Back in the day, side trips from cities would involve a backpack, trains or buses (or, dare I say it, hitch-hiking), and a bread roll with a banana. Now that I'm in Bucket List territory, it involves a travel agent and a guided tour. Booked online. Pick up at the hotel. Times change. And so, when you have time in Perth, where are the bucket list places? Oh yes: Rottnest Island, Margaret River, and the Pinnacles. Tick, tick, tick.
Rottnest or Rotto as the locals call it, is an island off the coast of Perth. So onto the ferry at Fremantle (Freo), and off to the island. And why is it on the bucket list? Well it has one of the few colonies of a tiny little marsupial called a quokka.
What people don't tell you is that the island itself is beautiful. Stunningly so. Idyllic bays with boats moored; stunning beaches with thundering surf, and rocky volcanic looking bays. And environmentally progressive with wind turbine generated power, recycled water and push-bikes as the vehicle of choice. And quokkas - just about everywhere. Left over from a very previous time. But strict instructions don't touch, and don't feed. Pity there's no instruction about not trying to take selfies with them - seriously, I fear for the quokka's mental health!
Next excursion was to the Margaret River region, with some wine tasting thrown in. And, as it turned out, some beer tasting at ta brewery (with lunch), a visit to the Besselton Pier ( a guiness book pier as the longest pier in the world. Or was it in Australia. Or longest wooden pier? I must learn to take notes!) Anyway it was very photogenic and it had a little train that ran down for the kids and us oldies. Then furthur south to see the Cape Leewin lighthouse - where the Indian Ocean meets the Great Southern Ocean. By this time it was overcast and misty, and the wind came straight from Antarctica. Luckily there was a cute little shop that sold hot chocolate, And in addition - there was a bonus visit ti the Mammoth Cave and dinner in a resort on the way back. Great day for a traveller!
