Fremantle Australia

Having rounded the southwest corner of Australia at Albany, the Viking Sun continued up the west coast. Instead of the usual morning docking, at 5 PM we moored at Fremantle, also the port of Perth that we would visit the next day. This gave us a night out on the town, and practically the whole ship including the crew took advantage of this.

Downtown was a combination of elegant sandstone Victorian and Edwardian architecture, many intricate iron railings on the balconies and nothing over three stories tall. 

Downtown Freo's Wonderful Architecture

Busy Cafes and Microbreweries

Even on a Wednesday night, the outside cafes and Micro Breweries were bustling especially at the waterfront. This working-class city had a great vibe…artsy and clean with a laid-back feeling.

A Block Long Painted Warehouse

One month after Captain Fremantle proclaimed it a good place to build, the first English settlers came under Captain James Stirling. Both gave their names to many sites in both Fremantle and Perth. Both cities saw the need for a labor force so petitioned England to send convicts. Beginning in 1850, over 9,000 prisoners were transported over the next ten years. The original agreement was for England to send only prisoners with minor violations, but within a couple years, murderers, sex offenders, and political prisoners were being sent. 

Round House Jail

We made our way to the Round House which sat on a hill overlooking the waterfront. Constructed in 1830 as Fremantle’s original town prison, it later held many Aboriginal people who would not give up their land without a fight. Under the Round House was a tunnel giving whalers direct access to the town from the jetty.

Walking the Tunnel with Nancy and Steve

Minky G concert at Kidogo Arthouse

Nearby was the Kidogo Arthouse where many of our Viking shipmates had gathered to support Minky G, as she returned to her home here in Freo after nine months at sea, reuniting with her old band for a concert in this fun waterfront sandstone venue.

Bather's Beach from Round House

Changing Stalls at Waterfront

Statues on Freo's Waterfront

As darkness came over the city, we watched a bit of the Bulldog’s practicing Australian football under the big stadium lights before taking the last shuttle bus back to the ship for dinner and a show by a local Aboriginal group. Each dance told stories and taught lessons to the sound of the didgeridoo.

Football Practice

Aboriginal Dance Group

The next afternoon, after exploring Perth, the ferry dropped us back at the Fremantle port. We retraced our steps from the night before, this time in the daylight.

Fremantle Prison...UNESCO Heritage Site

After journeying across the city center, we came to the newer Fremantle Prison that closed in 1991 and now is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Solid and enormous, it was built over several years by the transported convicts. 

We went through the main entrance, and into several exhibits before it closed.  Outside the walls were small cottages for the superintendents and the guardsmen, some now a hostel.

On the way back to the ship, we spent our last Aussie money on candy bars, leaving only a few cents in our pockets. As we crossed the bridge to the wharf with just a minute to spare, we met Sujith Mohan, our General Manager returning with a clock for the pool area. He was excited to show Carol since she had requested this on her last survey. (they do read them!) 

Sujith and the New Pool Clock

We were treated by Chef Thomas to a Taste of Australia as we left the land down under…crocodile, kangaroo, lamb, wagyu beef, meat pies, shellfish, fish and chips, and even Vegemite, the thick spread that tastes like salty beef bouillon...and for dessert, lamingtons and yummy pavlovas. Oi-oi-oi!