Fremantle Things to Do

For as long as I have been visiting Fremantle, I have loved this charming statue.

The statue commemorates the Italian-born sculptor Pietro Porcelli, who was responsible for some of Western Australia's best known statues, including those of Alexander Forrest in Perth and C Y O'Connor in the port area of Fremantle. In addition to his public art commissions, he also did a very brisk trade in memorial art for the rich and famous around the turn of the 20th century and the Victorian-era secions of several of Perth's cemeteries are full of his work.

This statue by Greg James was erected to his memory in 1993.

Kings Square is a lovely tranquil spot on the fringe of the Freo CBD, which always seems to be peaceful even when the rest of Freo is buzzing. I love the huge palm and Moreton Bay fig trees that lend shade even on the hottest day, and the understated Anglican charms of the adjacent St John's Church. A good spot to retire in order to catch your breath and watch the lorikeets and magpies squabble in the trees!

The Fremantle market is a Freo institution, frequented by both locals and tourists alike.

Housed in the original Victorian building, it is a pleasing combination of fresh produce and flea market and a lovely place to wander around for an hour or so, particularly when the weather outside is being uncharitable.

The flea market side is a pleasant combination of kitsch Australiana (koalas and kangaroos on everything), some good local handicrafts - particularly made from hardwoods such as yarra and jarrah from the forests of the South West - and some hippyish New Age offerings. Fortunately (unlike many other flea markets) imported plastic dross from Asia has been kept to a minimum.

In addition to squeaky-fresh fruit and veg, there are a whole range of stalls selling produce such as local cheeses, breads and other goodies, so if you set your mind to it, you'll have a delicious picnic of local produce packed in a trice!

P.S. If you're in a market frame of mind, then don't overlook the other Freo market in E Shed, just by the Rotto ferry terminal and the railway station (see my forthcoming travel tip)

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The variety, freshness and opportunities here are simply superb. My friends and I went here to stock up for our first day BBQ back at our accommodation and we were all suitably impressed.

Top Places - the fruit stalls with free samples. Probably the most juicy strawberries I've ever tasted.
The Mouse Trap - the best cheesery there, and the staff are very knowledge. They recommended three soft bries which we all loved very much.
Raw Food and Smoothie Bar - raw foodist' delight at this place which only serves raw food.

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Large, Shiny and Central - use it as a point to navigate to and ride it for a fun 10 minutes. There's no issues with falling as everything is enclosed. The wheel itself makes for some great photo opportunities as well.

I dived Rottnest Island departing Fremantle with Dolphin Dive.

I'm a qualified OW diver and have dived in several places in several climates - Perth diving is some of the best (comparable with Ko Tao in Thailand easily) and the folks at Dolphin Dive took great care of me.

For $190 I was picked up from their HQ opposite Fremantle Station, driven to the boat and given all my gear, then taken off the coast of Rottnest Island for 2 dives broken up with a nice BBQ lunch. They catered for vegetarians, which I was very pleased with, and the dive guide Nathan had well over a thousand dives under his belt and was very confident underwater - a huge step up from the sometimes fresh-out-of-school divemasters with barely 50 dives. The boat was operating shark shields the entire time and the equipment comes with a good dive comp standard so there's minimal chance of your ascending too quick or spending too long at depth.

I have absolutely zero complaints about the excellent service provided.

Bruce Lee Park is actually a wonderful little reserve on South Street in Fremantle and far from the karate it conjours up, locals use this park for a kick around of the old soccer ball. Others choose to lie under a tree and read a book, others still just lie down on their jackets and soak up the WA sun.

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One of the many very unusual sights to see while in Fremantle is a visit to the Notorious Fremantle prison a very old convict prison and the original prison to be built in Fremantle known then as the "Swan River Colony"..being the biggest convict construction in the state..construction began not long after the first convicts arrived in 1850..and was a working prison until the prison was closed in 1991.Fremantle Prison was a maximum security Prison holding some of the most notorious prisoners and being a place of continuous punishment and incarceration for 140 years...
I took the daytime visit that entails being guided through the whole workings of the prison...from induction..to the cells and through the different galleries...the workout yards...the chapel ..various happenings in the prison and is a really entailed guided tour..
There is also an eerie nightime tour that is also available if thats what you like...
There are many different tours available here..
The nightime torchlight tour..The Tunnel tours and the daytime tours..

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Friday, Saturday and Sunday are the days to visit Fremantle's historic old market building. Fresh fish as you enter give way to a variety of specialist foodie stalls before you finally make your way through to mountains of vegetables and fruit under the awnings out the back. In between the aisles are packed with people and colourful stalls selling everything from antique jewellery to ugg boots. There's usually live music coming from the small bar tucked in one corner, whilst buskers perform both inside and out. You can have your portrait drawn, your tarot cards or your palm read, a back massage, buy your mother a jarrah bread basket or an embroidered lavender bag, and yourself a hammock and a cd to listen to as you snooze in it. There are treasures and tat all mixed up together, lots of locally produced individual crafts, lotions and potions, candles and the most moreish candied nuts; handmade soaps and honeycomb straight from the hive, 150 stalls altogether, all under the roof of the restored Victorian market hall that first opened here in 1897.

This is much, much more than just a tourist venue or a place to shop. For lots of Fremantle folk it's an essential part of their weekend.