Katie

aloha! We are will be needing to find a hotel in Freo and will not have a car; itinerary includes taking ferry to Rottnest, shopping Perth, etc. Can anyone recommend a less pricy hotel than the Esplanade that is close to heart of Freo activity (weekend markets,etc.) and will we be able to walk to catch trains, busses, ferries, etc. to Perth and rottnest? any help is very appreciated. thanks! Katie

Diane

We stayed in Freo in October in a house called the Hill Cottage. I don't remember the web address, but if you seach Fremantle, you will see it under accomodations. It was a lovely old 2 bedroom cottage, with a nice living room, dining room, kitchen and bath. It also had a pretty courtyard area, though it was too cold to use it when we were there. It is centrally located,directly across from the prison. It was resonably priced, and one of the best decisions we made on that trip.

Katie

Thanks Diane, for your reply! I have seen Hill Cottage on some of the accom. sites, looked intriguing; is this a case of picking up keys and you're on your own, or is there some sort of manager who's brain you can pick for directions to local sites? We want to mingle with locals and/or other tourists. Were there any amenities such as bike hire? and do you have any "must do/just skip" advice for Freo and Perth? thanks again for your help. We live in Hawaii (Maui) and if you ever need advice for here, I'd be happy to help. aloha, Katie

Diane

Dear Katie-The Hill Cottage was pretty much just get the key and be on your own. We did have a drink with the owners, whose name I cannot remember but I think that that was because we were Americans, and they don't see so many in W. Australia. They said that they did not usually have much contact with their renters. When I said that the cottage was old, I should have made clear that it was charming inside with a modern kitchen and bath.I do not think that they had any bikes.Freo is quite walkable-there is public transportation( buses, trains, cabs)to Perth and (buses) to the beach. As far as places to see, we were there to visit our son who was spending a semester abroad in Perth, and spent most of our time visiting, shopping, and eating with him. Did not see as many sights as we usually would have. Spent a nice afternoon at Cottesloe Beach (watch out for the sharks!). One of the highlights of our trip for me was seeing lots of kangaroos at a cemetary park near Perth. Also went whale watching near Rottnest.(There are lots of ferries to Rottnest).Our son had hoped to take us to Margaret River but we were pressed for time. He loved that area. <BR>We REALLY liked Freo , it was a perfect base for the Perth area. Hope your trip is as much fun as ours was. We really had no interest in Australia--but loved it when we got there!!

Diane

Katie--It dawned on me that the cottage has 3 bedrooms. There were just 2 of us, so I sort of forgot. Anyway, enjoy your trip!

Katie

Thanks again Diane for the further information! I contacted Hill cottage via their email link on website and am waiting to hear if we can book it, we downloaded pictures of it and fell in love with the architecture....again, thanks! This is our 2nd trip to Oz, and we are very excited to be going to WA. The Australians are so unbelievably nice, that we just want to be around them to soak up their friendliness. anyway, you've been a big help and we all thank you. aloha, Katie