Rottnest Island

Rottnest Island, known traditionally as Wadjemup, sits about 19 kilometres off the coast of Fremantle in Western Australia. It is roughly 11 kilometres long and 4.5 kilometres wide, with the Indian Ocean on all sides and Perth visible on the mainland horizon.

Three operators run ferries year-round: Rottnest Express and SeaLink Rottnest sail from Fremantle (about 25 minutes) and Perth's Barrack Street Jetty (about 90 minutes), while Rottnest Fast Ferries departs Hillarys Boat Harbour (about 45 minutes). Return fares typically range from around $68 for sundowner specials to about $130 from Hillarys, and booking ahead is strongly recommended in summer.

A day trip of 6 to 8 hours is enough to ride to a few beaches, see quokkas in the settlement and grab lunch. Staying overnight lets you reach the quieter west-end bays, snorkel without crowds and experience the island after the last ferry leaves around 4.30pm, when day-trippers head back to Perth.

Yes, but you must not touch, pat, feed or chase the quokkas, all of which are illegal under Western Australian wildlife laws and can attract fines. Crouch down low, stay still and let the quokka approach you on its own; mornings and early evenings near the main settlement are the easiest times to find them.

Private cars are not allowed on Rottnest, so most visitors explore by bike. Quokka Coaches also runs the Island Explorer hop-on-hop-off bus with 19 stops around the island, plus a free shuttle between the main jetty and Geordie Bay, Thomson Bay and Kingstown.

Pedal and Flipper is the island's main hire facility, located on Bedford Avenue just behind Hotel Rottnest and a short walk from the main jetty. They rent step-through, cross-bar, electric and kids' bikes, plus baby seats, child trailers and snorkelling gear, and run a Bike and Bus package so you can ride out and catch the bus back.

The Basin is the most popular, with a sheltered tidal pool that locals consistently rank as the island's best swimming spot. Pinky Beach below Bathurst Lighthouse is calm and family-friendly, while Salmon Bay and Little Salmon Bay on the south coast are prized for clear water and reef.

Little Salmon Bay has a marked 700-metre snorkel trail with 10 underwater plaques identifying coral and fish species, making it ideal for beginners and families. Salmon Bay next door is larger and more exposed, with extensive reef systems and bigger schools of fish for confident snorkellers.

October to April offers the warmest, calmest swimming conditions, with average summer temperatures around 26 degrees Celsius. Spring (September to November) brings baby quokkas, wildflowers and migrating humpback whales, while winter (June to August) is cheaper and quieter but often too rough for swimming.

Options include Hotel Rottnest and the boutique Samphire Rottnest in Thomson Bay, Discovery Rottnest Island's eco-tents behind Pinky Beach (with Pinky's Beach Club restaurant), and The Lodge Wadjemup beside the salt lakes (the redeveloped former Karma Rottnest, reopened in December 2024). The Rottnest Island Authority also manages hundreds of self-contained holiday units bookable through Stay Rottnest, plus the Stay Rottnest Campground near the main settlement.

The traditional Whadjuk Noongar name for the island is Wadjemup, meaning "place across the water where the spirits are". Before sea levels rose around 6,500 years ago Wadjemup was connected to the mainland and used by Whadjuk Noongar people for ceremony, and it remains a deeply significant cultural site.

From 1838 to 1931 Wadjemup was used as a prison and forced-labour camp for Aboriginal men and boys taken from across Western Australia, with around 4,000 incarcerated there over that period. Many died from disease, overcrowding and violence, and the Wadjemup Aboriginal Burial Ground and the Quod are now central to a State-led process of truth-telling, healing and reconciliation guided by Whadjuk Noongar Elders.