Perth: The best things in life are free after all

Prapi Widinugraheni, Contributor, Perth

It was a warm Saturday morning on the "cappuccino strip" of Fremantle, a port town about 20 minutes from Perth's central business district.

As people breakfasted at sidewalk cafes, three men walked by. Nothing about them was unusual, but their slow gait -- and the pack of kretek (clove) cigarettes one was holding -- was a giveaway: Indonesian tourists in Perth.

Fremantle is favored by tourists. It has everything, from an exciting history, good souvenir shops and a great atmosphere. Freo, as it is known by locals, is "alternative", hip and artsy.

But it hasn't always been that way.

Fremantle was founded in 1829 as a port for Britain's fledgling Swan River colony in Western Australia. The years between 1850 and 1868 saw the arrival of convicts, who later built structures like the Fremantle prison, an insane asylum and the first bridge over the river in Fremantle.

These buildings remain intact and can now be toured almost every day of the year. The asylum is now the Fremantle History Museum and is said to have a resident ghost. The prison, which was decommissioned as an operating jail in 1991, was opened to the public in 1992.

Colonial landmarks are not the only attraction in Fremantle. Indigenous Australian and contemporary art galleries, museums and organized tours abound. These include Indigenart art gallery, the Army Museum, the Maritime Museum, Fremantle Aboriginal heritage trail, Fremantle historic walking tours and Fremantle Prison night tours.

Then there is eating in Fremantle. According to the local government authority, 1977 was the year when local coffee shop Papa Luigi's introduced al fresco dining, starting what is now the trendy "cappuccino strip".

Along this strip and nearby alleyways are some of the best eateries in Perth and its surrounds. Italian fare is perhaps the most common in the area, with tight competition forcing establishments to outperform each other.

At one end of the cappuccino strip are the Fremantle Markets, located in a large warehouse-like structure built in 1898 and full of stalls selling beautiful knickknacks. It's a heaven for souvenir-shopping.

The year 1984 was perhaps the biggest turning point for Fremantle, when major restoration and gentrification works transformed the working-class port town into a hub for all things hip and funky.

The year before, local businessman Alan Bond and ship builder Ben Lexon had won the America's Cup, arguably the greatest sailing competition in the world. The victory meant Fremantle would be hosting the America's Cup competition four years later. During these four years, the local government organized a thorough, cosmetic face-lift to make the town more attractive.

Australia lost the cup in the championships held in 1986-87, but for Fremantle it was a victory nonetheless, as millions of dollars came in over just a few months.

Further up the Swan River is the Western Australian capital of Perth. Like Fremantle and other older cities in Western Australia, Perth's history is very much linked to the arrival of Europeans in the region between the 17th and 19th centuries. This is despite the fact that Australian Aborigines -- the original inhabitants of the land -- had roamed Australia for more than 50,000 years and traded with seafaring Indonesians during that time.

The first Europeans to sight Western Australia were Dutch explorers who charted the land during their trips to the Indonesian Spice Islands. Later, in 1827, English Captain James Stirling decided the area was appropriate for a settlement. In 1829, the Swan River colony was established.

The Western Australian Museum is a good place for the historically-inclined tourist to know more about Western Australia's land, people and nature. For more depth, visit the art gallery and state library next door.

Perth is also modern and multicultural. Within walking distance from the museum is the train station, the central business district, the city's main shopping precinct and dozens of eateries, particularly around Northbridge where Asian fare is predominant.

Galleries, movie theaters and theaters near Northbridge and the central train station have a steady flow of exhibitions, performances and shows. Currently these include La Boheme at His Majesty's Theatre, Music Viva-Jerusalem Quartet at the Perth Concert Hall, the WA Police Pipe Band at Forrest Place and Buddha's Birthday Festival at the Supreme Court Gardens, to name just a few.

About 10 minutes away from the city center are the Perth Zoo, the 400-hectare King's Park & Botanical Gardens, the Bell Tower on the Swan River foreshore and Scitech Discovery Center for the kids and young-at-heart.

Further up along the Swan River, about 25 minutes from the city center, is the quaint town of Guildford which lies in the heart of the Swan Valley.

Guildford was established by Captain James Stirling as the rural center of the new Swan River colony at the same time Fremantle was designated as the colony's port town and Perth as its administrative center. Guildford represented the upper limit of navigation on the Swan River; it was also fertile enough for agriculture.

As areas east of Perth were opened up, Guildford became an important transportation center, with boats bringing in settlers and farmland supplies, and taking out farm produce to the city. From around 1850, convict labor improved the roads from Perth, allowing travel by road from Fremantle, via Perth and Guildford, to the new eastern regions.

The Kalgoorlie gold rush in the 1890's attracted immigrants -- from overseas as well as from Australia's eastern coast -- to Western Australia. Many of them settled down in the region, causing a surge in the new colony's population.

Guildford's importance declined by the early 1900's with the construction of the railway line to the neighboring town of Midland. But its quaint buildings and English heritage architecture remain, along with its fertile land which now sustains dozens of vineyards and pastures.

There are more than 80 vineyards, restaurants and breweries located along the 32-km Swan Valley drive north of Guildford. No trip is complete without having a go at wine tasting in the region. Each vineyard prides itself of its own label, which is often sold exclusively on-site.

Guildford is minutes away from Whiteman Park, which features children's playgrounds, barbecue areas and walk trails in a bushland setting. Caversham Wildlife Park, which is also close by, is a favorite for tourists who want to see and touch native Australian wildlife.

For a sample of Western Australian scenery, a visit to Yanchep, John Forrest, Serpentine, Walyunga or Avon Valley National Park, is essential.

At Yanchep, visitors can interact with, and get a glimpse of local Aboriginal culture and lifestyle when Aborigines from the Nyoongar tribe share their stories and conduct didgeridoo and dance performances. At Walyunga, visitors can go on an easy 1.2 km Aboriginal heritage trail and learn about Aboriginal myths and legends.

All national parks are within a 30-minute to one-hour drive from Perth's city center.

Western Australia has a coastline measuring 12,500 km, most of which take the form of lovely sun-drenched beaches. A visit to Perth is incomplete without at least seeing one beach. Cottesloe Beach, about 20 minutes from the city center, is arguably the prettiest around Perth. Scarborough and Trigg are good surfing beaches, whereas Floreat and City are better for swimming and paddling.

Many cafes and restaurants can be found around Cottesloe and Scarborough, but they are few and far between on the other beaches. But don't be discouraged: Perth is dotted with hundreds of parks that have lush green grass, shady trees, children's playgrounds and barbecue facilities, so picnics are the way to go.

Perth is a lovely place where troubles are few and the best things in life are free. The best times to visit would be around March-May and September-November, but if you're beach inclined, come in December-February when the weather is hottest and sunbathing (with lots of sunscreen) is coolest.

It's six hours from Jakarta and there's an allowable limit of one carton of kretek cigarettes. What more could you ask for?