Fremantle

Today began with a leisurely ferry cruise down the Swan River to Fremantle; very scenic with a commentary from the captain as we passed the sights. There were so many boats, several yacht clubs and some magnificent riverside houses; one sold recently for $54million. We watched dolphins leaping in the river and as we arrived at the Fremantle Dock two dolphins swam beside the ferry to escort us in. Finally a sighting of a dolphin in Australia.

Our first port of call was the Round House, the oldest remaining public building in Western Australia. It was the colony's first jail on high land above the town, with sweeping views over the port, the beaches and the Indian Ocean. A very friendly volunteer guide told us much of the history of the jail and of Fremantle and the colonists who settled the area before asking if Paul would like to fire the midday gun today. It is actually fired at 1pm very day and a time ball drops (weather permitting) as a visual aid to allow ships Captains to set their clocks for navigation purposes. This daily tradition still upheld today although no longer needed for the Captains with modern time keeping.. Paul agreed to return to perform this and so we went off to see the other historic buildings in the town before returning for his instruction. At 1pm, after an amusing and informative talk from the guide and in front of a considerable crowd, Paul fired the cannon perfectly on time and joined the illustrious group of gunners. As proof he was presented with a certificate to commemorate his achievement.

Afterwards we celebrated with lunch at the Little Creatures Brewery as recommended by Louise. The artisan beer was excellent as was the food and the view; it is clearly a very popular place but we were lucky and managed to sit on the fishing boat harbour side watching the boats and people.
After lunch we looked further around Freemantle. Many of the historic buildings dating from the mid 1800's have been restored or the fascias of the old buildings retained, maintaining its original character and layout. It really is a very interesting town reflecting the early growth as the key trading port on the west coast.
The journey back to Perth was equally enjoyable and just slightly enhanced by free wine tasting. The wind had noticeably increased coming back and out of the sun was certainly cool.
A really enjoyable day topped by the honour of Paul firing the one o'clock gun. Only one day left in Australia sadly.