Fremantle

This was our last day in Western Australia but our flight out to Brisbane was not until late tonight. We had a full day to occupy so we agreed last night on a late start at 9:30 am.

Majella and I ate breakfast and packed with time to spare before checking out of the hotel. At 9:30 am we all went down to the car and loaded our bags. Majella managed the final tight exit from the Pensione Hotel basement car park.

Our first destination was Fremantle Markets. We found parking nearby and spent almost an hour wandering the markets looking at what was on offer. There were some things that might have interested us but nobody had much space in their bags. Majella bought a couple of small snacks as we left.

We found another parking space near the shops and spent some time in that area. First stop was for coffee, then we walked on around the streets among some historic buildings before driving on toward the WA Maritime Museum.

Parking there was a nightmare. The 40th anniversary of Australia II winning the America’s Cup is being celebrated with a major event at the museum tomorrow. There is a special exhibition and today was free admission. After a couple of vain circuits of the parking lot John dropped three of us and went further afield. He returned on foot about 15 minutes later.

We spent more than an hour at the museum, looking first at the special exhibition and then at the regular exhibits. There was a lot to see, spanning historical periods from Indonesian traders through pearling to immigration, the America’s Cup and more.

By the time we were back in the car it was almost 2 pm and we were needing lunch. A quick search in Maps turned up the Quarter Acre Hotel at Applecross, well away from the congestion of Fremantle. John headed there and easily found a parking space. Meals were still being served so we ate lunch. Majella had squid with chilli caramel and I had chorizo; Lynne had nachos and John had fish tacos.

After lunch John drove to Kings Park where Majella hoped to buy some wildflower seeds. Parking there was tight too but John found a spot and we made our way to the gift shop where there were seeds available and Majella was able to buy some. She browsed a bit longer and found more to buy before we exited heading for the Rio Tinto Naturescape feature in Kings Park. By then it was just after 4 pm and we were sorry to find the naturescape closed at 4 pm. We looked at some wildflowers near the entrance but then headed for the car.

We had no other plans for the hours before our flight until John suggested that he would like to watch the AFL semifinal which was being played this afternoon. Those of us less interested in the match agreed that we could amuse ourselves in a hotel so John drove to one nearby. When he went in to see if it would suit he found a fine establishment but no AFL game. I searched instead for a sports bar and found the Paddington Ale House. That turned out to be a good choice.

John found a parking space in the nearby street and we walked to the hotel. It was noisy and crowded with large screens in the bars showing the game. That worked for John. Lynne went to explore the local shops and Majella and I found a table outside where she ate crisps and I drank a beer. Lynne found us there after her wandering and sat with us to wait. The Lions won the game and everyone was happy.

With nothing more to do and nobody really hungry after our late lunch we headed toward the airport, filling up with fuel as we approached it. Majella and Lynne stayed with our baggage at the terminal while John and I dropped the car back to the rental company. The office was closed but we could park, lock, and drop the keys.

We walked the easy 600 metres back to the terminal to wait for our flight. There were no food outlets open in the terminal and it was too early to drop our bags. The card players managed to amuse themselves while we waited for things to happen.