KathleenFemantle & Perth, Australia – May 1-8, 2016
Having been on the move for three months plus, we thought a week in one place was in order at this stage of the trip. Since we were heading to Western Australia, we selected Fremantle, which is about 10 miles away from downtown Perth and has its own very unique vibe. Fremantle was the home of the first colony in Western Australia and today still serves as an active port town as well as a jumping off point for some of the beaches of southwestern Australia and daytrips to Rottnest Island. We wanted a place we could stay that was not in a big city and in which we could get by without a car. Fremantle did not disappoint.
The first day (while we still had the car), we took a road trip over two hours north up the coast to see The Pinnacle Rocks in Nambung National park. This park had thousands of jutting rocks sticking out of the sand and it is fascinating because scientists still seem a bit unclear as to how these were formed. We have never seen anything quite like it. The Pinnaces were themselves worthy of the long drive day but the beaches and sand dunes clinched it. Again, it wasn’t quite warm enough for swimming, but the sand was so
white and the sea so blue, that it was difficult to turn around and head back to the city. There is nothing but beautiful coastline going north from here for thousands of miles and it felt like a couple of more days would have been wonderful. Oh well, we plan to be on the coast from here on out, so I am confident more beautiful beaches are on the agenda.
Next day, before dropping off the car, we headed out to an outlying Perth suburb where there was a wildlife park boasting koala cuddling. Sure enough, for an extra $30, we could hold a koala bear while it munched on eucaliptis leaves. We had spent so much time searching the trees for koalas and then trying to get them to open their eyes when we finally found them, that this up-close koala experience was a big highlight for us. They are pretty nonchalent creatures, fuzzy, pettable and adorable. This is a MUST DO if you ever get the chance.
The rest of the week we spent catching up on our travel plans, seeing Fremantle (between the raindrops) and Perth, and even had a day trip to Rottnest Island (30-minue ferry ride), another beach mecca where cars aren’t allowed and we had a lovely day biking around the island. The apartment we rented was lovely, homey and it a great location. It is amazing how quickly seven days go by and we are kind of shocked as we sit on the plane taking us to Broome and the North. Fremantle felt like the kind of place one could easily call home, but it is amazing how much wonderous Australian landscape is still ahead of us, still three weeks from the end of our trip.