Fremantle

From Fremantle

The port of Fremantle is only about 20 minutes drive from where we were staying West Perth and was definitely on the agenda for a day trip. We started with the prison, which was build by convicts in the mid 1800’s and is now a heritage site. Not quite as interesting as Alcatraz but well worth the visit.

This was followed by a leisurely stroll to the market, which is a mixture of a food stalls for the locals, and a variety of boutique shops for the tourist trade. Some interesting stuff there and I might have been tempted to buy something if I had not already gone beyond the limit of my baggage allowance.

After a break for a coffee, we continue though the town to the maritime museum. This is an impressive modern building which seems to have been constructed mainly to house the Australia II yacht, which won the Americas Cup for Australia in 1983. Freemantle seems inordinately proud of this achievement, perhaps with good reason. Apparently the whole city was given a major makeover in readiness for the return match in 1986 (which was lost to America). The smartly restored 19^th century houses now make Fremantle into a major tourist attraction and a favoured destination for Perth residents at the weekend. I can see why – the place has a very laid back ambiance, with plenty of good eating, drinking, and entertainment places.

We finished off the day with a fish and chip dinner from one of the several fish restaurants that line the boat harbour, before heading back to Perth.