Gazing out of the window of the train as it sped along the coast away from the city centre, I took in the long stretches of white, empty beaches and the glistening blue of the ocean and smiled to myself.

I´d only been in Australia a few short days, all of which had been somewhat of a blur of jet lag and excitement, but here I was on the other side of the world, looking out at the Indian Ocean and beginning my adventure.

Disembarking at Fremantle station, I followed the rest of the passengers down towards the main street of the town. Fremantle was established in 1829 as a port and was the first settlement of the Swan River Colonists. The colonial style buildings made me feel like I´d walked onto the set of a Wild West movie!

Lining the main street are shops, cafés and restaurants, with people sitting at tables on the pavement, soaking up the sunshine and the relaxed, cosmopolitan atmosphere. As I ambled along, I stopped here and there, going into shops which took my fancy. There was a lovely, secondhand bookshop with an assortment of interesting literature and a big comfy sofa, ideal for losing yourself in a story for a few hours. I loved the fact that no one was in a hurry here!

Towards the bottom of the street are the Fremantle Markets. Opened in 1897, they are housed in a Victorian era building and have over 150 stalls. In the square outside, a large crowd had gathered around a street performer, who was balanced precariously at the top of a tall pole. As the crowd erupted with applause, an unassuming looking woman began to sing the most beautiful opera I have ever heard. Stepping through the doors, her voice soared as I got swept away into jostling crowds inside.

As I was pushed along by the current of people, I was amazed at the variety of the stalls. They sell pretty much everything you can imagine here, from fresh fruit and vegetables to ugg boots, crystals, clothes, artwork and antique jewelry. The colours are vibrant and the atmosphere is buzzing. I had my first ever tarot card reading done behind a net curtain at the back of one stall and emerged feeling rather mystical! I spent a good hour or so in the markets that day and, needless to say, I came back here frequently during my stay in Perth.

That afternoon, as I boarded the train to return to the city, I received a message from some of my newly found friends inviting me for a “Sunday Session”. I had already heard much about the Sunday Sessions (basically drinking sessions that start after lunch on a Sunday), so I hopped off the train at Cottesloe, a beautiful beach side suburb of Perth, and headed down to the OBH – a bar with spectacular views of the beach and THE place to go on a Sunday. Sitting with a cold beer in hand, watching the sun go down over the ocean and listening to chilled out tunes, things really couldn´t have got any better!