Black swans dot the banks and give the Swan River her name according to the commentary on board the hour-long Captain Cook cruise from Perth to Fremantle in Western Australia (WA).

It was a late spring day with a light breeze. The river sailing was smooth and the commentary identified key sights like the Royal Perth Yacht Club (only Australian club to win America’s Cup). My favourite river-cruise photos:




Once in Fremantle, our first stop was the visitor’s centre to get a map. From here we discovered a vibrant city filled with history, street art, seafood, and coffee. The only downside of our day was timing. With our late start and long coffee and lunch breaks, we didn’t have enough time to see it all, but we never do. Here are a few of our highlights:






More about Fremantle:
- If you’re a surfer or a yachtie, Fremantle should be on your bucket list.
- Fremantle was host to the America’s Cup yachting race in 1987.
- The Fremantle Doctor is what locals call the consistent breeze that blows to the shores of Fremantle Harbour.
- Like in Perth, the local buses are free to ride.
- If you are staying in Perth, do what we did and take a sightseeing river cruise to Fremantle and take the train back.
- The Round House closes at 3.30 so be sure to time your day better than we did if you want to get inside.
- We have heard the Fremantle Prison is fascinating, however, the only way to visit is with a 90-minute tour (and we were too tired).
- Check the Art Centre website before heading there to be sure there is an exhibit. When we arrived, there was nothing to see other than the gift shop.
- Next time we head to Perth we will be sure to have time to explore the region, starting with Lonely Planet West Coast Australia.
While Perth was labelled as the last city after 16 days onboard the Radiance of the Seas, in reality, we disembarked in Fremantle.
Other cool things to do while in the Perth area include a visit to Rottnest Island or a road trip inland to follow the Public Silo trail.
Note: Based on world conditions, we advise checking official channels including cancellation policies prior to booking. Also, with often reduced capacity, booking ahead becomes more important.
Have you heard of or visited Fremantle?
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Ryan Biddulph
i have not heard of Fremantle but seems a fab place to visit. For the black swans alone. Toss in great eats and sweet street art and I am sold.
Ryan
Stephanie (@Vaycarious.com)
Beautiful pictures Rhonda! I spent some time in Fremantle. It’s such a cool place. The cruise looks like it was lovely.
Rhonda Albom
Fremantle took me by surprise as it was the port city, but it was Perth that was talked about as the destination.
indah nuria
such joy to see all those beautiful clear sky and the river. So soothing..
Rhonda Albom
We were lucky to have such a fine day.
Joyce Lansky
You always take such beautiful photographs!
Alissa Apel
That’s so interesting that the Round House was a jail. Such an interesting place!
Rhonda Albom
Well, Australia was a settled in part as a penal colony.
Villroses hage
Love the Sandbank. Nice town!
Rhonda Albom
I loved that sandbank too. It just floats out into the water so gracefully.
stevebethere
It looks lovely there Rhonda and all that lovely weather, it’s freezing here in London 🙁
Rhonda Albom
LOL – yes it is summer down under.
Patrick Weseman
Wow, so beautiful. The sea is so crystal clear. Thank you for sharing.
Rhonda Albom
It was really beautiful there.
Suze - Luxury Columnist
I’ve never seen so many black swans all in one place, they’re stunning! Do you see white swans on the river too?
Rhonda Albom
Now that you mention it, no I didn’t see any white swans. We have black swans living on the by by my house in NZ and there are no white swans here either so it seemed really normal.
Terri Vanech
Enjoyed this armchair travel this morning. Thanks for sharing this!
Rhonda Albom
Happy to bring a smile your way.
Nancy
The sea is blindingly, beautifully blue! Great shots.
Rhonda Albom
I am a huge fan of the water as well. I love being on any type of boats.
Travelera
The city looks lovely and you got really nice weather, Pretty trip!
Have a great week Rhonda!
xxx
Rhonda Albom
We had only one sunny day of three in Perth. Unusual, as my understanding is that it has generally great weather.
Lexa Cain
That place is adorable! I like touristy towns. There’s always something to see or do, and tourists are usually so friendly. (And there’s always a millionaire’s row, and I never get to live there! lol)
Rhonda Albom
I won’t be living on millionaire’s row either, but is sure is fun to cruise by and have a look.
Kathy Marris
We spent a week in Fremantle a few years back and loved it. Historically it is an interesting city and the cafe scene is very vibrant. The Swan River cruise looked fabulous. 🙂
Rhonda Albom
LOL – I could spend a week on Cappuccino Row 🙂
Ruth Daly
This looks like such an interesting place to visit. And great photos, too.
#photofriday
Rhonda Albom
Thanks Ruth, and I could have used at least one more day there to better explore the city.
Comedy Plus
What a way to end your cruise. I would have dumped the luggage right away too and then off for some great coffee and a bit of something. You both had an amazing cruise.
I would love to be on the water here in our own boat. I like that kind of cruising the very best.
Have a fabulous day. ☺
Rhonda Albom
Agreed, the swan river would be a great place to spend some time in a private boat.
Alex J. Cavanaugh
Ironic a jail would be the first building.
Cool you got to see the glass bridge from the water.
Rhonda Albom
Australia was started as a penal colony.
Steve - A Hole in my Shoe
Rhonda, it looks like you had a great cruise down to Fremantle and it was a pleasure to meet with you Jeff for a coffee.
Rhonda Albom
It was fun meeting you too. Maybe next time we will have a longer visit.
Hilary Melton-Butcher
Hi Rhonda – it looks an amazing little city … just beautiful … and with lots of interesting things to do – great photos … and I particularly like the dish. The museum does look interesting … cheers Hilary
Rhonda Albom
Actually, it was two museums, the Shipwreck Museum and the Maritime Museum are different locations.