Rottnest Island

Rottnest, or Wadjemup, lies about 19 km off the coast at Fremantle, a low limestone island ringed by small bays and dotted with salt lakes. Private cars are not allowed, so almost everyone rides a hired bike or takes the shuttle bus around the 22 km loop, stopping at beaches that are usually calm on one side of the island whatever the wind is doing on the other. The quokka, a small marsupial that has lost most of its fear of people, is the reason many first-time visitors come, and they are easy to find around the settlement. Beyond that there is snorkelling over reef and shipwrecks, a lighthouse walk and long stretches of empty coast. Wadjemup carries a difficult history for Aboriginal people, and parts of the island are treated as places of remembrance.

History

When the sea was low around 18,000 years ago Rottnest was a conspicuous hill on the coastal plain, and stone tools found in old soils show that people were here before it was cut off, about 6,500 years ago, after which the Noongar seem to have stopped going; they call it Wadjemup, the place across the water where the spirits are. The Dutch navigator Willem de Vlamingh recorded it in 1696 and named it 't Eylandt 't Rottenest, rats' nest island, after the quokkas he took for rats (Wikipedia, Rottnest Island).

What's there

• The Basin - a sheltered swimming bay a short walk from the settlement.
• Quokkas - the small marsupials around the settlement, to be photographed but not fed or touched.
• Wadjemup Lighthouse - the high point of the island with a view along both coasts.
• Parker Point and Little Salmon Bay - snorkel trails over reef in shallow, clear water.

When to go

October to April gives the warmest water and longest days, with January and February the busiest. Spring brings wildflowers and migrating whales offshore. Ride the loop clockwise in the morning before the sea breeze builds, and book the first ferry if you want the quieter bays to yourself.

Good to know

It is expensive for what it is once you add the ferry, the admission and the bike, and on summer weekends the settlement and the near beaches are crowded with day trippers. The loop is longer and hillier than people expect, with almost no shade, and sunburn is the standard souvenir. Accommodation on the island is limited and books far ahead.

Nearby

Fremantle and its port sit across the water, with Perth and Kings Park a short train ride further inland.

Key facts