Fremantle Perth Info

Fremantle Perth

Pretty, cosmopolitan Perth has become one of my favourite cities in Australia for multiple reasons, the most obvious of which are the Mediterranean weather – hot dry summers and mild winters – and the miles and miles of beautiful sandy beaches attended to by the azure Indian Ocean. We stayed with a friend who conveniently lives on Scarborough Beach just north of the city which also has a selection of hostels, but there is no shortage of accommodation options all over. For example, Northbridge is full of restaurants, bars and funky shops as well as dozens of budget hotels and is well-situated a few steps from the central downtown area. And of course there are more upscale choices as well including many of the internationally recognised big names, mostly found downtown. Recently a friend of mine booked in at Sullivan’s next to Kings Park and enthusiastically reported back about the property, friendly staff, location and price.
During a stay in Perth, definitely visit one or more of the beaches at Scarborough or Cottlesloe and don’t be put off by the fact that the rips are very strong and sharks are in the waters. The truth is that sharks very rarely attack people and there is a strong lifeguard/shark spotter presence at all the beaches. More dangerous is to underestimate the power of the currents and be swept out to sea. Swim between the red and yellow flags so the lifeguard can see you.
For Christmas Day, my partner and I had a beautiful seafood lunch at a restaurant in Fremantle, the atmospheric and historical town 19 kilometres southwest of Perth. We had been taken down there the day before by our friend, who insisted we try some of the local brew served at the Sail & Anchor Hotel after perusing the Fremantle Markets. I found some incendiary chili paste at one of the stalls that kept sandwiches interesting for the next few days of our trip.
A lively nightlife exists down here thanks to the large number of restaurants, bars and cafés that line the South Terrace but on Christmas Day the town was hot, empty and still. Our lunch of oysters, scallops, prawns and local fish gussied up with various sauces matched perfectly with a Capel Vale Chardonnay, another local product.
After eating, we walked to the foreshore where the Round House stands – the oldest public building in Western Australia and a former prison. Many of the structures here are made from rough hewn pale yellow sandstone bricks that glow in the bright Australian sunlight.
At the end of our trip we spent the last night back in Fremantle with friends and enjoyed a very decent Mexican meal at the Mexican Kitchen on South Terrace, great margaritas included, and then were thoroughly entertained by the annual Elvis impersonator competition which is staged in the street to celebrate the King’s birthday. People from all age groups and walks of life were singing along and dancing in the road. My favourite had to have been the Aboriginal Elvis.

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