Finding Fremantle: Cappuccino Strip to the Roundhouse

As with any trip designed to land you halfway around the world, you expect there to be a few hiccups along the way.  After flight delays, lost luggage, and more than thirty hours of travel, we were more than happy to set down under a beautiful, sunny winter morning in Perth. 

Finding our feet on Australian soil was enough to revive even the weariest among us, so after settling into our accommodations and covering location basics, it was time to do some sightseeing.  We headed into Fremantle, or Freo as the locals call it, to get a taste of the local culture.  From the century-old train station, we set off down “Cappuccino Strip,” the bustling main street that runs through the heart of Freo and gained its nickname from the number of restaurants and cafes lining the length of it.  Here we found all manner of shops, expansive street art, and an abundance of that lilting Australian accent we all wish we could take home with us.

Like any good tourists, we couldn’t go on without treating ourselves to a little well-earned gelato, sampling local favorites like tiramisu, berry pavlova, and vegemite! (Just kidding about that last one; but let’s be honest, I’d totally try it.)

Feeling refreshed, and maybe a little chilly, but with zero regrets about eating frozen dessert… outside… in the middle of winter… we continued on. 

The rest of our self-decided walking tour took us to the Roundhouse – the oldest building in Western Australia – past the quiet shore of Bathers Beach, across the green grass of the esplanade and, like many trips, back to where we started.

With the sun setting and our day wrapping up, it was time to head back to campus and say farewell to Freo… for now.