34. Perth, day two

Or more accurately, Fremantle. Having spent 24 hours off the water, the withdrawl symptoms were kicking in and so our morning excursion took us from Perth on a leisurely sightseeing cruise along the Swan River and back to Fremantle where we had docked the morning before. Much of the riverbank is lined with luxury apartments and fabulous properties...and judging by the landscaped gardens and gin palaces moored up alongside the private jetties and beaches, you need to be a multi millionaire to be able to afford to live in the area. We also passed by the original swan brewery and saw many black swans, the latter being the state emblem and which gave the river its name.

Fremantle itself is a pleasant little town and I daresay much quieter today than yesterday when it was playing host to two cruise ships. The centre of town is pedestrianised and as well as the usual stores found in any high street, also boasts numerous boutiques, souvenir and local craft shops, etc. no doubt catering for the passing cruise passenger trade. There are a number of older, colonial type buildings which are extremely well kept, and the recently developed boardwalk area on the seafront is very attractive, home to an array of cafes and restaurants. However, it seemed that the further away from the town centre we went, the more run down some of the buildings appeared to be.

Fremantle also has a growing reputation as a bit of a micro brewery hub with many of the bars offering ale tasting plates alongside the food menu. I resisted this temptation but did have a bottle of something delightfully named Feral Hop Hog with my lunch and which was very good indeed.

Lunch completed we shopped for a couple of small souvenirs and then caught the train back up to Perth city centre. An early night is called for as we have an early start tomorrow, catching our flight to Adelaide. With all the walking we have done today I don't think sleep will be too much of a problem!