Wild Adventures and Fond Farewells in Fremantle, Australia

Fremantle is nestled in a nook on the West Coast which means we have a great spot to launch ourselves into exploring this wild coastline. After our wonderful trip to Bremer Bay we were keen to explore again and first on our list was the infamous Rottnest Island. If you haven't heard of this little gem, it is known for gorgeous beaches, lack of vehicles and the cutest little critters, Quokkas. They are in effect big rats of the marsupial kind, and have the sweetest smile, hop around and are absolutely fearless. There are no predators on the island, in fact apart from lizards, seals and birds there isn't much else here, so the Quokkas are without fear of anything and they'll hop right up to you. Josh and I finally managed to get a day off together and prepared to head to this little island making sure we planned for a sunny day. Our Irish housemates, who we miss as they are now over East, went to Rottnest and warned us about getting burnt, so we planned ahead because I have the fairest skin, and if Josh gets any more tanned they won't believe he isn't Australian and will change his citizenship. We wanted to hire bikes and pedal our way around the island, roughly 20km, so we made sure we knew the route and picked the most gorgeous beaches and bays to stop at. The history of this island is an important thing to mention, and with most Australian History (UK too!) it isn't pretty and has been almost erased. Rottnest wasn't inhabited by Aboriginal people when it was invaded, it is referred to as Wadjemup by the Noongar People which means place across the water where the spirits are. It was then used as a prison for 3700 Aboriginal people, where 373 people sadly died from poor treatment, dreadful facilities and unhygienic conditions. These people were left in a mass unmarked grave which was not even acknowledged until more recently, but frustratingly you still have to work hard to find this out if you visit.

We hopped onto the first ferry and enjoyed the very short journey where we didn't even have time to feel seasick. It must be very odd for the island to experience such an influx of people when the boats come in, as we all jumped off and descended on the bike hire shop and bakery for some snacks. This was when we got our first sight of the adorable Quokkas as they were gently hopping around the town. It soon became apparent that there wouldn't be a part of the day when we weren't looking at their fuzzy little smiles because they truly are everywhere. We stopped at the side of the road a few times to say hello, with some even jumping on our laps. We took as many pictures as we could and carried on seeing the beautiful sights of the island. The rest of the day we pedalled as fast as our little legs would take us, stopping often because the scenery was just breathtaking as you can see from the photos; almost every bay was a pristine white sand beach with bright blue ocean and looked very inviting. Our favourites were Geordie, Ricey and Little Parakeet as this day the North side was sheltered from the wind which was whipping around the hills. Unfortunately we didn't get a lot of chances to snorkel as the best spots on the South were too choppy, but we did get to take a look at some seals playing in the kelp at the viewing platform. We made it round the island with plenty of stops, dips in the sea and snack breaks, then decided to return our bikes before the rush of people and just relax on the beach until it was time to head back. It was such a fantastic day full of gorgeous scenery and we would recommend it to everyone, not just for the Quokkas! 

Perth is a place we haven't explored too much but it is very aesthetically pleasing, whilst still being a typical Australian city. Kings Park is the largest inner city park in the world, a pretty big statement, so we wanted to pop over there to take a look. We went on an amazing day when the sun was shining down as we gazed at the city from this great vantage point. The variety of plants was staggering as well as the area this park covered, but we couldn't help being amazed by the views. I happened to mention how we hadn't seen many Kookaburras on this side of Australia, a bird we adore even if the Aussies are sick of them cackling dawn and dusk. A lady then tapped me on the shoulder and said, there's actually one right over there in that tree just five metres away. He was having a great time looking at the beautiful Swan River with us, probably going to have a great laugh with his bird friends later. It wasn't all about looking down at the city, it was also time to explore Perth from the ground. It is a lovely, spacious place with well thought out spots like Elizabeth Quay to sit by and admire the cool bridges. We visited the Art Museum of Western Australia which was filled with beautiful pieces, from hundreds of year old Aboriginal work, to more modern pieces from the present day. It was a lovely place to walk around, but Fremantle still comes up top for us and we are loving living here visiting Little Creatures Brewery for a beer, or Port City Roasters for some breakfast. Josh got to enjoy the Fremantle Street Arts Festival which took over the main street with fantastic performances and it was a time where the city really came alive. He spent many an evening skating along the beachside esplanade, taking lovely photos and enjoying the sunsets. It is such a lovely, relaxed place to live and even though autumn is setting in the temperatures are still up in the 20s!

Josh had something very special planned as a birthday treat and we were beyond excited to finally have the chance to do it. We were heading over to Rockingham, a quaint town just 45 minutes south from Fremantle, that sits on the coast. Arriving a little later than we should have, we ran down the jetty to jump on our boat that was taking us to see the dolphins! This wasn't just any dolphin boat tour, we were going to have the opportunity to swim in the water with them. Rockingham Wild Encounters have been running for over 25 years and with an intense passion and adoration for the local dolphins. They work hard to promote conservation of the ocean and educate everyone that comes aboard about how we should care for our planet, the team were a dream. They don't have an overly special relationship with these dolphins, they don't feed them to entice them over or spend a lot of time with one group in particular, the dolphins just seem to love hanging out! We were coming to see Bottlenose Dolphins but learnt that in this area they don't have defined pods, and one dolphin can often be seen hanging out with different friends each day. On our journey out on the boat we spotted a pod of males playing in the waves but were told these guys are a little focused on other tasks, so it would be better to find some females. That's when we came across a group of around seven dolphins just behind us and it was finally time to jump in the ocean. 

There is a limit to the amount of people on board which was great and we were the only boat out there which made the experience even better! It is no exaggeration to say that the dolphins were thrilled when we entered the water as the pod even turned around to come and say hello. They came mere inches away, often getting close enough to gaze right into their eyes, as they were spinning around whilst we floated on the surface watching them. One of the most magical parts was hearing the clicks and squeaks as they spoke to each other, coming to look at the strange things floating in their ocean. We were able to spend what felt like hours, but was probably about ten minutes, in the water with them. We clambered back aboard for a rest and then before we knew it, our time had come again to jump back in with our new friends. We got to go in the water around eight times which was so thrilling. We were even treated to a young dolphin who couldn't resist coming to play with us whilst his family patiently waited for him to return. Every second in the water with these truly beautiful creatures was a dream come true, made all the more magical that they are where they belong; in the ocean. It was one of the best experiences we've ever had so a big thank you to Josh for treating us to this magnificent moment, take a look at the video to enjoy it too! We were in a very sheltered bay so on our way back to shore as we tucked into tea and biscuits, we were treated to the Dolphins jumping in the waves created by our boat. The crew said the dolphins just can't resist a play and it certainly was a beautiful farewell. On our way back home we stopped at Serpentine National Park for a quick photo stop and chance to warm ourselves up. We hiked around for a while and then had a nap at the foot of a pretty waterfall, it's a hard life!

The time has come where we have to say goodbye to Fremantle which has been the best home over the last few months. Our last few weeks were full of lovely send offs with good food, drinks and the company of the lovely friends that we've made here. We'll miss our Game of Thrones nights on a Monday, Josh's after work hangs smashing pints of Rogers and dancing in bars with our girl gang. This included a very special moment with my two besties, Anne and Billie. They surprised me with a ticket to see the gorgeous Matt Corby and it was a dream come true cuddling these beauties, with the stars above us, as he serenaded the crowd. There won't ever be a true farewell for Fremantle because it is somewhere we'll fondly remember forever. It is a truly beautiful place, but it is the people that make it so special, so here is a big thank you from the bottom of our hearts to all the wonderful humans we've met here and had the pleasure of working with. We'll see you again!