Public transport
Buses
Trams
There are two tram routes operating within the city.
Botanic : this is a (broadly) east-west route, running along North Terrace, from the Botanic Gardens stop in the east, to the Royal Adelaide Hospital stop in the west. This route then extends north-west to the Entertainment Centre on Port Road. There is no cost (i.e. no tickets required) for travel on this route.
Glenelg : this route runs from the Entertainment Centre on Port Road, then along the western end of North Terrace, turning right into King William Street, and then eventually along to the seaside suburb of Glenelg. Within the city, it is free to use along that route up until the edge of the city at the South Terrace stop (thereafter, you will need a ticket).
Interestingly (?), if you want to go, say, from the University stop to any of the King William Street stops, you need to alight from a west-bound Botanic tram at the Adelaide Railway Station stop, and then wait for a south-bound Glenelg tram to come along. The Botanic tram does not travel along King William Street.
Botanic trams come every 10 minutes from 07:00 to ~20:00, and with Glenelg trams coming at intervals of around 20 minutees until ~19:00. After those times, their frequency changes; please see the timetables and maps available at the AdelaideMetro website.
There is a northward extension of the Glenelg tramline, that runs to the Festival Centre in King William Road (note that King William Road is the extension of King William Street that is north of North Terrace... clear as mud). This very short section operates only on weekends, public holidays, and when "special events" are on at the Adelaide Oval.
Trains
Whilst the Adelaide Railway Station is on North Terrace (a little west of the intersection with King William Street), the train network does not service the CBD itself. It is intended for travel between the city and the suburbs. For more information, consult the AdelaideMetro website.
Dining
Local
Within the uni itself, considering late afternoon and early evening, the two places of choice are the Uni Bar (breakfast 09:00-11:00, full menu 11:00-19:00; opening times Mon-Thurs 09:00-19:00, later on Fridays), and Taikunthi (closing times between 17:00 and 19:00; see website for details). The Uni Bar menu features a more pub-style menu, while Taikunthi has a restaurant/staff club approach.
Nearby
The greatest concentration of cafés and restaurants within around 700-1,000 metres of Union House is to be found on Rundle Street and Rundle Street East. Head south along Pulteney Street from North Terrace, then turn left onto Rundle Street, and see what takes your fancy. Choices include the Austral and Exeter pubs.
A bit further afield, North Adelaide
The eastern end of North Adelaide's Melbourne Street (around 1.5-2 km distance) hosts a number of cafés and restaurants, but check ahead for opening times as these vary.
The British Hotel on Finniss Street (~1.3 km) can be recommended for meals as well as a refreshing glass of water or two... The Lion Hotel ("The Old Lion" to the more mature of us) on the corner of Jerningham and Melbourne Streets also merits consideration.
O'Connell Street (starting ~1.5 km away) has a variety of eateries, from student favourites such as the Blue and White café (good for a late-night yiros or an AB) to more upmarket restaurants.
And in the CBD?
Gouger Street (~2 km south-west, off King William Street) is quite the place for evening/night-time dining, with an Eastern cuisine orientation - unsurprising, as Chinatown is in the area.
There are of course many other places for evening epicurean excursions, but the areas listed above host a variety of venues within pleasant walking distance of each other.
Culture
Yes, we do have some!
A smidge south of the Physics building, the Art Gallery of South Australia has its entrance off North Terrace. Just to its west is the SA Museum, and, to the west of that, is the State Library.
Somewhat further west along North Terrace may be found MOD., UniSA's Museum of Discovery (next to the City West tram stop, some 900 metres west of the uni along North Terrace). Opening times are Tuesday-Saturday 10:00-17:00, so the opportunities to get there may be limited. (If you do get there and see the Science-on-a-Sphere display, see if it still has the satellite orbits layer - I made that!)
Also part of UniSA, the Samstag Museum is ~160 metres west of MOD., and is dedicated to exhibiting contemporary art. Opening times are Tuesday-Saturday 10:00-17:00, so the opportunities to get there may be limited.
The Jam Factory is only 100 metres south of MOD., and is a highly regarded design and craft studio, with a particular strength in glass blowing. Open all week, 10:00-17:00.
The Australian Space Discovery Centre is located ~700 metres' walk east of our venue, on North Terrace. Open W/Th/F 13:00-17:00, weekends 10:00-17:00. The Centre's exhibits are perhaps aimed primarily at school students.
The Adelaide Botanic Gardens (~870 metres east via North Terrace, or ~540m east via the Ginko Gate entrance a little way off Frome Road) offer a very pleasant respite from inner city pressure. You'd need some time to take in all of the gardens, so you'd need to plan ahead. Open Mon-Fri 07:15-17:30, weekends 09:00-17:30.
Shopping
The city's main shopping strip, Rundle Mall, is only some 400 metres south of the Meeting vene.
