Fremantle

Well, I guess you thought we'd given up blogging??

The lovely view from
 Nancy & Keith's balcony.

Mum celebrates her 90th with daughter,
grand daughter & great grandson.

Not so, my friends. We have just taken a flying visit back east, to celebrate John's mum's 90th birthday, and to take the opportunity to catch up with family and friends whom we haven't seen for some time. Wonderful Nancy & Keith allowed us use of their apartment and car, whilst they were cruising the world's oceans, which was just marvellous. It was a hectic three weeks, made all the more

90 Years young.

Carolyn, Dave & John.
Gale force!!

hectic when on the day of mums birthday party, she was taken off to hospital, where she remained for most of our visit!!! Thankfully, nothing life threatening was diagnosed, and she was back home prior to our departure. We managed to celebrate the occasion in style on a rescheduled day, and all worked out well. It was great catching up, and the family had time to also celebrate our birthdays as well as brother in law Dave's. We all are Taureans.

Try parking this at the local shops!

Our Huge drive through site
at Fremantle Village.

The team at PDA Caravans stored our car and caravan whilst we were away, and we have to admit feeling a little bit homesick, having been away from our caravan for such a long break. We collected the car and van, stopped off to do a little restocking on the way. Now next time you are cursing about the car space you cannot find, then spare a thought for us! You should see the looks of shock when we go through the roundabout, and then take up 10

In search of a Fremantle water view!

Bizarre little Chalets.

spaces out the back where no one else parks! Having already stayed north of the city, we decided to do the south side. We headed out to Fremantle, and the Fremantle Village Caravan Park. It is an old park, currently undergoing a renovation. It has lots of permanents, but a new section at the front of the park has new amenities, and lots of new sealed powered sites. We have been allocated a huge new drive through site, right beside some of the funny little "chalets" that are a feature of the park. They are quite bizarre, and there are several rows of them. Still, they won't worry us, as we have a ton of room. There is a cycle/walking track next door, that takes us down to South Beach and the shops of South Fremantle. Our first walk down to the beach shows us that not all the crazy buildings are in the caravan park. Some people will go to extraordinary lengths to get a water view. (see photo)

Gino's is a Freo Icon.

The bustling waterfront.

What an eclectic mix is Fremantle. A real contrast of old and new, tourism and industry, culture and utter crap! The water front and cappuccino strip, are elegantly restored old buildings and offer a vibrant and colourful scene. Whilst a block or two back, it is all old and deserted shops, drunks and homeless people, both black and white. You can literally turn a corner, and think you've left town! Right alongside is a bustling and busy harbour full of container and cargo ships. Those

Wonderful architecture.

The grand restored buildings
of Old Fremantle.

huge container gantries loom over town. On the edge of town is the huge stone wall of Fremantle Prison, which was active not long ago. It seems so strange sitting there among the houses, a stark portrayal of good & evil. Obviously, we concentrated on the good side, and the first place you have to go is Gino's, a Freo institution. Run by Italians, it is a little piece of Italy. There is table service, but no time to get served. You order at the counter, and by the time you get your change, your coffee and cake is on a tray and you are sent on your way!!

The Roasting Warehouse.

Run Amuk for great Hot Dogs.

We walked the streets and cycleways around our caravan park, and found the newly emerging area of South Fremantle and South Beach. The affluent and educated are taking over this region which is full of new warehouse converted apartments, lavishly renovated old cottages and knock downs rebuilt. Along South Terrace we found some truly fantastic little food places. On the morning of

Hot Dog lunch at Run Amuk.

Awesome Hot dog.

 Anzac Day, we came across the Roasting Warehouse. We were literally drawn by the crowd. This converted Service Station was abuzz with alfresco diners, and there was a good sized queue!The ample Maitre 'D, resplendent in black apron and three days growth, was a living testimony to the kitchen, so we joined the queue, and were put on the end of a larger table. We enjoyed a wonderful breakfast and the best coffee. The coffee was to die for, so we had two! Little wonder there was a queue. At the other end of the street, and on another day for lunch, we pulled up a stool at Run Amuk, a funky little diner selling American style hot dogs. The guy in charge had a degree in customer service, and steered us into the best hot dogs we've ever devoured! If you are ever in Fremantle, just go, and get ready to get messy! www.runamuk.com.au

31 wonderful years.

The Mussel Bar Restaurant.

During our Fremantle stay we celebrated a couple of special days. John had turned 63 whilst in Sydney, and now it was Carolyn's turn. She has finally conceded that "49 and holding" is getting to be a bit of a stretch, so she has moved on to "49 plus GST!!!" To celebrate we headed down to South Terrace on a cold and drizzly night, clutching a nice bottle of red, in search of some comfort food. We found a little Italian place called Seferino, found a quiet little table and tucked into some absolutely delicious, home cooked Italian food. Carolyn's veal in mushroom sauce and my fettuccine loaded with plump king prawns were both fantastic. The sauces were exceptional. May 1st we celebrated our 31st Wedding Anniversary, by heading down to the waterfront. We chose The Mussel Bar, an up market eatery right on the water. We had a lovely evening highlighted by Carolyn's Seafood Chowder, and John's Chilli Mussels in tomato sauce.

What to pick??

A huge selection.

On our last weekend in Fremantle we stopped in at the Fremantle Markets, that have been on the same site for more than 100 years. It is a nice market, open Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and it is a good combination of general merchandise, prepared food and fresh produce. As we are heading off on Monday, we decide to stock up with fresh fruit and veggies. The selection and the quality of the produce was first rate, and the prices were surprisingly cheap, and there were 

Looking from Applecross
to the city of Perth.

Mozart at the markets.

lots of tastings! Of course, there are lots of other things to shop for as well, like cheeses from the stall named "Mousetrap", or the cup cakes and cookies. As we worked our way through the markets the sounds of Mozart played on a piano became louder and louder. We came around a corner and found this young guy playing a beaten up old upright piano. He was unbelievable. That night, we headed out to visit new friends we had met whilst at Busselton over New Year. Moira and Geoff had invited us to their home for dinner, and we were joined by their friends, and the other couple we met, Di and

The Fremantle Harbour.

This amazing building is
the Maritime Museum.

 Graeme. We had a great night, over a delicious dinner of lasagna, potato bake and salad,plus Eton Mess for dessert and we talked about our future caravan trips. They depart in a couple of weeks, together with two other couples, to drive from Perth to Cape York, using mostly the gravel highways and tracks that cross the centre of Australia. They will head along the Gun Barrel Hwy to Ayers Rock, and then chart a course based around weather and road conditions. Should be a wonderful trip. They also told us about a lovely drive along the southern shores of the Swan River around the suburb of Applecross. We did that drive on Sunday morning, passing all the mansions, the mega yachts at the marinas, and the beautiful parks, that all look across the Swan River to Perth. You cannot believe the number of homes, and all in the millions of dollars!

So, tomorrow  we hit the road again. We are really excited at the prospect. The winter chills from Antarctica have arrived, and we have had to get out the winter woollies, and even turn on the electric blanket! It is time to head north again, and chase the sun.