Fremantle

Fremantle or ‘Freo’ to the locals! is a working port, host to a big fishing fleet as well as container ships and large cruise vessels. However it still retains it cosmopolitan nature. Which to me basically means lots of cafe’s, restaurant's, bars and pubs! “GREAT, yummy yummy yummy I’ve got love in my tummy ”

The last time James was in Fremantle was roughly 14 years ago and due to too many drinks and knocks on the head after all those years he was unable to recollect a great deal other than the Prison and the Art centre which used to be a mental asylum.  Our first point of call was the tourist information centre to grab ourselves a map or we would end up going round in circles in traditional “Philbin style”.  We started our day by walking around town and searching for a good place to have a coffee and a muffin. Gino’s was on the cappuccino strip and was busy, which is always a good sign. So we plonked our backsides down in a very Italian cafe and ordered two Macchiatos (I know, posh ah!) and fresh warm berry muffins ,(yes we are talking about food again). We sat outside and watched the world go by as people made their way to work “Haha suckers!”
High from caffeine and bellies full of love, we walked down to the harbour and around the boardwalk past all the fish restaurants and the little creatures brewery (trying to drag James away would been like watching a mum with a small child throwing a tantrum)  to the shipwreck galleries, stoping on the way for some silly photo’s. The Museum Shipwreck galleries is inside a restored convict built Commissariat building. Which feature Australia’s earliest shipwrecks, including part of the hull of the Batavia wrecked in 1629.


From the galleries we went to the Round House which was the first permanent building in ‘Freo’, and was used as a prison for naughty free settlers between 1829 and 1850 when they established ‘Freo’ prison, which we visited later.  

From here we took in a few sights and strolled up to Freemantle Prison, The prison was in use between 1850’s and 1991.  The convicts had to actually build the prison that would house them by digging the limestone out of the quarry on site.  Unfortunately no matter how much I tried they wouldn’t keep James in.  I may get another chance on Friday night if we get to do the ghost tour.


Fremantle Prison Torchlight Tour Muhaaaa!

If there something strange in your neighbour hood, who you gonna call??? NOT THIS BLOKE!!!!!…


As night falls we bravely gather ourselves and head now to the ‘Freo’ market for a bite to eat and a beer or two to steady our nerves “ well Katrina was scared, I’m like a rock nothing moves me! ( if you believe that, your believe anything).



The sound of a man ringing the bell indicators it’s time to gather by the first door that leads in to the prison reception. We are greeted by a very loud shouting women(our tour guide) who orders us into the room and grab a small pen sized torch. As we wait for everyone to make there way in, I can’t help but shine the torch under my chin and make scary ghost noises (It’s the kid in me). After a brief history lesson about how the prisons were stripped searched etc. before entering the prison. we made our into the courtyard where we are told stories of people who had worked in the prison, or had been a prisoner that had witness spooky events and vowed never to return!!!!

Inside the prison as we stand almost in complete darkness, apart from the odd flash from cameras or torchlight from our fellow' group members. We are told about the suicide net that has been place on the 1st floor to prevent people from trying to end their lives or being assisted….when from nowhere comes a bloody curding scream from a man above. Then a body hits the net!! women jump and scream in fright…. I need a new change of undies!. But phew it’s all ok, its just a dummy and now I’m like a cat on hotplates!….what’s going to happen next!?!?

I won’t go into too much detail about the rest of the tour. But it does hold a few surprises as you make your way round the prison. After seeing it all in the daylight, it’s safe to say the atmosphere at night is fantastic, the tour guides are excellent story tellers.




One thing I forgot to mention I got told off by the tour guide for trying to scare the other guests, While they were viewing the holding cell of the condemned man (where he spent the last 2 hours of his life), I decided to find a stone to throw at the window from the outside, in the hope to have the all jump and scream.  Only to be caught in the act.

So in the words of Ghostbusters “we came, we saw, we kicked ass!!!!!!!!”