How to experience Rottnest Island?
First, a day trip is not even a courteous gesture to the Island!
In all fairness to yourself and the Island, a minimum stay must be two nights.
My first stop was at the Visitor Centre to book into my accommodation. The next stop, the information board outside Salt Station to discover Rottnest Island tours. From there I planned my own explorations around the Island.
Without three days you will simply rush, be overwhelmed and miss the real beauty of the Island. My initial two night stay extended to six. Not everybody has the luxury of time I do, regardless even those on a tighter, one night stay repeatedly change to two nights.
My bias is towards outdoor activities. The quickest, most efficient way to see the Island is to use the Bayseeker Bus. With 16 stops around the Island the bus allows visits to most of the Island attractions. It is also just a few minute walk between most bus stops. It is about 1 hour between buses. Take the early bus to the furthest stop. From there it is still a 3 km walk to the end of the Island. Don’t get off the bus too soon – you won’t get back on. I visited with several Bayseekers during the day. By three in the afternoon were only at the third stop. “It took all day to get here now we’ll just have to ride around the rest of the Island.” The cost: $7.90. This is less than a bike hire and you’ll have energy left to walk the beach, swim, snorkel or even sun bathe. You won’t be too tired to participate in the Island’s nightlife. Did I say night life? Taking in all the outdoor activities you’ll be ready to sleep by 8 pm. But if you must – there are options – I just have not sampled them. What I have heard though. There is a pool competition on Tuesday night. Not enough people showed up so it was cancelled. Saturday night on the town – “we were home by 11:00. There just wasn’t anybody there.”
I’ll stick to the outdoors and daytime activities. Maybe the nightlife is better during the busy season starting in October.
There are unlimited swimming beaches but the options for accessible snorkeling are a little more difficult to find. There is a guide to snorkeling on Rottnest. Only planning to be on the island a couple nights I didn’t buy it. It was less expensive at the General Store then the Visitor Centre.
Ø My favorite – Parker Point – a small, pink coral garden. An underwater, snorkeler's trail is marked by buoys and underwater signs. Walk along the beach to the line of orange buoys then swim the path. Along the underwater path are plaques to explain the reef, just take a deep breath, dive down and brush away the sand.
Ø Little Salmon Bay is a nicely protected bay for snorkeling. It is like entering into an aquarium. It starts with a beautiful sandy bottom rippled by the underwater currents. There are large schools of fish, soft and hard corals, sea grass beds, underwater stacks and almost no waves even in the worst conditions. The bay is protected by a reef about 200 metres from shore.
Ø Green Island – plenty of sea grass, deeper water and schools of large fish. The beds of sea grass wave from below as the currents ebb and flow. Look carefully – some blades of grass are well camouflaged fish. Just barely showing through the sandy bottom was an old, purple bottle. With the deeper water I soared above the fish which nibbled the grass and sandy bottom while completely ignoring me. The larger schools of fish would swim away then quickly return to check me out. At medium to high tide you can swim the channels between the limestone blocks which is where I found the best fish, coral and sponges.
Ø Mary Cove defies description. Without a doubt it rivals Parker Point as my favorite snorkel stop.
Ø Ricey Beach – I couldn’t believe the sand here. So soft I sank in to my ankles. Once in the water I found a noticeable current – but not overly strong. Rays were buried in the sandy bottom. Sea grass beds a little further out and amazing reefs. It was an underwater canyonlands with arches and overhangs. There were large schools of fish which followed me around. The deeper spots held countless old shells. The reefs had living shells scattered around.
Ø Armstrong Cove – Another one of Rottnest’s many sanctuaries – no fishing allowed. The beach was nicely protected from the wind. With a breeze from the north the swell was surging over the reef. The water was murky. After a half hour I moved on.
Ø Parakeet and Little Parakeet Bays – Little Parakeet had a small sandy beach that was protected for swimming. At the edge of shore shelves it dropped off to a shallow bottom. Again, fish and corals hiding beneath the ledges and reefs.
Ø Strickland Bay. The waves were usually too large to snorkel here but late one afternoon it was glassy smooth. Entering the water I immediately came across a large round object with spokes. I immediately thought of a wheel in the ships bridge but it was far too large and the heavy chain attached suggested other uses – I just don’t know what. The sandy bottom quickly dropped away into the blue depths. With the deep water welling up against the reef there was a tremendous variety of organisms living close to shore. I kept expecting a shark to emerge from the dark and distant underwater horizon.
The warm Leuwhan current makes the water here pleasant. Did I say that? That is what somebody told me. The water is on the cool side of warm. A wetsuit isn’t essential but makes the snorkeling much more pleasant. Without one the limit to snorkeling may be about 15 minutes before feeling a noticeable chill. The water is perfect for splashing and frolicking or to cool off while bronzing one’s skin.
Bicycle riding is a major attraction of the Island. With no private vehicles the roads are quite safe and relaxed. The biggest hazards – snakes, skinks, bobtails, and rangers racing home at the end of shift. The roads are well signed. If you are of moderate fitness, the hills are not too steep or long – the highest point on the Island is 50 metres above sea level. I have looked longingly – perhaps lustfully at the multi-speed mountain bikes other people are riding around the island. That was until I realized that my bicycle hire for the week was less than theirs for a day. The Rottnest Express deluxe backpacker special turned out to be a real bargain.
Walking is also popular on the Island. The resort and town site are close together. The museums and historic buildings are concentrated in the community. It is a short walk to Bathurst Point and the lighthouse. Whales and dolphins seem to be within arms reach. Kingstown is a short walk away the other direction. Numerous beaches within easy walking distance. Two well-provisioned general stores provided all my food needs without inflated prices – can you tell I’m a backpacker? There are also a variety of eating establishments filling all dining out needs.
Salt marshes and lakes take up the space in the middle of the Island. With roads and bike paths along the shores it is a wonderful place to see gulls, turns, ducks, waders and shorebirds. The woodlands along the margins have a variety of small songbirds.
Quokkas are an advertised Island highlight.
They are endearing. Rare because of their limited range – Rottnest Island – they are present in great numbers. There are small populations on the mainland which are at risk – urban sprawl, agriculture and development destroying their habitat. Quokkas are literally everywhere. In the remote areas of the Island they are quite shy but in the communities they will be at your feet, stretching to pull your pastry from the bench seat while the sea gulls attempt to lift it from your hand while distracted by the irresistibly cute quokka. It makes for a comical performance each afternoon around the bakery. Every evening at Kingstown YHA Barracks the quokkas assemble in the parade area then move to the lawn– keeping it clipped low – perfect for the golf course green. In September the joeys are quite large, regularly venturing from mom’s pouch. When startled the joey scampers quickly back to mum and sticks its nose just inside mom’s safe pocket. After a few seconds securely tucked away it glances about, then resumes grazing. Look carefully. Joeys are still in the pouch peeking out, tail dangling between its eyes, enjoying the view and occasionally reaching out to snatch food away from mom’s hands. If it is a particularly tasty morsel mom hisses and taps the joey on its brow. The startled joey drops the tasty bit and retreats into to pouch. Native vegetation is being restored throughout the Island. Areas where trees are planted, particularly the tea tree, must be fenced to keep the hungry quokka from devouring the fresh shoots. Once established the trees become a quokka refuge. During one of the rainy days I ventured out. Beneath a grove of trees the ground was still dry. Hunkered deep beneath the tree was a group of quokkas.
The character of the Island changes. The east end has easily reached beaches and intimate coves. The west end has wonderful cliffs guarding emerald and blue pools making the beaches difficult to reach.
Is history what you came to the Island for?
Ø One of the early white uses of Rottnest Island was as an internment area for Aboriginals. There is an Aboriginal cemetery on the Island – evidence to the harsh conditions they were forced to live and work in. There is almost no record of whom or how many were buried there. The cemetery was not even recognized until 1984.
Ø The first lighthouse in Western Australia was built on the Island – with the site still in use today. Later the Island was used for training truant youth.
Ø Throughout Island history agricultural uses have been tried.
Ø In the 1930’s the Australian Military developed the Island as forward defense for the port at Fremantle. A railway was built to transport materials to the defense batteries throughout the Island. Oliver hill remains as a single monument to the batteries installed elsewhere on the continent – a pair of 9.2 inch guns. The volunteer guides of Rottnest Island conduct daily tours of the battery. Many of the former military areas are still littered with barbed wire. Bunkers and foxholes are not marked but still evident. Transportation to Oliver Hill is by foot, bicycle or aboard the new Oliver Hill – Rottnest Island rail trolley.
Ø On hill just above the Island’s second cemetery is a monument erected in 1935 commemorating the discovery of the island. The view from the monument is worth the climb.
Ø I stumbled upon a farm site off the beaten path which was used from 1831 to 1839. This cemetery was used to bury whites. Tombstones – some over 150 years old mark the hard life of living on the Island.
Ø Bickley Battery stands on the hill just behind Kingston Barracks. Many of the fortified buildings still stand. Barbed wire, trenches and foxholes protect the hillside. Horizon obscuring wire netting is still in place. The area is slowly being reabsorbed by nature. Trees and vines obscure some of the buildings while snakes guard the doorways. The guns were cut into scrap to be hauled away but were too heavy to remove – they just lay in place. More recently the guns were removed and restored. One 6.0 inch gun now graces the parade grounds at Kingston Barracks.
Ø Around the island are remnants of the spot light stations used to illuminate the unsuspecting marine targets.
The options for lodging are broad ranging from multi-room self-contained units sleeping at least eight to luxury rooms for two. Tucked away in the far corner are small, affordable cabins with running water. Behind the aboriginal cemetery is a campground.
I stayed at Kingstown Barracks – the YHA backpacker accommodation. A benefit and sometimes drawback to hostels are the people who stop in. While I was there it ranged from expected mid-twenty year old backpacker to an 85 year old gentleman. There were surfers, physicians, veterinarians and students all happily mingling – wishing they could stay longer.
Across the way there were large bunkrooms used by primary and high school groups using the island to study history, year 12 science and tourism.
My collection of Rottnest Island snapshots is at: http://travel.webshots.com/album/560767923kEWyHL
