    1. Haha thank you so much! You should hit us with the finer points of Bundy! :)

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  13. Great article Luce! I too had the joy of dancing with Johnny back in the day :) Love Radelaide, can't wait to move back!

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  14. This is epic. Just spent the last 5 minutes at work with a friend emailing our favourite lines back and forth.



    "If you can only have one great love, then the city just may be mine. And I don't want nobody talkin' shit about my boyfriend."

    Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker), Sex and the City

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    1. In a day that has been kind of surreal, you have literally made it for me. That comment will forever make me smile! Thank you so much for reading!

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  15. Adelaide Rocks , Always has Always will , It is What It is and if they don't like it don't come here ...

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  16. This is such a fantastic article and I did just pop over and read Sharwood's article...and all I could think was why? I did the unthinkable-after 35 years in Sydney I moved to Adelaide (SHOCK HORROR), I have bought a house here a stones throw from the city centre on a beautiful tree lined street (on my own - anunthinkable and unimaginable feat in Sydney) and I ride my bike everywhere, I can go for a swim at a city beach after work on a weekday and on the weekend I can drive 15 minutes into the hills and drink some of the best wine in the world...and yet-friends from Sydney always ask "why on earth would you want to stay there"....I'm pleased to say that I am slowly converting many of them and my visitor numbers go up every year!

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    1. Could not agree more, and good on you for making the move! Welcome to the good side! :)

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  17. Reading this has made me miss Adelaide even more, i live in Canada i forget about all the little quirks this city has, especially the guy in gumboots haha this has made my week.

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    1. Thanks Kirsty! I bet Canada is beautiful, but like Dorothy says, there's no place like home! :)

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  18. I agree with most things you've written, after all I do love Adelaide, but minda isnt a good word and I find it disappointing that it made it into this article. The name Minda comes from an Aboriginal language and means 'place of shelter and protection' and the fact its used as an insult is upsetting. In my opinion the way we throw that word around is one of the things I like least in this city we love.

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    1. Thank you, an extremely valid point. Though I don't use the word, I do recognise it as being unfortunately engrained in the South Australian vernacular - I have removed it from the post, and hopefully it will eventually be removed from our vocabulary.

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  19. I have lived in every state in Australia except Queensland but I have visited the place. I have travelled every continent again except Antarctica Mawson did that for me. I know I've seen the exhibit.
    I loved Perth. I like Melbourne and Sydney has a certain wow factor.... Sorry Sydney Harbour has a certain wow factor. The fact that they call Bondi an actual beach shows how little they know.
    Melbourne always was the big brother who wouldn't let you borrow his BMX he had all the cool stuff you wanted. But somewhere you begin to realise it needs all that it needs to have all the sport and indoor cafes because its weather is more unpredictable than a Kings Cross hooker with an itch.
    I once heard a lady on a plane remark " oh look thats the city its rather small " we were flying in from Perth. After 3 years of living in Perth I really wouldn't say it was much bigger if at all. Perception is a hard thing to change. We do it ourselves I challenge you to think of Ten Places besides Cleland, Glenelg, The Winery regions and Victor Harbour you would take a foreign tourist to site see. It gets easier when you start to look at the places you know you go to. The alfresco lives style of our city, the sheer charm of Port Noarlunga with miles and mile and miles of actual Beach to wander and look next suburb either side miles and miles and miles of Beach. We take for granted that no other City in Australia has as much coast line that is unencumbered by swamp mangroves and crocodiles and Floating ex Prime Ministers. Yes our Northern Suburb friends past Semaphore do miss out a little but its also only 45 minutes from the Ghetto we call Elizabeth to a beach not 2 hours. I grew up here but I lived in India for some time as a child and also Liverpool. I think we should start rethinking the term Ghetto as its not that bad. Ok I won't be getting a FUIC label tattoo'd on my arm in thailand but at least a bloke from the Ghetto can get his centrelink money together pay for his passport and pass through the drug detection dogs read all the signs at the airport and make it safely home with only the slight possibility of Hepatitis. But thats what is great about our city we can laugh at ourselves and we can afford to

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    1. India and Liverpool and Adelaide, what a contrast! I love Port Noarlunga too. Thanks for reading :)

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  20. Awesome but hush don't tell the world I like the way Adelaide is and I couldn't care less if no one else visited. It's like a secret gem, let's keep it that way, we don't need those prices around anyways

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  21. I don't think we should be celebrating "minda" as a special term that is a unique and wonderful and lovely about South Australia/Adelaide - considering it is typically used in a derogatory fashion, as an insult or otherwise. Even if used in an (arguably) affectionate capacity, its use demonstrates naivety and ignorance regarding the discrimination and social barriers that people with intellectual disabilities face on a daily basis.

    Perhaps, you could use your little square inch of the internet to encourage people *not* to use this term, and its more popular friend, 'retard', as words that are as self limiting and hateful... I don't know. And if anyone reads this comment and dismisses it for whatever reason, "political correctness gone mad!" "oh, she's just being sensitive!" "but you've missed the whole point of the article" ... well... changes such as these are a small and constant, but necessary battle.

    At any rate, this Open Letter to Ann Coulter articulates the case against using the word retard much better than I ever could. http://specialolympicsblog.wordpress.com/2012/10/23/an-open-letter-to-ann-coulter/

    And for the record: I agree. Adelaide is a lovely city.

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    1. Thank you, an extremely valid point. Though I don't use the word, I do recognise it as being unfortunately engrained in the South Australian vernacular - I have removed it from the post, and hopefully it will eventually be removed from our vocabulary.

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    2. Ah, thankyou! And I apologise if I sounded a bit vigilante. :)

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  22. Great article. I still haven't been to Adelaide but I'm hoping to amend that this year. I'm from Brisbane, and pretty much everything you've said here is relevant for us too. I lived in Sydney for a while and I was amazed how snobby people were about living in a famous, large city. Some people are jerks. Some people are great. And both categories populate every city in Australia.

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    1. Agreed. IMHO Brisbane is better. I am from Adelaide and now live in Brisbane. You have to live in Adelaide to fully appreciate it.

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  23. Just went back to check that article (I read it when it was first posted) to see what sort of comments it had garnered... oh look, there are none on it! Which is interesting as I know I submitted a politely worded bitch-slap of a comment at the time, as I'm sure others have also done.

    I guess the responses were all too pro-Adelaide, hey?

    Thank you for this excellent reply, btw. I've been living in Adelaide for nearly 6 years now and I love the place. Incredibly friendly people, wonderful places to hang out, good food, fabulous holiday spots within easy reach... what more could you want? Adelaide has character - good character.

    Emma

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    1. Thanks Emma! I did the same! Thanks for reading :)

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  24. well said Lucy. Ive been to Melb and Sydney and I didn't like either. Smelly dirty streets and Sydney was worse the people we came across were so rude, not helpful at all and I just couldn't wait to get home. No place like Adelaide X

    Tara

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  25. Adelaide is the 8th wonder of the world.......It's the only hole "above" ground......but it's MY hole.....yes Lucy we may be backwards and slow when it comes to progress, but we are getting there and it makes Adelaide like that sleepy country town you like to visit when the Big smoke gets all too much...It's a place where you can drive just 10 minutes out of the CBD and you are surrounded by scenery reminiscent of a David Attenborough doco, It's a place where people actually say hello to each other and help someone who's car has broken down at a set of traffic lights instead of sitting in their "beemers" standing on the horn.

    I spent the first 20 years of my life in Elizabeth,and you know what, I find it a better area than some of the more affluent suburbs.....why ???.... because the people are hardworking, most are very house proud and have lived there for 30-40 years, but most of all they are friendly...their best friends are their neighbours who will watch their fellow grey nomads houses for them whilst they are away on holidays, water their lawns and feed their pets. whereas you ask someone from say Stirling or Unley and they probably couldn't even tell you what their neighbours looked like, let alone their name.....I have lifelong friends from growing up in Elizabeth and we are an extremely fierce bunch when it comes to defending our suburb.

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    1. I grew up in Elizabeth as well, I spent 18 years there before relocating to Sydney for my undergraduate degree. When I left I had no concept that some parts of town were better than others. Which was an education in Sydney where your post code is everything. My family are still in Elizabeth so to me visiting "Adelaide" is right then left out of the airport and head north.

      I have lived in Sydney for 15 years and while it is idealistic it would be nice if people didn't have to denigrate other places to bolster their argument of how awesome Adelaide is. It is a beautiful city that can stand on its own merits. Maroubra is a gorgeous, diverse suburb with fiercely proud locals - many of the migrants. The beaches of Cronulla are spectacular and it is were the park meets the sea. Redfern is a changing place, largely gentrified, vibrant and lively.

      Everywhere has its issues, this isn't to ignore them but we can do better than pointless, unhelpful comparisons.

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    2. I can actually admit I haven't been to Elizabeth, which is shameful! Whatever it's reputation, I know a lot of brilliant people from there, so surely the place can't be bad! Will get there asap :)

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  26. I find it sad that the other states felt so threatened by Adelaide and hence felt the need for 'Sharwood' article to come into existence.....finally Adelaide will be a threat to the other states tourism....quite frankly they can suck it.

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  27. Brilliant article, this deserves much wider distribution. Either The Advertiser or InDaily should pick this up and run it, though perhaps with some of the swears removed - I haven't seen 'asshat' printed in the mainstream media before, though there's a first time for everything.

    Great work Lucy!

    Gus

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    1. Thank you much Gus, that actually made me laugh out loud. Here's hoping they do! Lucy x

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  28. Yeh Adelaide is great for simple minded pop tarts that love following trends and riding the waves of fads. Also the problem is, as you said, that the 'magical' places of our youth, that we grew up with NO LONGER EXIST! There is nothing decent for young kids now, all generic shit! Likewise, we have these bullshit 3am lock-outs, Nazi curfews for grown adults! however, thats not the biggest problem,t he problem is when you go out you can choose between shit mainstream clubs full of shit people, or pretentious hipster bars! so I say Adelaide is shit! Colonel Light can go and get fucked the stupid Anglo

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    1. if you have hate in your heart let it out lol

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    2. didnt see that the nsw opposition is oushing for 1am lockouts

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    3. If you're so unhappy here, there's a simple solution. MOVE dickhead!

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    4. Love it how Colonel Light is a 'stupid Anglo'. #lol #wut

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    5. I'm gonna have to agree with you anonymous. Most people think Adelaide is great because they have never been elsewhere. Adelaide is a very sheltered city and most people look down on you if you're not either sports-mad or some fad following money orientated jerk. The people there pretend to be liberal but they are mostly close-minded and provincial.

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    6. Bullshit. The only difference between pretentious hipster bars in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney is they have more of them. Same with mainstream clubs (and lock-outs, like anonymous at 11.41 mentioned). I have plenty of friends not into sport who aren't 'fad following money oriented jerks' and I wouldn't be moving to the east coast in a hurry if that's what you're trying to avoid. Watch the news and you'll realise this whole country is provincial to the rest of the world, whichever party is in power; get over it.

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    7. Colonel Light the stupid anglo...... of Malay & Portuguese descent through his mum (Martina Rozells, the "Princess of Kedah")

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  29. This is an excellent article, if by excellent you mean it responds to a bunch of mock criticisms which were a complete throwaway written on the back of a serviette in about 7 minutes - and which were clearly written in jest yet which an entirely humourless populace of a million or so glass-jawed locals took to their hearts and defended with their lives.

    Five further words: Adelaide, learn to laugh a little.

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    1. Do an article on Canberra? shouldn't take long....

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    2. Laughing would imply the original article was funny. It wasn't, it was just nasty. Bullies often complain they "were just joking" when the skinny kid gets up and fights back!

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    3. "Five further words: Adelaide, learn to laugh a little."

      That's six words, asshat.

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    4. If it was a blog post written by a local then yes it would have been a funny tongue-in-cheek post. However, it was written by a mainstream media outlet by someone living in Sydney and raised in Canberra. The fact that they were specifically asked to write this article in this manner is a reflection on the severe lack of integrity that a lot of media has earned. It absolutely reeked of Eastern States jealousy and I find it a little immature that they feel they need to belittle the achievements of other regions within their own country to restore their own sense of importance. Grow up for goodness sake, we know that on the whole Sydney and Melbourne have an amazing amount to offer, but you're not the only ones.
      Also, I think we have a great sense of humour, it's just that it might not be understood by too many "mainstream thinkers"...

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    5. Hm, sounds like someone doesn't like the taste of his own meds. You might've retained a shred of credibility if you had simply ignored this artice, Mr Ant, but now you've managed to acquire the mantle of 'chief dick-nose'. Wear it proudly sir. Few adults try to pull off the 'it was only a joke, don't take it so hard' line, so many teachers have to cop in primary school. But congrats, I can now bundle you in the same group as my childishly obnoxious seven year old nephew.

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    6. Anthony, however you feel about Adelaide, thanks for an article that has elicited such a response. Would love to have a debate over beers sometime in either city! Apologies for calling you an asshat, though no promises it won't happen again.

      And cheers to all of you guys who responded in my defense :) Adelaide produces some bloody legends.

      (Ben Thorn, that response has made my week!)

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    7. Adelaide is the all-purpose soft target but you really need to make up your minds over there; are we the town of murderous bogans you must refer to as your city is virtually bereft of any such low socio-economic population or the hoity toity cheese and chardonnay set trumpeting 'ra-ra. go fellows!' at the crows? Surely social diversity does not exist beyond Sydney or, to a lesser extent, Melbourne, and we would appreciate the clarification.

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    8. Dear Mr Sharwood,
      Lucy's article is merely a bunch of mock criticisms written in about 7 minutes on the back of an envelope which an entirely glass-jawed writer is taking to heart and defending. Perhaps you should learn to laugh a little?

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  30. As previously mentioned on what places do we have to show people, well there's the Whispering Wall, Fairyland Village, giant Rocking Horse, Barossa, Carrick Hill (and the child's walk they have), Botanical Gardens, markets, cafes, restaurants, many parklands, Brewery xmas lights, Saint Kilda playground, Lobethal lights, gee do I need to go on.....but wait why advertise what we have and be flooded with single minded idiots who don't appreciate the family atmosphere here. Oh and great article well done Lucy :)

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    1. I LOVE all of the above, and that brought a huge smile to my face! Thanks for reading :)

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  31. Love it Lucy! Spot on! Even though I left Adelaide 15+ years ago, it is still home to me and when I meet fellow Adelaidians my first question is still, where did you go to school (and I left school in 1990!!). Adelaide does get a bum rap but you can have such a lovely life and childhood there. Sadly when you hit your 20s options are limited but I do love visiting each year at Christmas. Prue x

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    1. Me too Prue! Christmas when we all come together and drink at the Robin Hood! Thanks for reading :)

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  32. Firstly, I am from Adelaide, but live in Brisbane for the last 8 years.
    Great article, you make some great points and are overwhelmingly right.
    I do think Anthony Sharwood is way off the mark, plus he is from Canberra...
    My comparison is ADL to BNE.
    Compared to Brisbane, Adelaide is 'clicky' and has a drug problem.
    I find people are generally nicer in QLD.
    Adelaide's economy is less than stellar, I had to leave to find opportunities. This single fact is the main reason why I dont live there, as I wish I still did.

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  33. There's nothing like responding to a bitchy, mean-spirited article with another bitchy, mean-spirited article. Well played Adelaide, well played.

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    1. This article actually has substance to its accusations! There was absolutely nothing of substance in the Sharwood article! Well played?! I agree with you!

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    2. Thank you for defending me from Anon, Anon x

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  34. adelaide doesnt need your validation but here is my blog article desperately seeking your validation

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    1. exactly! Nothing like a self defensive article to sum up how secure Adelaide is in its own skin

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    2. Imagine the outcry if the Advertiser published a similar article about Sydney or Melbourne? Insecurity is better demonstrated in constantly having to mitigate international recognition of your less populated neighbours. No city (or town) in the world would stand for this.

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    3. Beautifully said, thank you for the support!

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  35. This is an amazing article. I've lived in Brisbane for almost 2 years now and am sick of telling people I'm originally from Adelaide and hearing the response, "well, no wonder you moved!" Uh, no, I love Adelaide, maybe try visiting before you comment!

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  36. Thanks for writing this awesome article about Adelaide! I find Adelaide to be great mix of ease and vibrancy, a combination I have not found so much in other places.

    In addition to the points you made above, Adelaide also has one of the biggest and best Cabaret Festivals in the world, many renowned international musical acts (Hilltop Hoods, The Angels, Sia, Cold Chisel - just to name a few!) and the biggest pub crawl in the southern hemisphere. Our city has amazing day and night markets, alleyway bars, street musicians, food truck parties and pop up venues. We have a thriving local arts and music scene. Our restaurants are incredible. Our beers and ciders win awards. What a city to live in!

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    1. Agreed Sarah! I didn't even realise Sia was from Adelaide? Amazing! And totally agree on all of it :)

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  37. G'day Lucy!
    Heaps good article! ;)
    I'm a proud Adelaide boy but currently living in Melbourne (came over here like you for a new challenge and to play footy) but absolutely love my hometown and still visit as often as I can.
    I love that I don't know you, where you're from in The 'Laide or what you're about but yet we still have the same love for the same things in our hometown. I also love that when I've met anyone in Melb who is from Adelaide, we can automatically share stories and similar experiences - it's an instant bond because our city is ours and we've lived and loved every bit of it.
    Get around Radelaide and South Australia because they are the most beautiful city/state in Australia.

    Rhyian

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    1. Agreed Rhyian! And I love that our first question is always "where did you go to school?" because then we find out the 50 people we have in common! Amazing :)

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  38. I love my home city of Adelaide, was even born in Elizabeth! I get teary on the plane as I land back in Adelaide...sad I know! I am a first generation Australian from English heritage and love that people think I talk 'posh'. No convicts here mate!

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    1. Honkytonk Gal, your comment made me teary, because I also get teary flying back into Adelaide. I've been in Melbourne for 3 years now but nothing beats the descent back into Adelaide. :')

      (I also love Melbourne folk thinking I'm English!)

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    2. You guys are beautiful. I always whisper hello or goodbye to Adelaide when I'm on the plane... shhhh ;)

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    3. I've been in Melbourne for a year now and getting teary just thinking about the descent into Adelaide! I unfortunately read his article as well; I guess I was surprised to see a Melbournean promoting Adelaide in the headline and got sucked in to reading the crap that followed. The attitude of Anthony is quintessential of the Melbourneans I've met to date. I actually found out recently that I almost missed out on the job I ended up being hired for because I'm from Adelaide and so they thought I couldn't handle the pressure so they didn't shortlist me for interview. I only got an interview because I chased them up, which no other candidate did. To top it off, I also found out that I aced the interview questions in comparison to other candidates and have been proving them wrong about their Adelaide small-town stereotype ever since!
      You also know you're a proud Adelaidean when:
      - people look at you funny when you say "heaps good" or use "heaps" in general
      - you complain about how long the Melbourne Winter is and how short Summer is when Melbourneans think it's been a long hot Summer :S
      - you find yourself hunting down bakeries in search of something slightly good enough to replace Vili's
      - you roll your eyes when people tell you how great St Kilda beach is
      - you get homesick every time people post pictures of ANY beach in Adelaide, but especially Brighton
      - you feel relaxed when you drive around Adelaide, after driving in Melbourne, and have learned to love public transport
      - you correct people on their pronunciation of 'graph' and 'schedule' cause you know you speak the Queen's English ;)
      And on that, I felt extremely proud after my first couple of weeks here when I was picked up on my South Australian accent by a stranger who had studied in SA. Melbourne has its good points, but Adelaide really is a beautiful city.
      Let Melbourne be jealous, they have every right to be.

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  39. I think this Sharwood jerk has actually done South Aussies a favour with his article about our beautiful, civilised capital as it might have the effect of keeping more of his like away, thus maintaining our well-kept secret! IMHO there is only one thing worse than an outsider who denigrates Adelaide...an Adelaideian who slanders his/her home city!

    Ros

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  41. Awesome! Well done Lucy! Great read and exactly why I love Adelaide. The city I never thought I would enjoy.
    I was hesitant about Adelaide, but after being here for a while I don't want to trade it. Its so easy, and the fact I can go for a bike ride from my house, all the way through the center of the city and to the other side, along the Torrens without barely seeing a city building...that to me is just magical! Its such a peaceful picturesque ride.
    And should I need to buy something along the way, just get off the river and head 200m into Rundle. Just a great city!

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    1. Totally agree Benjamin, you made the right choice!

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  42. Didn't Johnny die recently? i haven't seen him around the mall or anywhere in a long time and i remember reading in the 'tiser that he'd passed on.

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    1. WHAT? I am shattered to read that. What a legend.

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    2. He was in a Mount Barker ad recently... Toyota? Could be living out there.

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  43. I'm a Victorian (Bendigo) but lived in Melbourne for 10 years. I moved to Adelaide for work and a change of pace 2 years ago - thinking if I didn't like it I could just move on somewhere else. Two years have gone by (too quickly) and I'm still here and loving it. I don't plan on moving anywhere else in the near future, I'm constantly learning that there is so much to see and do in Adelaide and South Australia. I absolutely love Melbourne, and my heart melts every time I go back there, but at this point in my life, Adelaide is my home!! I very much enjoyed reading your article, thank you :-)

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    1. Thank you! So glad you are loving it! I also love your home city, where I have been for seven years. Yay for cross-love! :)

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  44. Shhhh! Don't tell him he's wrong! I encourage the stupid interstate stereotypes about Adelaide; it prevents the idiots from moving over here and ruining the place. Having lived in proper mega-cities (New York, London, Beijing - ugh!) the reason Adelaide works is because it's a managable size. You can see the edges of the city (the hills or ocean) from pretty much anywhere within it, and the only reason the beaches have different names is so we can tell where we are - it's all one long beach!

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  45. Lucy, before the interwebs tears you apart (because correct spelling is obviously more important than good ideas), the first line should be "Bear with me" (unless you're suggesting that we all get naked, in which case I'm in) and the paragraph about the Fringe should end "Were you running out of ideas, much?". Don't want your article discounted because of typos. Feel free to delete this comment to maintain the illusion :)

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  46. Hi there!! As an Adelaide born and bred gal I am about to return from 4 years overseas. In Italy mostly. I am unsure how this move will go but thank you for reminding me of all the things I had forgotten about our Adelaide! Stick that in your pipe and smoke it Sharwood!!!!

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    1. You will love it! Tweet me if you need suggestions! :)

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  47. I'm with Lucy. Adelaide is Australia's best kept secret! I reckon let them rant and insult Adelaide :) Luckily that keeps most of them away from considering living here <3

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    1. Haha I should've kept the secret! But I agree!

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  48. Am I the only one slightly sad that they're duplicating the Southern Expressway? I mean, I'll love the ability to drive in either direction whenever I want (I will really REALLY love it in fact), but it was a quirky thing about Adelaide that interstate visitors were always fascinated by. Plus there was the challenge of getting to the Expressway before it closed and feeling like a champion when you did. Guess I'll need to stick to showing people the temporary buildings they erect each year for the Clipsal and then pull down again afterwards.

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  49. As an ex-Adelaide Melbournian of a dozen or so years, I could count on one hand the number of times I've heard negative comments about Adelaide. In Adelaide, I always heard a lot about the inter-city rivalry (I think there were even beer commercials that revolved around the 'kick-a-Vic' premise), but I was surprised to discover that nobody in Melbourne appeared ever to have heard about it, let alone engaged in it. The article, the t-shirt, they're dumb, but vanishingly rare examples of anyone in the Eastern States having anything whatsoever to say about Adelaide, other than being surprised about how nice it was when they visited for some reason or other. There's really nothing for Adelaide to defend itself against, other than obscurity.

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    1. Dan, that's good for you, but I would imagine your experience differs wildly from other people's. I moved here from Brisbane and EVERY time I go back there I get cracks about Adelaide from people who have never been here. It doesn't matter what the reality is, but tell people that Adelaide is actually quite an interesting, progressive and quirky little city and they'll look at you like you're either a nutcase or you're having them on. I have friends in Melbourne who say they cop shit from people at work whenever they choose to come over to Adelaide on holidays. Have also noticed that 'Adelaide' is always a great fall-back joke for comedians on TV shows etc - guaranteed laugh. The sad thing is not that Adelaideans are too sensitive about it all, but that the relentlessness of the jokes starts to stick after a while. There is a reason that people in Adelaide have such a complex about it all.

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    2. Dan, I've also had experiences like Boyang, but I'm so glad to hear that the people you've encountered have been so positive! Thanks for reading guys :)

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    3. Interesting that the comedians and musicians I like the most have a soft spot for Adelaide, and not just in a 'no-one rocks like... Adelaide' way. Talents like Mike Patton and Neko Case make a point of coming back more than a lot of east-coast artists.

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  50. Yes! Love this! Great read! Grown up living in the hills and love the city! Wouldn't live anywhere else! Everything is so close to each other too! Just sad to admit that i havent found many little boutique coffee shops yet! But this needs to be done! Great article once again!

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  51. This is such a great article. I come from Belgium and find myself defending Adelaide to Melbourne and Sydney people! I'm so tired of it- you know what, if those cities are that good, please stay there. Adelaide is beautiful and great without you crowding it too much. That is just one of the great things about this city: the people and the fact that you can almost always find a spot on public transport. Please be my guest and try to get from the CBD of Melbourne or Sydney to their beaches in about 15/20min in peaktime... say what? It would not work? damn right it wouldn't! Don't be critical about a city you have never lived in poo-faces!

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    1. Too true, and excellent use of 'poo-faces'!! haha

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  52. I'm an Adelaide girl living, been living in Melbourne for 8 years. I can honestly say I've never had anyone diss Adelaide when Melbourne-ians have asked where I'm from. I've been asked to take back the Grandprix (something the people of Melbourne never wanted and constantly being accused of stealing) that's it.

    While I have to constantly defend Melbourne from Adelaide friends giving Melbourne shit about hook turns, the weather, the size of the city, Big M, Carlton Draught (it's West End draught in a different tin) It's not Devon it's Fritz (it's in fact not the same thing), It's a Yiros not a Souvlaki and it's a Deli not a Milk Bar etc.

    How ever I did read this article with a smile on my face. This is a fantastic article and it may ME realize that Adelaide isn't that bad after all and next time I am there I should explore more of it, not just Rundle Street, Hindley St and the Malls Balls. I however will never drink Farmers Union Iced Coffee as I'm lactose since Cows milk doesn't agree with me and I hate coffee.

    Thanks for the article and the awesome memories I had completely forgotten about.

    Suzy xo

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    1. Suzy I'm so glad to hear that people you've encountered haven't dissed Adelaide. Unfortunately I've had a lot of it - clearly you are meeting nicer people than I am! haha Thanks for reading :)

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    2. And shame about the Iced Coffee :(

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  53. loved the blog... We live here because we wouldn't have it any other way..

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  54. I'm originally from Sydney, but have lived here in Adelaide for the past 13 years. I love this city & I don't plan on moving anywhere else.

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  55. Oh dear - you represent everything that makes people laugh at South Australians. Perhaps stop writing about this subject, Suzy, and get that chip off your shoulder.

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    1. Write back and let us know where you're from so we can write shit about it on a napkin and have News Corp publish it. If no-one bites your point is partly proven, but we haven't started with your town as a constant punchline from sports broadcasters, comedians and journalists.

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  56. What a wanker!!
    The Tour Down Under is a world class event. Cyclists literally from all over the world come to race in it... yes we might not have fancy French accents and thousand year old chateaux's... but we have a race that is accessible to locals, we can just pop down the road to see some of the greatest sportsmen in the world. The markets are fantastic!!! I loved school holidays, catching the bus into the city to have lunch with mum in chinatown and then walk through the markets.. buying a fresh baked baguette from the bread shop and eating the whole thing before we got back to the car.. and the lolly shop!!! (ohh the lolly shop <3)
    I haven't been eaten by a shark yet, but one boxing day going jetty jumping at glenelg and henley and then being told that a bronze whaler and a hammerhead had been spotted in the area was one of the best adrenaline rushes I had at 13 years of age.
    And the fashion.... how are Don Dunstan's pink shorts relevant today?? that makes no sense at all!!!! Yes we aren't Milan or Paris, but we don't try to be!! I love walking through Rundle Mall and seeing the awesome outfits people put together.. expressing themselves. Adelaide has some of the best dressed people going around.
    And the wine... don't even get my started. I LOVE Adelaide wine. anything from SA is basically guaranteed to taste great!! not to mention 90% of Australia's wine exports come from SA! even beating the famed Margaret River in WA. (which alot of their wine also tastes great)
    i'm sorry if you are too broke to pay $5 to taste some great wine in a beautiful wine region.
    Yeah Elizabeth is a little dirty... but keep driving for another 15 minutes and you drive through some beautiful countryside before reaching gorgeous Gawler!!! a little country town which is being swallowed up by the growing suburbs of Adelaide.
    yeah the coorong may not be in the best shape of its life... but what about the murray?? who doesn't love going up the river every weekend in summer, hanging out wakeboarding, knee boarding, skiing etc. so much fun!!!
    and like you said about the fringe - world class event!!!! we literally have acts from all over the world coming to little old adelaide and giving us some great entertainment for a whole month full of fun!
    huff... i could go on but I'm so sick of having to defend Adelaide to non-Adelaideans... people who grew up there love it for a reason - its awesome!!! if you can't appreciate that then don't complain, and don't come back!!! Adelaide certainly does not need your approval.

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  57. This was a very well written post and I was quite intrigued to read into it as I myself have a negative view of Adelaide (Having grown up there for 18 years of my life) and I must say that whilst reading your article I became slightly more in favor of Adelaide after reading your own views of it.

    But then I read down to the part where you said:
    "except probably Hobart, those two-headed Tassy freaks get a lot of flak"

    Huh? Doesn't this seem a little counter productive for what you are trying to achieve with this post in the first place. I moved to Hobart three years ago and to be honest with you it was the best decision of my life, sure you did give Melbourne and Sydney grief as well but that makes a lot more sense than picking on Tasmania, which by the way has the friendliest and most down to earth people I have met so far in Australia.

    I'm sorry but this is the typical ignorance that I have become accustomed to expect from 'Adelaide-ians', I understand your need to rant on about how Sharwood has slandered your wonderful city and i respect that, but funnily enough Lucy - You are Sharwood!

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    1. Agreed, slightly on the hypocritical side. Hobart is a wonderful place, and I'd take it over the derelict backwater of Adelaide any day.

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    2. I think that was a bit of a joke...

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    3. 'twas entirely an ironic joke, sorry I didn't make that clearer. I haven't been to Tassy but have dear friends from there. Was completely irony.

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    4. The difference is we knew Lucy was being ironic but Sharwood wasn't feeding his audience irony and only started saying it was a joke after the backlash. Pretty obvious those Tassie freaks are our brothers in bad joke punchlines.

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  58. Lucy, love this. Thank you. We are a beautiful city full of mostly good people. We just need to stop slagging ourselves and believe a little more... Like you I've lived in Melbourne and overseas and there is just so much to love about being an Adeladian.... you can live here, or live anywhere and still be really proud of where you're from. All the best...

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    1. Cheers! All the best to you! Thanks for reading :)

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  59. This is fantastic! Not to mention that we also have the Clipsal and Melbourne took the Grand Prix from us!

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  60. Why are you so defensive of Adelaide? Have you ever left Australia? The problem with most Australians is they think they live in some beautiful Utopian paradise. But Australian cities, on global standards, are quite dull and ugly. We have none of the beautiful architecture of Europe or even North America, and a lot of our cities are tarnished by unkempt, hideous crime-ridden slums (for Adelaide: most of Marion, Hackham, Elizabeth, Salisbury etc.). Me thinks you people should see the REAL best cities of the world, before you proclaim ours to be the best. Our suburbia is also pretty disgusting - nobody cares about their houses. And yes, I am Australian. I just don't think we are great enough to have bragging rights.

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    1. I have travelled a lot, and still proud of my hometown. And my country. Thanks for reading anyway :)

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  61. Lucy! Nicely done indeed. I laughed my way through and even got slightly misty eyed, crazy right!? I love that links to this post are currently covering my Facebook fee shared by people I love and respect, and lo and behold, it's written by Lucy my old dancing friend! Adelaide is the best small world ever, so good to hear you kicking ass and taking names. Beautiful work my old friend!

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    1. WILL!! Cheers dude!! Let's catch up sometime!! x

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  62. I'd hazard a guess that a majority of people who comment negatively on Adelaide, haven't actually been here, and do so to conform to the general (wrong) view on Adelaide, all in a bid to get a cheap 'lol' from any other idiot.

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  63. This blog article is hilarious! - Sums up the Adelaide mindset perfectly..If Adelaide was an employee at a company it would be a frustrated middle manager wishing they were the CEO....with everyone else knowing they are never going to make it... Thanks for the laughs!

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  64. I dont even understand why that article by Sharwood even deserved to be published. What a load of bollocks. Your response however, HEAPS GOOD. I also wanted to note that several of the things in the Sharwood article are not even close to fact. For example- paying for a wine tasting is rare, and in the only case that I have had to pay 5 dollars, I was given bread and jamon, and was able to taste top shelf wines. I also think that it was a donation to charity. But I guess that makes us snobby. I also have attached an article about shark attacks which I found interesting http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/shark-attacks-in-australia-timeline.htm
    I am mostly just amused at how big a douche-bag one person could be - but also again I ask, how was that even news?

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    1. Totally true. Thanks for reading, will check out the article!

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  65. Looks as though Mr Sharwood makes a living from this sort of crap. http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Australian-journalist-says-Irish-pubs-for-those-dodging-vomit-and-flying-fists-218490541.html

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  66. This article is brilliant 'cause that is exactly what we are, you wrote it amazingly. Well done :D

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  67. Nup the rest of the country have it right about adelaide, don't bother, you can pick up good south australian wine in any state. People have such boring lives they wish to know all about yours, or your apparent life, what they don't know they fill in. Words can't describe how small it is, and due to this their authorities are a joke you can literally get away with murder if daddy's on the police force. It thrives on apparent status that no one else gives a flying f about who you are in a conflict of interest. Police are by far worst in country, they have been known to protect pedophiles, murderers and violent offenders because of family relations. There was a total adam and eve sitch here, may explain the webbed toes.

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    1. Doesn't say much of your city (or is that town?) if you can't place higher that us on an international survey, despite these apparent faults... oops.

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  68. I've never seen an Anti SA t-shirt before - probably says more about his own insecurity more than anything else. Sharwood really has no idea and isn't worth listening to. The New York magazine recommended it over Sydney, although personally, I don't want heaps of tourists flocking to Adelaide and ruining it.

    Also, this year George Calamboris opened a new restaurant in Melbourne and made a song and dance about how there were going to be chips in souvlaki - something the Souvlaki Brothers in Glenelg have been doing this for years!

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    1. Haha I didn't know that, hilarious! Big fan of the Souv Bros! :)

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  69. It's funny, I moved to Adelaide from Melbourne about 22 years ago. At the time Adelaide seemed very hostile to Melbourne (still does in many ways. How many TV commercials do you see that portray Victorians as "the enemy"? Quite a lot, really). When we arrived, my mum and I were shocked by the sight of people standing by the roadside holding up homemade signs that said "honk if you hate Victorians". This was just about the time SA lost the Grand Prix to Melbourne, but still... By contrast, Melbourne seemed to view Adelaide as "a big country town", but in an entirely good-natured manner. There's Adelaide, it's small, it's harmless, it makes nice wine. And just maybe Adelaide feels the need to criticise Melbourne (and Victoria in general) because it perceives an animosity coming west across the border which is entirely imaginary.

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    1. I love Melbourne, but I get a lot of flak about Adelaide. All in good humour though, as is my article (masking a fierce pride, of course!) ;)

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  70. Adelaide sucks. You know it. I know it. That's why there's countless articles exactly like this every few months. End of.

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    1. Think you might've missed my point there, dude...

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  71. Loved this Lucy...
    Got tired of sticking up for Adelaide every time I went abroad. Always asked if the Australians who were putting this city down if they had ever been here and the majority of the time the answer was no.

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    1. I agree. So glad you liked it, I know your pain!

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  72. I am an Adelaide person, (1840 descendents), It is my home, love it, but therefore I am biased. The article's sentiment is nice, but it is not the most liveable place in the world; I travel a lot, and this parochial article demonstrates exactly why SA is becoming a "backwater" - it is now expensive (in world terms), there are few/no business head offices here anymore, and the smart kids leave; the fact that the young author now lives in Melbourne is evidence of that. It is a bit rich for a young person to write an article about the wonders of SA, when she has moved away. If we want SA to be viable, can we please discourage this sort of inward looking rubbish.

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  73. Thanks for the laughs - I really enjoyed reading this! I currently live in Japan, not far way from Tokyo and yet, I am still openly able to stay how much I love Adelaide and that home really is where the heart is. The moment I saw Adelaide made Lonely Planet's top 10 - I was stoked and proud! Although born in country WA, I have lived most of my life in Adelaide and to me, it will always be home no matter where I am! Being overseas makes me really appreciate being an Australian and how great our Aussie spirit is - Sharwood's article puts shame to our Australian hospitality.

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    1. I feel the same everytime I go overseas - we really are a lucky country! Thanks for reading :)

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  74. Your article wasn't bad, but you lost all credibility when you said "except probably Hobart, those two-headed Tassy freaks get a lot of flak" ...because essentially, you did exactly the same thing as Anthony Sharwood did.

    Also, photographing and picking on a harmless guy on a tram is very unflattering behavior and shows what kind of person you really are :/

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    1. The Tassy comment was absolutely just ironic humour. Though I haven't been there, some of my favourite people are from there so I assume it is as brilliant as them.
      Sorry to hear you think I'm a bad person, but at least I don't wear bitchy shirts.

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  75. Well done Lucy - great response to what was a pretty ordinary article from Mr Sharwood.

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  76. I've been reading the replies for a while now. I almost wholly agreed with the first half of both the criticisms and the praises.
    It's ridiculous to think that if someone attacks you on the street that you would stand there with your dick in your hand!! "Fight-or-flight" has been there since day 1!!
    And let's face it: if you choose to fight, you often play by the same rules.

    I couldn't agree with Lucy's article any more. I do find the locals a bit more "clicky" at times and, as a whole, not a free-spirited as other cities (outside of fringe). But the longer that I spend away front "home" (I'm from the Barossa, but born rAdelaide side of Mt Gambier), the more I realise this to be a bit of a charm. If you meet people from other clicks, your friends group becomes much more diverse. That made Adelaide for me. That made the city more exciting seeing the beauty from someone else's eyes.

    I live outside of Hamburg now. That is a truly awesome and diverse city. But as far as bringing a family up in a large city, there is none safer to do so than Adelaide from the ones I've seen!

    Brad.

    (P.S. Adelaide is 1/3rd the size larger than Berlin, but has a population 6-times smaller. In Adelaide, we have the space to choose our lifestyle...)

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  77. As an Adelaide 'boy' that has lived in London for almost 10 years your article has kick started my homesickness into overdrive!
    I definitely plan to bring my family over soon to live the better life, after two visits the wife didn’t need too much convincing that life is just better in Adelaide (even after also visiting Sydney and Melbourne) by a long shot, and my 2 young kids deserve the brilliant childhood I had growing up in Adelaide.

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  78. Lucy, thank you for writing this article. Prior to reading this, I was not the most patriotic person in SA but you have definitely changed my perspective. You have a fantastic writing style and I wish you all the best for your future!

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  79. Having lived in Adelaide for five years, I find that Adelaide locals are more critical of Adelaide than those who have moved here from elsewhere. Those of us who come from Sydney or Melbourne (or have lived in both like me) can't believe our luck at what a great place it is.

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  80. Lucy
    Great article ......... even better when you mentioned our shop The Lost Forests!
    We have great memories of fantastic times - it sure was a magical place!
    Thanks
    Pat and Helen

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    1. Pat and Helen it is a PLEASURE to make your acquaintance, your shop was the happiest place on Earth. I remember it vividly, and I still have my little peas in the pod and bookworm! You guys are geniuses. I hope things are going well, my friends and I often remember you with fondness! x

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  81. Wow, a lot more comments here since I commented and I've seen it shared several times on Facebook, nice one Lucy!

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  82. Fantastic article Lucy, loved it. There are many wonderful cities in the world to visit (and that includes Sydney and Melbourne), but once you've seen them or experienced what they have to offer, none are better to come home to than Adelaide. It beats most for liveability, that's for sure.

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  83. Lucy, great article. I mostly love that you included the name of 'The Lost Forest' shop and a link! I have remembered this shop from my childhood and I have tried and tried to remember the name of it and find it on google many times!!! Then out of the blue - today - there it is. I wish that there was a shop like that open today to share with my children. Thank you. Cassie :-)

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  84. Phew! Tribal wars? But fun to watch from the other side of the world. I visited Melbourne and Adelaide many times. Adelaide has my vote every time!

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  85. I couldn't agree more Lucy! I love little old Adelaide! It's everything we need, and at some times of the year, more. I put a similar post on my own blog a few months ago, with a bit more of a visual appreciation for our perfect little city. Thanks for wiring this! It's inspired me to do a part 2 :)
    http://bonfireatnoon.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/10-adelaide-part-1-of-many.html

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  86. Well said Lucy...I just submitted an answer to that dickbrain's article..probably too late but never the less..I hope he reads it .. did have to point out that he needed to learn how to spell if he insists on trying to write an article also could'nt resist pointing that we here in SA are not related to convicts and criminals from early settlement...we were the ones whom employed thier relatives back then because SA was set up as agricultural and horticultral land...

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  87. Could it be something to do with the fact that we have had the nerve to actually win a couple of AFL finals !!! seriously I have lived OS & travelled widely & I tell you Adelaide is the best LOVE IT & I even live in Elizabeth & wouldn't move from there either :)

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  88. I love adelaide too! I also live in Elizabeth. I get so tired of people putting down our suburb. You will not find more generous,non-judgemental people, unless you happen to be an arrogant person. Adelaide has many wonderful hidden secrets. So many fantastic places to be. Our travelling times are so much less than cities like Melbourne and Sydney. If other people dont like us, that's fine. I wouldn't want them stuffing up our awesome city anyway

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  89. I think the fact that Sharwood commented on the $5 to visit a winery says more about himself being scabby than the wineries. To pay as little as $5 to taste some of the best wines in the world while taking in the beautiful surrounds, compared to paying $25 an hour for parking in Sydney I consider us extremely fortunate! I have travelled the world, lived on Hamilton Island and currently living in London and still think about how lucky I am to be from such a beautiful, humble city. It is rather frustrating to have fellow Australians referring to me as an Adelaide Bogan and generally putting down Adelaide when they have visited once for 2 days or never at all. Well done on the article!

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