And we couldn’t agree more!
Fremantle is a port city in Western Australia and has made headlines this month thanks to a Times article naming it as one of the 50 world's greatest places. After nearly 700 days of lockdown, thanks to the global covid pandemic, Fremantle's city centre Walyalup centre is now undergoing a $270 million renewal project.
The city of Fremantle was originally laid out in 1829 by the English naval officer Captain Sir Charles Fremantle who took possession of the river to stop the French or Americans from taking over there. Thanks to Fremantle's lack of fog, storms and or strong tides, the port quickly became a major whaling centre.
During the late 19th century Fremantle's port continued to grow as a serving port for Coolgardie-Kalgoorlie goldfield. In 1901 the port of Fremantle underwent significant harbour improvements and quickly surpassed the port of Albany.
During world war 2, Fremantle port was used as a principal allied submarine base for the Southern Hemisphere. Established as a city in 1929, Fremantle is now home to a major industrial centre that manufacturers fertilizers, refined sugar, and leather among many more products, generating huge revenue for the city.
But, perhaps what put Fremantle's name out to the world was in 1983 when Alan Bond’s syndicate yacht called the Australia II won the Americas Cup Race Series. This resulted in its defence being sailed off the waters in Fremantle in 1987, and generated huge interest in the city all around the world, resulting in huge reconstruction of things like hotels and shopping centres, turning Fremantle into the busy port side city it is today!
Fremantle's quirky and artistic vibes are what make this city so popular among travellers and backpackers. Famous for its Unesco-listed streets thanks to its interesting convict past, funky street art and al fresco-style cafes, Fremantle has a mix of all things creative and historical, so it is no surprise it made this list!
Inspired by South East Asia’s hawker-style street food markets, FOMO’s market has an array of street food on offer throughout King’s Square, Fremantle. Sink your teeth into pho, ramen, kebabs, burgers, or fried ice cream while walking through this market.
Read more about hawker markets here...
Where history and the modern world meet, this 19th-century courthouse has been transformed into a busy little pub where visitors can go to have a malt whiskey and spend their afternoon chilling out.
Check out more about The Old Courthouse...
Aptly named, the fun lab offers a whole host of super fun activities to keep you busy. Fun Lab offers plenty of fun from bowling to mini-golf or arcade games. Don't forget to get a tasty cocktail to go along!
Read more about Fremantle's Fun Lab here...
This 1500-person capacity brewery was named after the shipping channel between the city and Rottnest Island and is set up in a 100-year-old warehouse! Portside seating is available right outside where you can watch the ships coming in.
Check out more about Gage Roads...
We might be biased on this one, but surely a visit to Fremantle would be wasted without a trip to our store. Down on Cantonment St, sits the Margaret River Hemp Co store where visitors can shop for all their favourite hemp goodies, from skincare to hemp clothing, Margaret Hemp Co. has all of your hemp essentials waiting inside!