Our first proper day in Australia and a chance to see what Fremantle actually looks like. We did quite well last night although I was waking up on the hour from about 2.15 am. We managed to hold out until 5.50am before getting up and using the supplies that Vicki had left - I rustled up an excellent cooked breakfast but with rather less champagne and wine than our last couple of breakfasts on Emirates!
Our little coach house is lovely and very well appointed with a courtyard just for us with lots of Ozzie birds loudly tweeting and squawking outside. I have no idea what they are apart from the Rainbow Lorikeets in the tree opposite which I first caught a glimpse of a few years ago in Auckland. They look impossibly bright with blue, red and green plumage.
After our breakfast we headed into Fremantle rather early so most of the shops were closed. I had hoped to get a Sim card for our Huawei but I had forgotten my passport which apparently means we cannot buy one, even in cash?! Tomorrow it is then.
The buildings in central Fremantle look a bit like they are out of a Western, all low level with dates in the 19th century built into the front of them from the mid 1850’s. We walked straight towards the Indian Ocean which was rather more choppy than when we last swam in it in the Seychelles, it was so nice and sunny compared to the last week in Teddington. We pottered around trying to ignore the jet-lag and had our first ‘flat white’ and Anzac biscuit after booking tickets to Rottnest Island for tomorrow. The weather forecast is not that good for the next week or so in Perth and as Saturday will be busy because it is the start of the school holidays, tomorrow seemed as good a day as any... travel sickness tablets are at the ready for the 45 minute ferry journey. I am hoping for just a bit of sunshine for my ‘selfie with a Quokka’ - I will not be leaving the island until I have the perfect pic.!
We did our first shop at Coles (the only supermarket in Fremantle) and later in the afternoon went to Fremantle Prison... for a tour! It is a National Heritage site and was occupied from the mid 1850’s until 1991. We had a great guide and some of the tales are unbelievable. The original gallows and darkened room where 44 people were hanged were rather unnerving. I spotted some more birds for my collection including an Australian magpie and Magpie Lark. I thought I saw two large white cockatoos on the prison roof but not close enough for a positive ID. I managed NOT to buy a replica cat o’ nine tails (originally used to whip prisoners) or a mini fluffy kangaroo and koala in a prison outfit - yes really. This is the razor wire on top of the walls of Fremantle prison and despite the fact it both cuts and traps, a number of prisoners still managed to get over it..
The weather turned cloudy, chilly and windy on our way home so I am really hoping for a not too bad day tomorrow... my first self catering dinner of Thai chicken with Asian salad and baked potato finishing with mango and kiwi was very good I thought. Hanging on trying to delay going to bed... its 10.23pm now...
