This is the last instalment of our Perth trip. We went to the following places – Fremantle Market, Fremantle Prison, Northbridge, Kings Park and Swan Lake.
Fremantle is a small town just about 20mins drive from Perth City. It’s a very nice town with some historic buildings that is just breath-taking. For example the church shown below, it’s a popular place for weddings.
In the square, you can find colourful table-tennis tables like this. So cool.
The entire place is just so peaceful and beautiful. Perth is indeed a suitable place to just relax away from our busy work life.
This is the town hall and there was a coffee brewing competition going on inside. The entire event hall was filled with the aroma of the best beans from the world.
The girls were up for a photo shoot in one of the back alley. Some really cute shots. Basically Joey just stood there and Jayne did all the actions.
“Play me, I’m Yours.” We can see such pianos in a few places in Fremantle, what a wonderful idea for people to just play a tune or in our case, pose for a photo.
If you know Joey & Jayne, they are 2 girls that love to give to the street performers. I emptied all my coins for them to give to this Accordion player.
Another amazing attraction you have to visit is the Fremantle Prison.
No longer in use, this is the only World Heritage listed building in Western Australia. The prison received its first 75 convicts in the year 1850 and it was closed in the year 1991. It was not until Aug 2010, Fremantle Prison was inscribed on to the World Heritage list.
There are guided tours (Doing Time, Great Escapes, Tunnel, Torchlight) available for paying public, ranging from A$19 – A$60 for different tours. For A$99 you can experience all tours. You can find out about the prices here.
But with limited time and 2 young kids, we forgo the tours and did “out time” outside the main gates. There are still quite a bit of things to see.
Visitor box.
Some of the buildings which were converted into exhibition rooms now.
One of the real life tunnels that leads into a solitude cell.
A view of the more common cell. I’m not sure they have TV back then.
This is the examination room where the inmates will be stripped naked and examined.
A sneak photo of what to expect inside the main gates. Look at the vast space.
Just besides the prison is the Fremantle Markets. The market opens only from Fri-Sun, so if you want to visit, make sure you plan for it carefully.
The market is separated into The Yard and The Hall. Look out for the different trading hours to avoid disappointment.
In the hall, you will find all sorts of trades, from food to wares, from clothing to accessories, almost everything you need can be found here in one place.
The hotdogs taste as good as it looked.
I don’t think we can find such a stall in Singapore selling all sorts of iron-on and badge pins.
This stall sells bags that are so unique, I find it hard to even bring it out. on the streets.
Face painting is very common in Perth too.
When you are out in the yard, you will see more people hanging around the shops or just seated along the cafes enjoying a cup of coffee or tea. Isn’t this what we all have been visualizing all along?
A market is not complete without some performance. This couple has been performing for years and they are very humorous.
Fremantle is definitely a good place to visit when you are in Perth. I just love the combination of vibe and peace all in one place.
Next up is the place call Northbridge, not sure whether is it located at the north, but it is about 15mins drive away from Perth City. When we were there, it so happened that the locals were celebrating a special event, “Friends of Mexico”. We were in for a treat.
Huge bean bags were placed on the grass for people to just grab and sit down, and enjoy an afternoon time of relaxation. There was also a large screen playing some cartoons for kids.
Joey enjoying her corn.
The event was something about celebrating the “dead” in Mexico, a reckon its a bit like Halloween.
So there were cars with coffins or skeletons in it.
Northbridge is actually the most rowdy town in Perth. You can find all types of restaurants here and also some of the most happening night life in this town.
This is not a library, its one of the disco halls
And in Northbridge, there are 2 shops or food you need to try. Both are famous but we managed to only tried one.
The famous Apple Strudel., some says its the best in Australia. They are only opened on Mon-Fri (8am – 530pm) and Sat (8am – 1230pm).
The 2nd famous food is the Chilli Mussels. Uncle Vincent’s Chilli Mussels. If you love the spicy, then you have to try this! Kless and I totally loved it to the max!
For more details on the menu and operating hours, check their website.
The interior is a cosy Italiano style deco, the people are very nice and friendly. And of course the mussels are delicious!
Try their homemade pasta too, very special and nice.
A few more street photo shots before we leave Northbridge.
On the last day of our stay in Perth, we visited the Kings Park just 5mins away from where we were staying. It’s a very beautiful place with some war memorials and a nice restaurant for breakfast.
Check out the breakfast! I can have this every morning.
The 3 ladies are enjoying some sunshine after a few days of cold weather.
From the top of the park, you are able to see the entire Perth business district.
The area was named Kings Park in honour of King Edward VII of England after a visit to Perth by his son, the Duke of York (later King George V).
The State War Memorial was erected in 1929 as a dedication to those who died during service to Australia.
Finally it was time to go home, we drove past the Swan Lake and decided to get off for a while, but the weather was not kind to us, soon it rained and we didn’t see a single swan. Instead, I caught a very romantic couple hugging each other closely as it was actually raining hail. That was how cold it turned.
Perth is a great place to relax without too much activities. Perth City is quieter so a drive out to the other towns nearby would be a good choice. But still overall, we enjoyed ourselves, especially the cold weather and some of the beautiful scenery.
Thank you for following us on this 4 part Perth post. Hope you enjoyed it as much as we had.
