We planned on a brief visit to Perth, and could easily have stayed a month. The main reason for our calling was to get some new springs fitted to Rocky, to hopefully get a bit more space between us and the rocks we had been scraping over. Plans were thrown into disarray when a freight train derailed near Tarcoola in South Australia, and it seemed our replacement springs were in one of the 18 carriages that had become a semi-permanent feature of the South Australia landscape.
In a way it was a blessing in disguise - even if it didn't seem like it at the time.
Fremantle
One of my favourite cities in Australia would have to be Fremantle. I had many fond memories of hanging about here in my youth - and whilst some things had changed - many of the best were refreshingly unchanged. Unfortunately it was me that was a little older and wiser - so we didn't spend the day at the Sail and Anchor, or Little Creatures, or even the Norfolk... No, it was off to the playground for us.
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| I never thought my first stop on a return to Fremantle would be the playground! |
Be that as it may, it was fantastic to wander around the city with no real timetable. We found our way to the Visitor Information Centre, and armed with a map with all the things to see and do, we decided to pick just a few to visit. The first on our list was The Round House. Formerly a gaol, and a maritime signalling station, it is Western Australia's oldest public building. The stocks were popular with the kids - but it is probably a good thing I didn't have any rotten tomatos in my pocket when Mum had a go...
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| They could have charged by the hour for babysiting! |
