Brisbane, QLD


Saturday, November 26, 2011

FREMANTLE AKA FREO

We arrived in Fremantle late in the afternoon. It was windy, cold and wet. We were glad of our warm hotel room. However, on this night we had to find our own place to eat. Rather than dine in the posh hotel we wanted to experience the "Cappuccino Strip" where the locals enjoy eating. So we ventured out into the cold and found a lovely, cosy, Italian Restaurant. 

The next morning we were up early to take photos of the well preserved 19th century buildings that are a feature of Fremantle. Fremantle city is on the Swan River and is the port for Perth, the capital of Western Australia. The locals call it Freo and it is where Australia won the America's Cup some years ago. It is also where my family and I first set foot on Australian soil 62 years ago when we migrated to Australia. 

 The Fremantle Markets established in 1897 as a wholesale food market traded until 1950. It then became a packing centre until 1970. It was idle for 5 years until the council restored the Federation Romanesque building. It is now a very popular modern market with over 150 shops and many stalls. Unfortunately it was closed.

 Down the road a little way was a cute little bakery. Everything is expensive now.



 I sheltered from the wind in a lane and found this interesting mural.


I was happy to return to the warm hotel for  breakfast. The Esplanade Hotel. 

 Then our tour group were taken on a tourist tram ride around the city to see even more interesting buildings, but it started to rain again. This is the old gaol.

We were deposited on the wharf ready to catch the ferry up the Swan River to Perth. It was cold, wet and windy. At the end of the wharf is the new Maritime Museum. We had the choice of visiting it or doing the tram tour.

18 comments:

  1. Good Morning.....

    Well...I like that little bakery, the hotel....all those things. I could travel through your photos...I Thank you for that!
    Hugs

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Diane, it looks like a lovely town to visit. The bakery and items do look yummy. Thanks the taking me on the tour. I enjoyed your post and photos. Have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  3. beautiful buildings, all of them. like the mural also.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love the buildings, your hotel looks fabulous and you're right, bread is expensive! I see what others mean when they tell me how expensive it is in Australia, good thing I don't eat much! lol

    ReplyDelete
  5. Diane, you bring Australia alive for me. I once heard that Oz is too young for history, seeing it through your blog, I beg to differ. I love the bakery, the mural, the gaol (which we call jail) and the clean streets and well-maintained buildings. Thanks for another wonderful tour through your fascinating country. Greetings Jo BTW, I explained about "Baby school" in my Saturday post.

    ReplyDelete
  6. That's a great little town for exploring. I love all the old style buildings that have been renovated. Your bread prices look about the same as ours...it is expensive.

    ReplyDelete
  7. The streets and houses make me think a bit about the Flying Doctors serie.

    Greetings,
    Filip

    ReplyDelete
  8. I would love to visit Fremantle it is on my list of places to visit which is a bloody long list.....lol

    I love the photos you have shared with us thank you, heaps..........

    ReplyDelete
  9. I have really enjoyed catching up this afternoon with your WA tour (which abbreviation brings me up short each time, since it is the postal abbreviation for Washington State here -- where we were born and raised and one of our kids/families sitll lives)....

    Nice to visit this city with all its personal family history, plus it looks like a fun place for anyone to visit. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I found Freo to be a very pleasant spot. I have never thought of bread as expensive. In the total scheme of essentials e.g. the huge and ever increasing electricity, gas and water bills the cost of bread has seemed small but perhaps not.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I love the buildings, the market, too bad it was closed. The bread does look delicious even if it is expensive. Wonderful photos! I'd like to visit and spend time in Freo.

    ReplyDelete
  12. You seem to have had as much weather variation as you did scenic variation. I loved seeing these old buildings. Prices have rocketted here, too, and artisan bread is always a lot more expensive than standard government bread as it was called. Another most interesting and enjoyable post, thank you, Diane.

    ReplyDelete
  13. thanks so much for this lovely tour though your wonderful photos!

    love the last picture the most, but they are all so lovely. the bakery does look yummy!

    hope you have a great rest of your weekend!
    xo

    ReplyDelete
  14. What an amazing little town. I love this kind of architecture and it always makes me happy when a town restores and preserves it's history. I love your last shot of the blustery docks. It looks like a storm is brewing on the horizon.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Fremantle looks like a fascinating city. I really enjoyed your photos, although I'm sorry the weather didn't cooperate while you were touring the city.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Very colorful buildings ! I love this, looks real nice and interesting !

    ReplyDelete
  17. A bakery! Now you're talking!! Duly noted for future reference ...

    ReplyDelete