Rottnest Island
Breathtaking island, home of the quokkas
Rotto - as the locals call it - is only a 30 minutes ferry ride away from Fremantle (or 90 minutes from Perth CBD).
The island features breathtaking beaches, turquoise water, historical buildings and is home to small wallaby-like marsupials called quokkas. The most famous thing to do at Rotto is taking a quokka selfie from a specific angle where it seems that the quokka is smiling to the camera.
You can easily get around the Island by bike, relax at the beach and go snorkeling. Usually a day trip is enough to explore and experience Rotto.
PICKING TIP
Your visit to Perth is only complete when you’ve visited Rottnest Island.
8 Tips for making the most out of your Rottnest day trip:
- Try not to visit on weekends as many locals are visiting the island as well.
- Catch an early ferry with Rottnest Express to make the most of your day trip
- After landing on Rottnest Island, pick up your bike directly from the crew at the port (included in the ticket price with Rottnest Express)
- Grab a bite at Rottnest Bakery first. There will also be a lot of quokkas in this area.
- Check the wind direction, the beaches in the South of the island are usually more protected in the morning and the ones up north are better in the afternoon hours.
- Keep your eyes open for little quokkas along the way. For us it was not easy to find a quokka to take the famous quokka selfie with us but we found one in the end which even approached us! But it is important not to feed or touch them.
- Little Salmon Bay in the South of Rottnest Island was our favorite beach for relaxing and snorkeling and we ended our day at the Basin which is a great snorkeling spot as well
- Book a late ferry back in advance to make the most of your day trip