Freemantle aka Freo

Eat Your Heart Out, Doug!

We are currently in the seaside port of Freemantle or Freo to the locals. I’ve not been in a great mood here, because I know I’m missing Rotto or Rottnest Island, just a half hour boat ride away. We don’t have time to go there and I’ve seen the postcards and I want to go! We’ve just come for one night before heading to the Margaret River, and the disadvantage of always booking ahead is the lack of flexibility when a place like Rotto looms. I’ll have to content myself with the mainland beaches as we make our way. Freo has a waterfront ferris wheel that Doug Ford , the brother of Toronto's current notorious mayor, would envy. Isn't it marvelous? There is only one person riding it, so it's probably not the cash cow that Doug Ford might predict!

At the recommendation of our B & B hostess, a young German girl from Berlin who mans the desk, we took the Torchlight Tour of Freemantle Prison. Once we had signed up I was in a very bad mood. I didn’t even enjoy the Port Arthur Prison in Tasmania and that was very authentic, why was I going on this obviously touristy tour?

Prison by Day

I have to admit it was funny and a little bit scary too. We were given small flashlights or torches to light our way and create a Hallowe’en atmosphere. They haven’t repaired all the holes, ruts etc. to maintain a more authentic experience. In spite of shining mine on the ground, I still managed to stumble on the stairs coming down from the gallows and nearly break my own neck!  Actors jumped out of cells and dark corners to threaten us with the lash and solitary confinement. I was really glad we weren’t taking this tour with a group of screaming teens! The adults in our group giggled slightly embarrassed to be doing this just as we were.

Gallows by Night

The city of Perth was not settled by convicts but eventually the few settlers had to send back to England to request some because they had no one to do all the hard work.  This prison housed some of them but was then converted to a maximum security prison for the local scoff laws and hardened criminals. Our tour highlighted the grotesque aspects of prison life and if we want we can take three other tours so that we will be experts on great escapes, tunnels and doing time. For only $99 we could spend the whole day here. We think we’ll move on...