The first Europeans who landed on this island off the coast of Western Australia, at the end of the XVII century, were Dutch; mistaking quokkas for rats, they named it Rottnest (Rats' nest) Island, perpetrating the good old European tradition of imposing their ethnocentric view on other parts of the world.
Positioned in front of Fremantle, Rottnest Island is just an hour sailing from Perth. A popular Summer destination for Aussies, this Indian ocean paradise is not to be missed even if you find yourself there in the cold season.
I went there on a Winter day, but the sun was shining (it was actually the best day I got in Western Australia), we had no wind for most of the day and there was not as much people as there would be in Summer. I believe ferry fares are also more accessible in Winter.
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| View of Rottnest Island from the Wadjmup Lighthouse. You can also see Perth in the back. This picture is either the proof that the Earth is round or that I cannot hold a camera straight. |
The first name of this island was Wadjemup, and it was an important meeting and cerimonial site to the Aboriginal people who lived on the mainland; to this day, the island is known to them as the place where the spirits rest. Before leaving the island, the visitor is asked to follow through one of their rituals to honor the ancestors: pick up some sand and drop it in the ocean, paying respect to the spirits who still live here.
Why should I go to Rottnest Island?
Do you like white, sandy beaches that make you feel like you are living in Cast Away (minus the Wilson part)? Do you like deep blue waves, dramatic cliffs and bushy trails? Do you like cute, little animals? Basically, do you like nature? Then you have to visit Rottnest Island.
You can do a lot of things on this other-worldy island. Considering there are no cars - you only see public bus here and there, and lorries for maintanance around the place - this is a perfect place to explore by bike. You can either rent them through the ferry company or at the local bike shop (consider, regarding this second option, that you might queue for quite a long time).
The island is quite small, so you can manage to see most of it in one day or choose some specific spots and spend time there. I visited half of it in the 5 hours I spent cycling around, but I took my time, got the wrong road once or twice and decided to come back at one point because I didn't want to miss my ferry back.
If you come here in Winter, I suggest taking the bike, hiking or joining one of the free walking tours the visitor centre offers, as other island activities such as sun bathing and snorkeling may not be ideal with the cold weather. The walking tours are especially interesting if you are keen on getting to know the local history, and I so wish I had the time to do both the exploring and this activity!
It is also possible to spend the night here, renting one of the houses or staying at one of the hotels and resorts. It is likely that it is more affordable and easier to find a free spot in Winter than it is in Summer.
How do I get there?
There are few different ferry companies that provide daily services to Rottnest Island. It is slightly less expensive (and faster) to get on board in Fremantle, from where there are more rides during the day. If Perth is your selected departure point, all ferries leave from the jetty in Elizabeth Quay and, using one of the coupons I found in the HelloPerth! Magazine, I managed to bring home the ferry ride and the bike hire for only 109$ (about 10$ more than the regular return ticket). Different rates and packages can be found according to your needs and desires, but this was the cheapest one I found at the time (and the most expensive day trip I took during my time in Australia). Any kind of information can be found at the Perth visitor centre.
Some considerations (or Who Let The Anthropologist Out?)
Rottnest Island is the definition of Paradise. I am generally not much into islands and seaside landscapes but this one gets the crown. Whatever you are doing there, sunbathing, snorkeling, riding a bike, you will leave this place feeling peaceful and grateful to Mother Earth for sharing with us one of her treasures.
To me, Rottnest Island is one of those places that make you think about the past and the world around us. As I ate my lunch on an empty, silent beach, I thought of the first inhabitants of this place - the Whadjuk Noongar people - and their connection to this land.
Only in Australia one can really understand the deep connection that exhisted between our ancestors and the land they inhabitated, and why they worshipped natural elements like mountains or lightnings. Nature here has deeper colours, wider shapes, it is evident it is a sentient being as it almost looks like it is breathing. The separation we, XIst century people living in the Western world, have between ourselves and Nature - which is a human construct, something that only exists in our society - does not apply to them. The world of the dead and the world of the living, the natural world and the human world, there are no boundaries between them, no limits defining one entity or the other.
I liked Rottnest Island because the Dutch and British colonization is not existent apart from the small turistic town where the ferries arrive (which is way, way more recent than their arrival). You cannot see human manufacts on the island apart from the lighthouse and the paved roads and if you are lucky enough to find yourself there on a not-busy-day, you can close your eyes, listen to the sound of waves, feel the sun on your skin and pretend you are the last human on earth.
The downside is, this island is also a sad example of everything that was bad in the past (colonialism, as it used to be a prison for Aboriginal people) and it is not working in our contemporary society.
The quokkas have recently been on the spotlight because when they munch they look like they are smiling, so they gained fame as "the happiest animal on earth". This led to people coming to Rottnest Island and demanding their "quokka selfie". It's selfie fever all around: you see people stalking these poor little animals anywhere, dropping their bikes by the side of the road when they find a colony, crawling on the ground and posing next to them, flashing their phone in their face. This was disturbing enough, even if I didn't see anyone trying to touch them (they may transmit rabies as they are, you know, wild animals and spend most of their life going through garbage). As scratches from human food are the main ingredient in their diet, they are now completely dependent on human presence on the island.
The way people live on the island is also a foreview of what is to come for everybody due to climate change. There are no fresh water basins on the island, so they have to rely on rain water - which is scarser and scarser; the lack of rain also increases the risk of bushfires, as most of the island is deserted and mostly dry grass. Disposing of waste is difficult as there are no infrastructures on the island and shipping it off to the continent is expensive and impractical. They have to recycle everything they dispose of. Furthermore, intensive tourism is endangering wildlife and consuming the land.
On islands like this, you cannot live in a way that is not eco-friendly. You need to follow the same pace as Nature, if you want to survive.
Some useful links
https://www.rottnestisland.com/
https://www.wavisitorcentre.com.au/
Thank you for making it to here, I hope you enjoyed this post!
Stay tuned for more tales from my trips,
Liliam
The island is quite small, so you can manage to see most of it in one day or choose some specific spots and spend time there. I visited half of it in the 5 hours I spent cycling around, but I took my time, got the wrong road once or twice and decided to come back at one point because I didn't want to miss my ferry back.
If you come here in Winter, I suggest taking the bike, hiking or joining one of the free walking tours the visitor centre offers, as other island activities such as sun bathing and snorkeling may not be ideal with the cold weather. The walking tours are especially interesting if you are keen on getting to know the local history, and I so wish I had the time to do both the exploring and this activity!
It is also possible to spend the night here, renting one of the houses or staying at one of the hotels and resorts. It is likely that it is more affordable and easier to find a free spot in Winter than it is in Summer.
There are few different ferry companies that provide daily services to Rottnest Island. It is slightly less expensive (and faster) to get on board in Fremantle, from where there are more rides during the day. If Perth is your selected departure point, all ferries leave from the jetty in Elizabeth Quay and, using one of the coupons I found in the HelloPerth! Magazine, I managed to bring home the ferry ride and the bike hire for only 109$ (about 10$ more than the regular return ticket). Different rates and packages can be found according to your needs and desires, but this was the cheapest one I found at the time (and the most expensive day trip I took during my time in Australia). Any kind of information can be found at the Perth visitor centre.
Some considerations (or Who Let The Anthropologist Out?)
Rottnest Island is the definition of Paradise. I am generally not much into islands and seaside landscapes but this one gets the crown. Whatever you are doing there, sunbathing, snorkeling, riding a bike, you will leave this place feeling peaceful and grateful to Mother Earth for sharing with us one of her treasures.
 |
| My shoes lay on the beach as I ate my lunch contemplating the ocean. I couldn't resist the opportunity to snap an Instagram picture. |
Only in Australia one can really understand the deep connection that exhisted between our ancestors and the land they inhabitated, and why they worshipped natural elements like mountains or lightnings. Nature here has deeper colours, wider shapes, it is evident it is a sentient being as it almost looks like it is breathing. The separation we, XIst century people living in the Western world, have between ourselves and Nature - which is a human construct, something that only exists in our society - does not apply to them. The world of the dead and the world of the living, the natural world and the human world, there are no boundaries between them, no limits defining one entity or the other.
 |
| Me trying not to disturb our small furry friend |
The downside is, this island is also a sad example of everything that was bad in the past (colonialism, as it used to be a prison for Aboriginal people) and it is not working in our contemporary society.
The quokkas have recently been on the spotlight because when they munch they look like they are smiling, so they gained fame as "the happiest animal on earth". This led to people coming to Rottnest Island and demanding their "quokka selfie". It's selfie fever all around: you see people stalking these poor little animals anywhere, dropping their bikes by the side of the road when they find a colony, crawling on the ground and posing next to them, flashing their phone in their face. This was disturbing enough, even if I didn't see anyone trying to touch them (they may transmit rabies as they are, you know, wild animals and spend most of their life going through garbage). As scratches from human food are the main ingredient in their diet, they are now completely dependent on human presence on the island.
The way people live on the island is also a foreview of what is to come for everybody due to climate change. There are no fresh water basins on the island, so they have to rely on rain water - which is scarser and scarser; the lack of rain also increases the risk of bushfires, as most of the island is deserted and mostly dry grass. Disposing of waste is difficult as there are no infrastructures on the island and shipping it off to the continent is expensive and impractical. They have to recycle everything they dispose of. Furthermore, intensive tourism is endangering wildlife and consuming the land.On islands like this, you cannot live in a way that is not eco-friendly. You need to follow the same pace as Nature, if you want to survive.
Some useful links
https://www.rottnestisland.com/
https://www.wavisitorcentre.com.au/
Thank you for making it to here, I hope you enjoyed this post!
Stay tuned for more tales from my trips,
Liliam
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