A bi' abou' Freo

Fremantle - or Freo, as everyone here calls it - is basically the port of Perth (I hope no one from Freo hears me, hehe). Being that Perth is separated from the Ocean by a winding river, Freo's always had the roll of the city's harbour.


It's a city more easy going and more relaxed than Perth, dotted with old but still well preserved colonial buildings, café strips and cosy little restaurants, which made it a really famous and popular gathering spot.


Nonetheless, it doesn't lack in historical and cultural background. It was one of the first populated areas, mainly because of the harbour, but also because there was (and still is) a prison to which the British sent their convicts.


It still has its roots in today's communication as well, so you'll often hear Brits refer to Aussies as cons, while poms works just fine when it goes the other way.


One thing about Freo is that it's filled with people. Well, I went there on a Saturday, so it must've been busier than usually, but yeah. We got a spot in one of A's favourite places, had lunch and a beer and a coffee and went back to Perth. There will be more time spent around there for sure.


Another thing that's quite noticeable is the amount of those damn hipsters. They're aaall arooound. And they're all the same. Maybe I'm too old or maybe I'm not tolerant enough, but I just don't get it.


I went to a store to get electricity converters and 90% of people in there were hipsters. Not I-wear-tight-jeans hipsters, but I-spend-like-five-hours-preparing-to-leave-my-house hipsters. They all look so cool and casual, while at the same time they're putting so much effort in it that it loses its point.


Dunno, that's my five cents.


All in all, Freo is definitely going to be one of the places I'll often go to (partly because A lives closer to there). I'm actually going there on Tuesday as well, since I'm meeting D, who's on a breeze by from Melbourne.

About Perth

First of all, I have to mention that I'm sitting on my bed with the laptop in my lap, hoping it will give me some warmth. Nine degrees in Croatia is definitely not the same as nice degrees over here.


Secondly, I was going to share some information about Perth, which I heard from people or read in various guides. So, here goes.


Perth was founded in 1829 by Captain James Stirling as the Swan River Settlement (Swan river is the one that central Perth is situated on), who - unlike the Dutch - found the newly discovered land attractive.


But before him, Indigenous Australians lived here, arriving from the north about forty to sixty thousand years ago. They have lived peacefully and in concord with the nature up until Australia was occupied by Westerners. Classic story.


I say occupied because Indigenous Australians consider the discovery to be the start of their doom. They have been placed into camps, the land was taken from them and they were pushed to the brink of the society, drained by killings, alcoholism and disease.


But let's keep it on the sunny side, shall we?


Perth is said to have the best weather in Australia and even on the globe ("Perth has the weather California thinks it has."), which puts it high on the list of the most desirable places to live. Up until fifteen or so years ago it has been a cosy little city, but it's getting busier by the second.


During the history, its position enabled it to develop rapidly. The Swan river enabled transportation, while the curvy river meander protected the city from the Indian Ocean. Strangely enough, the English found it more suitable for convicts, who they kept sending down here during the mid 19th century.


Once gold was discovered around 1890, the population exploded and the city and its surrounding were filled with arriving workers, which made Perth as the colony's trade capital. Fremantle (where I went for lunch earlier today) had its port upgraded to cope with the increasing demand and it has kept its architecture untouched even today.


The discovery of various types of ore pushed it even further along the road of development, so that today some of the biggest mining companies have their offices located in Perth (of course, the ones with the most money have the biggest buildings).


Offering attractions ranging from water parks and zoos to buildings that make music and numerous parks and museums, it seems to be the perfect place for young professionals and fresh families.


Let's see how that goes...

Day Three

I've already had my ass kicked for not updating my blog, but there's a good and valid reason.


The first day after I woke up, I tried plugging in my computer to update you guys a bit and everything was OK until I realized there was no WiFi. Being that I had already managed to e-mail H, I really couldn't figure out what the problem was. In the end the electrician checked it out and realized the whole house had a dead fuse, so it didn't have anything to do with me in the end.


We finally got it fixed now and I had to spit 34 bucks for converters, but I can finally plug my comp in normally.


Today was spent with A, who I met up with at Perth train station after I went to a new shop opening in North Perth with H and G.

This is not at work, but some of the people are from the office in fact

We went for a walk around Kings Park, which is a huge green area and where there's a magnificent view of Perth CBD (Central Business District). Later on we went to Fremantle, which is a city south of Perth that possesses a more of a hippy, relaxed vibe and is filled with cafés and restaurants.

Perth CBD

Kings Park

We had lunch and a beer, and then a coffee; I met her husband R and we talked a bit about Australia, a bit about Croatia and a bit about Peru. All in all, a lot of fun and so awesome to see my old, dear friend (disclaimer: by old I mean from a long time ago, not her being old...).

Mozzarella-filled fried things with tomato sauce (AUD 14.90)

Now I'm home, chilling out and skyping, and posting this...


More to come...