Fremantle: My Favorite Things, Part 1

Fremantle, or “Freo” for short, is by no means just a suburb of Perth. It serves as port and independent city, and holds all the quaint historical charm that is lacking in Perth’s shiny skyscrapers and high-high-heeled club-goers. Though populated by the English in 1829, Fremantle didn’t hit its stride as a city until the discovery of gold in Western Australia in the 1880s and the opening of the Fremantle port in the 1890s. Downtown Freo retains its colonial charm in its short, squat buildings (I imagine they must have put a Berkeley-esque moratorium on building taller than two stories), its weekend markets, and its transient artists, hippies and backpackers.

Savoury muffins and flat whites at Hush Espresso

Maybe the name means it’s supposed to be a secret, but I found Hush Espresso (on Market Street) to have the best coffee in Fremantle so far and it deserves to be known. The décor is sort of Brooklyn deconstructed hip and the vibe is come one come all – a pair of policemen sat down next to me as I was eating. The food is tasty café food and reasonably priced ($8-12 for a sandwich). I had a flat white (effectively a latte, but here lattes get served in a glass while flat whites get served in a coffee cup) and a savoury muffin – an explosion of feta, chives and sun-dried tomatoes that was hearty, flavorful and, happily, without sugar.  There’s supposed to be free wi-fi at the cafe too, but I couldn’t connect when I was there.

University of Notre Dame, Australia’s building restoration

The university, one of the few private universities in the country, bought up several of the old colonial building many years ago, restored them and now operates out of them. What this makes for is a quaint and idyllic meander through what feels like the early days of Fremantle.  At the end of High Street, just beyond the university, is the Round House, the original gaol (jail) in Fremantle, which caps the historical architectural experience quite nicely.

Free bikes and brewery tours at Little Creatures

Australia isn’t generally known for its beer – even the Aussies deride it (“Heineken is a classy beer around here,” said my friend Ian). But in Fremantle and parts further south in Western Australia, a micro-brew culture is growing, driven by some now-veteran breweries like Little Creatures and an increasing number of craftsman brewers who stage competitions amongst themselves on the side. You can freely borrow the bright red Little Creatures bikes to cruise up and down Marine Terrace, or catch the hourly informal tours (also free) of the brewery, which conclude with a tasting of all the brews on tap. I had to jet after the tour/tasting to meet up with a friend for a sail, but otherwise I would have shelled out for a beer (beer in general is very expensive in WA and these are $9 or more a pint) and a dish from their restaurant, and spent the afternoon on their patio, reading in the sun.

There’s more to love about Fremantle, so I’ll post again soon