Wow wee! I could actually live here. Fremantle is the port city that services Western Australia and Perth, its capital. Perth is about 15 miles up the Swan River. We spent two days here and really got to see quite a bit of both cities.
Fremantle is not only a cargo and cruise ship port, but it is home to many marinas filled with assorted types of pleasure craft. It is also a seaside resort, although people commute to Perth for work via a super fast train that runs every 20 minutes and only takes about 25 minutes.
This beautiful coast port city was established in 1829 as a port for the Swan River Colony, and is located on the Indian Ocean. Captain Fremantle claimed the entire west coast of Australia for Britain. The settlers found the soil to be very sandy, thus they moved inland to find better soil in which to grow crops.
In 1850, much to the anger of the settlers, Fremantle became a penal colony. The prisoners were all men who were close to finishing their prison sentences and were, therefore, considered to be controllable. They built much of old Fremantle, which is still standing today. The old prison was decommissioned in 1991. If you had the bad fortune to land yourself here, it was bed, bucket, and bible. There were no sanitation facilities even in modern times. This has become a very worthwhile attraction, and Michael will give you a description of his tour. I did not take the tour as I was doing routine maintenance: getting my nails done.
Two other important events in Fremantle’s history is the harbor became a key part of the strategy of Allied Forces during World War II, and in 1983, the Royal Perth Yacht Club defeated the New York Yacht Club to win the America’s Cup. This spurred many upgrades in the area, including a new pleasure boat harbor and famous Cappuccino Strip where many alfresco dining establishments abound.
Neither Michael nor I had an excursion, so we just took the shuttle into town. It was around 90 degrees today and with its Mediterranean climate, the heat was not uncommon. We went to the market, which housed fruit and vegetables as well as arts and craft items. We found the prices to be double the prices of the Sydney Paddy’s Market and Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Market. It was not a very large market and it was rather stuffy as it was not air-conditioned. I had seen a nail shop on our way to the market and I went that way, while Michael went to see the prison. I am glad I didn’t go because he said there was a lot of walking and it was hot.
I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Fremantle today, the high point of which was my visit to Freemantle prison. This prison was in operation from 1868 until 1991. What made it stand out from the other prisons I have visited in Australia was the fact that it closed only 22 years ago, and consequently still looks like a real prison rather than a restored prison. The tour itself was great. We were 27 people, and all the men were required to be processed. I leave it to your imagination what was involved in that. All I can say is that we are calling our guard "boss" for the rest of the morning.
It was a very large prison, housing thousands of people during its lifetime. We visited the main cell block, solitary confinement, the kitchen, the eating areas, the toilets, the exercise yard, the guards quarters, and even the gallows. Yes, 43 people were put to death here including one woman. Virtually everything was in working order; one of the people on our tour was allowed to push the lever which actually opened the trapdoor to drop the condemned person through.
They did not have very many modern conveniences though. While they had toilets as I said, this was a combination of a toilet seat under which was a bucket. You had to remove your own slop and place it into a large holding tank. They told us that from the day the prison closed, it took fully two years for the stink to go away.
BEVERLY IS BACK
The city is clean, not too big and since it was Sunday and lunch time, alfresco dining was booming. We hopped on the red bus line, toured around, and went down to the Cappuccino area where the marina and fish and chips restaurants were. The buildings were Victorian in style; many were made out of limestone. Many of these old buildings were deceiving in that they retain the façade, but the insides were all new. This gave the city such charming character.
We walked over to the wharf area and went into Cicerllo’s Fish and Chips. Whoa, what a HUGE place this was. We walked in and were greeted by an employee who handed us a menu. You then get your own bottled drink, then go to one of several counters to place your order and pay. They give you a pager, and when your order is ready, you go to the pick-up counter. You have to pay extra for ketchup and tartar sauce. The price for two traditional fish and chips orders plus two drinks came to around $40, and that’s without ketchup! because we didn’t know you had to buy it until after we had already paid.
We found a table outside on the deck and thought we had lucked out getting a table. And then you could see a sea of tables below the deck. They can seat several hundred people!!!! There was a live band playing nearby, and fortunately, they were playing our kind of music. The food was good and properly greasy.
We then walked along the waterfront and up a hill to the Round House, a fort that overlooks the harbor. It was originally built as a jail and is the oldest and first permanent building in Western Australia. There were many steps both up and down to get there and it was slow going for me, but I made it. There were big, thick sturdy walls to hold on to.
There was a long ramp up to a walkway that traversed the railroad tracks and then another long ramp going down. Then it was just a short walk through the port area to the ship. By this time, I was ready to cool off. The sun is very strong here and makes it feel hotter than the temperature would indicate (I might just be ready to start carrying my umbrella so I can bring portable shade when I need it). It was pool time, time to do some serious cooling off. I am not a water baby, but it is the only sure fire way to get cool fast.
We had a pleasant dinner in the Colonnade with Nancy and Herman.
PERTH
Just when you think you can’t do anymore, and all you want to do is sleep and lounge around, you get an excursion to escort. Sigh. It was a tour of Fremantle and Perth. We overnighted in Fremantle, so there was no early alarm clocking going off at 5am. Michael was on his own today. I tried to get him to come on the tour with me, but he is stubborn and had decided to take the train to Perth and wander around. He can wander all he likes, but sometimes you miss the details.
He walked to the train depot, which wasn’t too far from the ship, and bought a one-way ticket to Perth for $4.20. You cannot buy a round trip ticket.
I, on the other hand, wound up with a really good tour with an excellent tour guide. We did the Fremantle thing, covering territory we covered on foot yesterday. I did learn that the Art Center was once the loony bin! There are night time tours at the Art Center and the prison, where it is purported that ghosts roam about.
We then drove through the suburbs between Fremantle and Perth, and I have to say there are some spectacular homes here. There is a lot of wealth in Perth due to the mining of minerals boom. The money earned from the mining industry causes the prices to escalate. A pint of beer can cost $10! In fact, Perth is Australia’s most expensive city. These suburbs run along the Swan River, so you can bet waterfront property is costly. In America, they call the homes McMansions. One beautiful home after another, all with excellent landscaping. Gardeners, there is plenty of work here.
We saw private schools, universities (there are five in Western Australia), tree lined suburbs, and plenty of park land. The Swan River in the city of Perth is quite wide, but not very deep. A huge lagoon was formed right in front of the central business district. There are a lot of Asian students who attend school here, and most go to private schools. There is a government run health system and a private one; if you want to get your aches fixed in a prompt manner, don’t rely on the government. An ingrown toenail could keep you in pain for 18 months or more before you could see a government doctor. It’s about priorities. Most people who can afford to choose to get private insurance.
We went up one of the few high hills to the Botanical Gardens. There was a very moving war memorial and monument to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. From here, we could see the entire city and many suburbs on the other side of the river. We then drove around the central business district, where they are busy converting unused office space into hotels and apartments. There is a serious shortage of hotel rooms because of the mining industry, and the powers that be are encouraging people to move into the city. The transportation system in town is free, but as the population increases, so do the cars.
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