On the road for 08.30 and heading south. A 4 1/2 hour drive brings us back to Geraldton, where we stopped for fuel on the way up.
Far from being the new town I thought, Geraldton is rich in history. Land removed from the Aboriginal inhabitants and built by settlers and up to 10,000 male convicts. There are legends of shipwrecks and much more. So we will spend a couple of days here discovering. 

Late afternoon we discovered what must be the perfect surfers beach. People seemed to turn up after school and work for a surf or swim in the sea. Now that must be special! 

A morning of history lessons on this fascinating town which was formed in 1862. Our guide around the HMAS Sydney II memorial ( the ship sank in 1941 with the loss of all her 600+ crew) was a Liverpudlian who came across to Australia as a £10 Pom back in the late sixties and had stayed ever since!

Shipwrecks was the talk in the WA Museum mutinies, treasure and discovery abound. The old gaol built by convicts still stands and is now an Arts &crafts centre. You still get the feel of the original place though.

Most activity for the youngest members of town is the sea (a continual stream of school trips to the beach all day) and an amazing free adventure / games area built along the sea front. Lunch on the veranda at coffee shop was very pleasant indeed 🙂

One thing really noticeable is that where we have been so far, with Freeo as an exception, Australians seem to go home early. Trying to eat after 8pm is a real challenge to find somewhere open. Turning up at a petrol station at 8.05pm and it’s the night window for payment already operating. Must be all this open air and fine weather lifestyle.

Back in Freemantle by Friday afternoon and again many thanks to Fiona and Mike for putting us up for a few days. A tour around the city we ended up on the dock for a beer. The Queen  Elizabeth was in harbour as well. Fish caught by Mike for dinner, Aberlone, Crayfish and Dhu Fish, all very nice!

Saturday and a tour of Freemantle Prison, which is a listed building and an enormous site. In use from 1850 – 1991 it is an interesting and gruesome tour at the same time.

Well into the the Freemantle lifestyle, after shopping it’s the coffee shop, Apple and Rubarb cake, more shopping), yes  Julie did get a new dress in the last shop) and then it’s off to the beach from a swim. 

Pete & Jules