Australians love to shorten words - but there is no end to the fun even a

budget traveller can have in one fabulous afternoon in Fremantle! But be

warned... you WILL be tempted to take it all the way into the evening and

beyond!

We hopped on a train from Perth Station and just 25 minutes later were

gliding past the impressive (and sometimes quite ugly) shipyards and

container stacks on the way to Freo. No matter though, because as soon as

we arrived in "Freo" we were struck by the charming colonial-heritage-

meets-groovy-modern-town feel of this bustling hub of food, shopping,

culture and FUN!!

Strolling through the streets which are lined with a superb mix of

eateries, pubs and cafes, as well as all kinds of shops across the full

range of price brackets and tastes, we were immediately swept up in the

relaxed holiday feel of the place. The fact that it was Friday afternoon

and everybody was starting to unwind for the weekend may have had

something to do with it - but speak to some of the locals and you get the

impression that they tend to be a little bit laid back about things every

day of the week. And yet the folks were just as savvy, friendly, and

"with-it" as in any Australian city. Must be the fresh sea breezes that

wind down the streets and all the arty,hippy,chilled out vibes.

We stopped in at a couple of little boutiques, and because the sales were

on, grabbed a bargain or two. Then we headed for the famous Fremantle

Market. And what a great place for quirky knick-knacks and cute little

souvenirs. We couldn't resist a fabulous little wooden jigsaw puzzle of a

racing car,which doubles as a learning aid for counting. Great gift,

great price - we might end up keeping it! My favoourite part of the

market, it must be said, was the corner bar where you can have a beverage

of your choice in the relaxed ambience of a truly local watering hole. On

market days - Friday, Saturday and Sunday - the bar always has genuinely

talented, hand-picked "buskers" performing (musicians and performance

artists who entertain you with their talent for your donations) and this

Friday we enjoyed a couple of drinks to the mellow grooves of blue-grass

and blues vibes that perfectly complemented our mood. We never got his

name but his interpretation of a couple of Ben Harper hits made us sit

back and shut-up!

Next we strolled around to the Norfolk Hotel - just next to the Football

Ground,home of the currently infamous Dockers. The Fremantle Dockers are

having a terrible season, but Freo locals are dogged supporters of their

boys... and still throng to the Tuesday evening training sessions and the

games (See "Football Fever" for more details). This is something you can

do at absolutely no cost if you want to speak to some die-hard football

fanatics and get some pointers and tips about the Australia's most popular

sport. Some of you will obviously enjoy getting up close to the hulking

braun that is an AFL team. The Norfolk Hotel is great local hangout for

meals and catch-ups. It's a superb stone building with a cosy atmosphere

and a large, busy but comfy courtyard. But we thought the beers

themselves were way too expensive for our budget.

So just one beer each was all we had before traipsing off down the little

side streets, admiring the diverse and interesting architecture and

nipping into funky shops to tease ourselves with the prospect of grabbing

a bargain here and there. So it was that we stumbled across the extremely

cool and wonderully cost-free exhibition opening at The Moores Building

Contemporary Art Gallery on Henry Street. It was wonderful. We looked at

some great artwork whilst sipping on great local wines and talking about

all things cultural with some fascinating local and international artists.

Now there's an example of what wonderful unexpected surprises can await

the adventurous traveller. The Moores Building Gallery also houses a

groovy little cafe which is during the day if you fancy a hit of caffeine

with your art. Check them out at

Moores Art Gallery and

definitely drop in for a peek when you visit Fremantle.

By now the afternoon had turned into a cool fresh evening and we were

ready for some serious tucker and a good brew: the choice was obvious.

So off we went to Little Creatures - undoubtedly one of the jewels in

Freo's crown. This place is a must experience venue. Check out

Little Creatures. It is the brainchild of a group of friends who

worked in various breweries together and decided that they could combine

their expertise and ideas to produce a unique and truly pleasurable micro

-brewery/eatery experience. The venue is right on the waterfront and is a

massive boathouse/crocodile farm which has been converted into an amazing

space for enjoying their absolutely sensational ales, ciders and food.

First we sat in the courtyard at the front for a pint and watched the

passers by. Then we adjourned to the garden at the back, right on the

waterfront, overlooking some rather impressive marine craft. It was a

superb surprise to find possibly the one place in the entire state where

we could eat, drink and smoke all at the same table! The "creatures" as

the superbly trained, friendly staff refer to themselves helped us make

some great choices in terms of grub. We started with tapas style

marinated olives with herbs and fetta which were perfect with the Little

Creatures cider. Then followed a spicy Italian sausage pizza - perfectly

done with a thin crispy crust. We also couldn't resist the char-grilled

squid with a coriander mayonnaise that was finger-licking divine. The

squid was just slightly overcooked - but eveb wood shavings would have

been delicious with that mayonnaise!

Little Creatures also has a "loft" bar which is open Thurs-Sat and a

gallery section showing the work of hot young artists from in and around

Perth and Fremantle. Check out the ever-so-funky pieces on the mezzanine

level. But we had scored a hot tip about a quirky little cafe called

Galaxy, which on a Friday evening turns into a banging little bar with a

swinging 1980's groove. It was a superb surprise and we were as

thoroughly entertained by the crowd and the music as they were by us!!

All in all, as warned at the outset, the arvo did stretch on well into the

wee hours of the night. The trains back into Perth fortunately run up

until 2AM!