Fremantle Local Customs

Some countries see buskers as beggars. But I ascribe to a saying I read on the internet, "Sometimes the best musicians are those whom you find on the street".

I gave $2 to a busker who was performing along the Fremantle Market. Was he playing good music? Nope. Was his singing good? Can't understand him one bit. So why give him any money at all?

Well, he was a foreigner in Australia. I had a chat with the busker and found out that his name is Yoshi and he's from Japan. I'd also found out that he has been travelling around Australia for two months and will then head back to Japan. He had also been performing on the east coast of Australia.

He can speak a smutter of English but good enough to communicate.

For all his bravery to face the people of Australia, I believe he deserved every bit of my $2.

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I love this sight - kids fishing down off the wharf in Fremantle Harbour, just as we did. This is is one of the great things about Fremantle - the town and its harbour really do belong to the people who live there.

Fishing off the wharf is a good, safe option for kids - they can catch edible fish, great if you are self-catering and they can take them home and cook them. It's a terrific holiday experience, one they're more likely to remember than yet another museum or more structured activity.

Not so safe, but very good fishing for adults can be had from both the North and South Moles, the long man-made protective groynes that extend from the harbour mouth. The rocks here can be tricky and unstable, especially after rough seas, so it's not the place to take children though there is a platform for disabled fishers that provides a safe foothold for them.

You'll see people fishing in lots of places around Fremantle - both the traffic bridges over the Swan River are popular spots, with tailor, herring and mulloway among the catch. Beach fishing at Leighton and Port Beaches - both very close to Fremantle - will yield whiting, garfish and herring, whilst the rocky walls around the Success yachting basin and the Fishing Boat Harbour are more good spots.

The Fremantle Heritage Festival is held from the end of May to the first week in June where the city celebrates its rich past and showcases some of their wonderfully restored buildings. Fremantle has taken great pains to restore the grandeur of many of these and it all adds to the atmosphere of this port town. There is live music, events and activities as well as awards.

The Fremantle Street Arts Festival is held every Easter weekend and draws a huge crowd every year. There are street performers who have been classed as the world’s best buskers and who perform a variety of acts. Many acts come from not only from within Australia but from Canada, Spain and the United Kingdom.