Visiting Rottnest Island is an essential part of any trip to Perth. It’s best-known for being home to most of the world’s quokka population but it also has some of Western Australia’s quintessential picture-perfect beaches. Here’s everything you need to know about visiting Rottnest Island.
How to get to Rottnest Island
You can get to Rottnest Island by ferry. The ferry departs from both Elizabeth Quay in central Perth, and from Fremantle just south of central Perth. It lands at the island’s village, Thomson Bay. The journey from Fremantle to Rottnest Island takes about half an hour. From Elizabeth Quay, it’s about an hour and a half. You can book your ferry tickets online with various providers. I went with Rottnest Express.
You can also fly to and from Rottnest Island from Jandakot Airport to the south of Perth. I can imagine the views from the sky are spectacular!
What to do on Rottnest Island
Quokkas
Most people visit Rottnest Island to get a glimpse of the world’s rarest marsupial: the quokka.
Quokkas are small animals, about the size of a house cat but with characteristics of a kangaroo, such as a bunny-hopping motion, small hands, and an ability to sit up on its hind legs. They are native to a small area of Western Australia – there are small populations of them on the mainland and on Bald Island near Albany, but the largest population of quokkas in the world is on Rottnest Island where between 10,000 and 12,000 of them live.
From a conservation perspective, quokkas are classed as vulnerable. This is not so much due to their numbers but because of their concentration in such a small area of the planet. Because of this, climate change can quickly and drastically affect their habitats. Bush fires can destroy forested areas in which they live and also make it hard for them to find their way back to their habitats. Rising temperatures are also difficult for them to adapt to.
Back to the quokkas on Rottnest Island though, the delightful thing about these ones is that they hop about freely. They tend to sleep during the heat of the day but you might find them beneath trees out of the sun. Towards the end of the day, they venture into the town and delighted tourists pose for selfies with them. Front-on, quokkas look like they are smiling so they have been deemed the happiest animals in the world!
Beaches
The other main appeal of visiting Rottnest Island is its totally stunning beaches. Every single one of them has unspoilt white sand and turquoise water – the classic picture of seaside perfection.
My favourites were:
- Little Salmon Bay
Little Salmon Bay is best for snorkelling.
- Salmon Bay
Salmon Bay is just along the coast from Little Salmon Bay and considerably less busy.
- Marjorie Bay
Marjorie Bay is on the west peninsula of the island. Because it’s further away, it’s very quiet. I couldn’t get over being practically alone on a beach straight from paradise.
- Ricey Beach
Ricey Beach has similar vibes to Marjorie Bay – absolutely stunning but almost empty of other people.
Scenic flights
Anyone wishing to splash out can think about taking a scenic flight. There is a small airport on the island and you’ll get stunning views from above of the bright blue sea around the island.
How to get around Rottnest Island
There are no cars on Rottnest Island so here are the ways you can get around.
Bus
Rottnest Island has a hop-on-hop-off bus. You just get out wherever you want, and then wait at the bus stop to be collected again. The buses are very frequent which means you can basically stay as long as you like at each stop without having to clock-watch for the bus times.
As an alternative to the hop-on-hop-off bus, you can do a 90-minute bus tour of the island. This is a good solution if you’re more time-constrained.
Bike
If you’re feeling more active, you can hire a bike and cycle around Rottnest Island. You can either add the bike hire cost to your ferry ticket when you book it, or you can drop in at one of the island’s bike hire shops when you arrive.
The full perimeter of the island is about 22 kilometres but you can choose a shorter loop if you like. The different routes are well-marked. We chose to do the full loop and it was nice to combine the exercise with stopping intermittently to relax on the beaches.
Train
If you’re visiting Rottnest Island with children, you might be interested in the tourist train which runs from Thomson Bay up to Oliver Hill. You’ll be given information about the island as you go along. The journey is about half an hour and you can book either a single or a return ticket.
Hike
Whilst I was cycling around Rottnest Island, I wondered if hiking around its perimeter was an option. I don’t see why not! We didn’t see anyone hiking but I think it would make for a lovely (long) day hike.
How long to spend on Rottnest Island
It is actually possible to stay overnight on Rottnest Island. But if you don’t have that option then I suggest setting aside a full day. This is enough time to cycle round the island’s perimeter, stopping along the way at several beaches and, obviously, allowing time to fawn over the adorable quokkas.
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