A Day in Fremantle

Around Perth and wondering what to do this weekend? Hop on the train to Fremantle, or Freo if you’re trying to fit in with the locals. 

As soon as you arrive wander through the small town towards the markets. Stand and watch the street performers for a few minutes before entering the bustling undercover maze of stalls that is the Fremantle Markets. Browse to your hearts content before stopping for a coffee and brunch at one of the many tiny artisanal cafes. I'd particularly recommend Stock and Ladle for their delicious soups and paninis and the two lovely chaps that run it and The Mousetrap Gourmet Cheese Shop to grab some of their fresh produce to take away.

After a relaxed morning head to Fremantle Prison. Buy a ticket for both tours and wile away the next few hours learning about life in an institution that turned from Australia’s last built convict prison to a notorious maximum-security facility with two large-scale riots in between! This place is fascinating, full of history and run by very knowledgeable and friendly tour guides. It’s worth noting that children are welcome on the tour but certain areas are quite gruesome and tough to handle even for the oldies so if your little ones are very little or sensitive it might not be the best stop for them!

If you're lucky you might even spot the ghost in the second window from the right!

The solitary confinement cells will really give you the shivers!

Surprisingly, you can also find some fantastic artwork around the prison which reminds you that real people living real lives swarmed this place not too long ago. 

'Julie, Megan and Todd. I love you more than life itself. Dad.'

Once you’ve had your fill of creepiness, pop over to Little Creatures to 'clear' your head. This quirky, microbrewery is extremely popular and from the first sip of their signature pale ale to the last bite of your freshly made woodfired pizza you can see why. It sits right on the water making this the perfect spot to watch the sun go down. And it caters for everyone! There’s even a sandpit out the back full of children making friends (and later, tipsy adults making just as many friends) and from 4pm on Sundays they have live Jazz. 

What did the cheese say when it looked in the mirror?

...

HALOUMI!

The most perfectly salted fries.

Garlic chilli prawn, red pepper, salsa verde.

Proscuitto, mozzarella, lemon thyme.

The perfect end to a perfect day! 

...it does help when you have a hot date.