Nicole Gomes is a student at Saint Mary’s College of California and a TEAN Featured Blogger. Nicole is currently studying abroad with TEAN in Perth, Australia.
After living in Fremantle and a train ride away from Perth, there are many places that have become favorites of mine. Some places I have visited multiple times and others I’ve only been to once or twice, but made a big enough impact on me to love it. When you find yourself anywhere around the Perth or Fremantle areas, these are some of the places I highly recommend visiting.
Fremantle
Fremantle Markets and the E-Shed Markets
If you are looking for some great deals on souvenir shopping, these are the places for you! Both of these are fun places to go even if you do not plan on buying anything. Watch street performers as they play fire-shooting bagpipes, juggle, or swallow a sword. Walk around the markets and see if you can find any of your friends working or shopping. They’re also great places to go if you like to “people watch”. I love to walk around see what I can find there that I can’t find anywhere else.
Bather’s Beach
Not even a 3-minute walk from our dorm! It’s a great place to hang out on a hot day, or any day really. While the waves are not prime for surfers, it is a great place to go swimming in and lay in the sun. I wish I had taken more advantage of having the beach at my fingertips because I know I’m going to miss it when I go back home.
South Beach
Accessible by walking, biking, or riding the free CAT bus, this is another great beach to hang out at with your friends after classes or to go for a swim. If you aren’t keen on laying in the sand, there’s plenty of grass around.
Moore & Moore Café
I’ve gotten to know some of my friends while having a snack here. My favorite thing there is their muffins, especially the Apple Cinnamon.
Little Creatures
Not only is the food great, a few of us rented bikes from them and had a blast biking down past South Beach and seeing more of Freo!
In between Fremantle and Perth
Cottesloe Beach
Another beautiful beach to visit and swim at. I unfortunately waited too long to go visit while it was cold so I didn’t get to go swimming, but it was still beautiful even in the winter.
Harbor Town
This place is full of outlet shopping. I’ve loved going with friends and being able to go to our favorite stores and finding great deals.
Perth
Perth Zoo
Just because you’re attending uni doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the zoo! I had an absolute blast going around and seeing the different animals. My favorites were the tiger, penguins, and monkeys. I was amazed by all the different species of monkeys in the park! I spent heaps of time just standing by and watching them run around and play with each other; so cute!
Kings Park
This place is huge, so make sure you know where in the park you want to go! I love the views of the city and Swan River and looking at the various memorials around. It’s a fantastic place to if you want to have a picnic, read, or even take a nap.
Swan River
TEAN organized a great event where we got to sail on Swan River. At first, I had thought we were just going to go on someone’s boat and take a stroll around. But instead, we were the ones manning the boat! After a basic demonstration, we were on the catamarans, manning the sail and steering. At first, we were a bit nervous that we wouldn’t know what to do, but after a few minutes, we had a blast! It takes some patience to figure out how to read the wind, but once you catch a rush of wind and start going fast, it is so much fun!
A big concern of study abroad students is the fact that they have no car, but the good news is that the Trans Perth system is great and I have had very little trouble. When I first arrived, I was provided with a Trans Perth Student commission form which I filled out and turned in at the Fremantle Station. By signing up as a student, I was able to receive the student discount while traveling by bus, train, or ferry. The other good news is that many different places are within walking distance of the student dorms. Also, if you have some friends that are locals who are living in the dorms or are from classes, they may be able to give you rides!
