Fremantle - The Romantic Harbour

I can only resume my writing now that I have dried up my streaks of tears.

Perth
Western Australia is huge. It would have dwarfed most Southeast Asian countries. It is also known as the oldest land on earth, hence its enormous contrasts of nature and developments. Perth is the capital city, which was our main focus in this memorable trip.

Captain Charles Fremantle formally took possession of this land in 1829 and selected 2 town sites: Fremantle which he named after the captain of one of his ships, and Perth, chosen as the administrative centre and named for Sir Charles Murray, Member of Parliament for Perth in Scotland.

The Swan River Colony as it was known previously was colonised by free settlers, not convicts, unlike other parts of Australia. Convict labour was however introduced later, with current buildings built by them a visible reminder of those days, notably the Town Hall at central city.

Fremantle
We decided to take a railway train down to Fremantle on our first day of the trip, as most of the shops were closed on Sunday, short of being a ghost town. Unfortunately we had to settle for a bus ride instead as the train to Fremantle chose to stop running for the day as well. I can now understand why my friend lamented about the weekend stagnancy of flow in Perth, a stark contrast to the bustling streets and human traffic in most Asian countries.

Fremantle is a modern seaport, situated at the mouth of the Swan River, about 30 minutes' bus journey from the city. We were captivated by its unique mix of heritage architecture and artistic cosmopolitan ambience, and instantly immersed ourselves into its culture. There were galleries, pubs and alfresco cafes abound and we had no difficulty finding our way to the famous Fremantle Markets which open only from Fridays to Sundays weekly. It was a grand old Victorian building, authentically and lovingly restored. We were greeted by Mexican musicians at the entrance and were fascinated by the stalls galore, selling everything from Australian gifts and antiques, through to seafood and dew-fresh fruits and vegetables. The strawberries and mangoes that we bought were simply succulent. There was a tinge of nostalgia of yesteryear mingled with the fun and excitement of today.

As we browsed through the large variety of shops along the streets, making some purchase and snapping candid shots, we eventually reached the beach overlooking the magnificent Indian Ocean. The coastline was bordered by various restaurants serving gourmet cuisines or the famous fish and chips. We watched the world go by at one of the outlets before making our way back to the city.

We loved the place so much that we decided to return some days later, to relive its romance and soak up its vibrance. We successfully took the train this time and the endearing smiles on my parents' faces after the visits became valuable assets in my photo collections.