Our first train since China, but it was a short journey to nearby Fremantle (Freo). We would be meeting Eilidh at 11am. Arriving in Freo we felt like we had been transported back to Greenwich, coffee shops and brunch places full of hipsters. A huge market groaning with good food and handmade delights, and most importantly it’s own brewery – Little Creatures. We would like it here.

Fremantle began life as a deep water harbour in the 1890s, built on the toil and sweat of convict labour. It was the opening of Fremantle as a port that signalled the decline of the southern city of Albany. Nowadays it is a hip vibrant town.

We started our mini-tour with Eilidh by going for a coffee on Freo’s Cappuccino Strip. This was nice and a mix-up between the two Italian Baristas, meant that John got an extra free coffee, a (look up iced coffee and ice cream) – nice!

After that we went to see the Roundtower and cannon. It is still fired today at fixed times. From here we got a great view of the bay and surrounding beaches. When we get back from our road trip down south we might be able to see some whales from here.

This naturally brought us down to the dockyards and the Little Creatures Brewery where we got some good pub grub and sampled some of the local beers. As the chat started flowing, Karen’s homogenised concise English accent quickly reverted to form – a thick Ayrshire patter. After a while John just smiled and nodded as the two girls traded stories of travel and back home in said fashion.

After lunch we went back to visit Elidih’s house and met her very cute dog – Baxter*, he took to John immediately and sat on his knee all the way on the drive back to Perth.

A short visit but we will soon be back to Freo to check it out properly.

That night we walked around the Northbridge area and happened across a Brontosaurus and a gin bar.

*Named after his likeness to Baxter from the Anchorman movies.