Rottnest Island, Perth's Best Day Trip

Exploring sandy beaches and finding Quokkas

It was Saturday morning in Perth and that meant it was time to head to Rottnest Island for the day.

Alex and myself had been looking forward to this part of the holiday as it appeared in several lists of best beaches in Australia. Not far off the coast of Western Australia, with white sand, clear water and unique looking marsupials called Quokkas!

After a short Uber ride to the waterfront, coffees in hand, we jumped onto the 8:30am Sealink ferry. As it set off through the harbor we got a good view of the city. All the prominent high rise buildings in Perth are mining and energy companies, the BHPs and Rio Tintos of the world.

The water in the harbor was filled with jellyfish, but it cleared up when we got further into the Swan River. As we made our way along, cruising at low speed, the boat driver pointed out some prominent areas - A few well known houses, natural rock features, the location of a recent shark attack, and the smallest sailing club in Australia (a blue shed on the edge of the river). I was most impressed by the houses, one of the cooler ones was Tuscan style with sandstone brick and terracotta roofing.

All up it was close to a 1.5 hours ferry ride before we arrived. It instantly had the island feel with everyone in their summer outfits and boats dotted along the shores of the sandy beaches.

First stop for us was Pedal and Flipper to pick up our hired bikes and snorkels. Bikes are the main transport on the island, and by far the best way to explore it. A full round trip of the island is 26 km, but our plan involved a bit of criss-crossing to see different areas.

We made our way along the coastline to the Pinky's Beach and The Basin, which are on the northern shores and are some of the most popular spots. This got us warmed up in no time, as it was a perfect 30 degree day. We then rode a few kilometers towards the center of the island where the Wadjemup lighthouse is located. A stone structure completed in 1849, on the highest hill of the island. After cycling 50km the day before, my legs were burning by the time we reached the top. It could also be because I tried racing Alex up part of the hill, and lost.

We had a chat with one of the rangers up there, wearing the stereotypical outback hat, yellow polo and beige shorts. He gave us an overview of the history, including the name ‘Wadjemup’, which means ‘the land across the sea where the spirits are’. Apparently when looking at Rottnest from Fremantle on a sunny day, the heat from the island created a shimmer that to the locals represented their ancestors spirits.

We completed the first half of our day by heading back out to the coast to Salmon Bay, one of the more picturesque and secluded beaches. For how beautiful it was I was surprised that it wasn't overcrowded, and we easily found a spot on the sand to relax.

It was then time to go and get lunch. All the restaurants are located in the main area of Thomson Bay, not far from the main jetty. I'd done some google searching beforehand and we decided on Lontara, a south east Asian restaurant near the water. It didn't disappoint and we stayed there a couple of hours, eating and downing water to rehydrate.

While I was paying the waitress she gave me some local tips on where to go swimming nearby, which didn't disappoint. About 5 minutes by bike down the coast was a rocky bank that we could climb down, and at the bottom was a small enclosed beach. It was an ideal location and we went for a short swim. I'm not sure Alex’ counted as a swim though, as he went knee deep claiming that there was a jellyfish near him.

The final and most important activity of the day was to find an infamous Quokka. We dropped off the bikes and snorkels and walked into the main food area where the little fellas were hanging around. Several of them were hopping around slowly, looking for any food they could get their claws on. We got a few pictures, and then it was time to head back to the ferry for pick up.

The ride back wasn't like the calm ride in, as the ferry contended with rolling 2m swells. My usual inclination for sea sickness never came, and when we reached the Swan River it was a relaxing ride back into the harbor.

The whole set up of the day was excellent, from the ferry ride to the gear hire and exploring the white sand beaches on the island. I'm sure we’ll be back one day to do it all again.