Perth to Rottnest Island

Rottnest Island is a very popular summer holiday destination. There are some smallish hotels on the Island to accommodate overnight guests. We didn't have that kind of time so went out to the Island for a day trip.

To reach Rottnest you have to take some sort of ferry. We chose the one that would get us there fastest; less touring on the boat, just a direct trip.

So what is Rottnest Island? Located 12 miles off the coast from Fremantle, Western Australia, Rottnest is an A-class reserve: all plants and animals are protected by law. Wildlife is not to be disturbed, but observed from a distance. The Island is small, low-lying and only 7.3 sq miles with a permanent population of about 300. During peak holiday times there may be 15,000 on the island. Yikes. We were definitely there off season. It was very quiet most of the time. I'm glad we were not there with 14,998 other folks!

Where did the name come from? A Dutch sailor named Willem de Vlamingh dubbed the Island "Rat's Nest Island" (in English) probably because of the native quokka that live on the Island. Possibly he thought they were very large rats.

Off we went on the Rottnest Express.

On the Island.

A few pictures. It is a pretty place.

 Interesting, but sharp, plant.

We got to the Wadjemup Lighthouse with the intent to climb up and look at the wonderful view but, alas, they were doing exterior work on it and it was closed despite the sign at the bottom of the hill that said it was open. Disappointing. Back down the hill we went.

During WWII 4 guns were installed in the middle of the Island to defend Fremantle, a key base for the Allies in the Indian Ocean. I had bad intel on the location of this WWII gun and tunnel site we had hoped to visit so we couldn't locate it.

We had a nice lunch in Thomson Bay Settlement. Good sandwiches! 

We were promised quokka sightings. We did see a few.  We saw one sleeping quokka near the lighthouse.

What's a quokka? A small marsupial found in only a few other places in Australia. It's the only member of its genus and is about the size of a house cat. So cute! We saw several quokka at the restaurant area in Thompson Bay Settlement. They are pretty used to people. Guess they would have to be with so many visitors.

And here is someone who didn't read the rules about harassing the quokkas! Too close!

There are enough quokkas in the Settlement, they put up plexiglass doors to keep them out of shops, etc. It's hard to see. They are fairly low doors with a "No Quokka" sign.