rottnest

A 45minute boat ride out of Fremantle on the Rottnest Express takes you out to an island paradise.
We made the trip for Australia Day, it was scorching hot (about 38 degrees) and we were ready to explore! 

There’s a bus and a train that takes you around the island (no cars other than service vehicles) but we decided to take the active way – cycling! For $45 from Peddle and Flippers you choose a bike and load up with a pair of flippers and get set to take off. 

We chose to go out around to Little Salmon Bay, up to the lighthouse, over to the Basin and back into the centre to return the bikes. All up, around 12kms, not that far. Damn, it was tough going in that heat though! The island isn’t flat, there’s lolling hills and you definitely get your heart rate up. Not to mention the lack of shade and you sure as hell better have packed a tonne of water, there’s not many refill spots along the way. 

There’s scenic points around most bends, we were constantly stopping to capture the beauty. The coastline is crystal clear in hues of blues and turquoise and full of the outlines of coral. Boats are scattered everywhere and the ‘good spots’, ie any with shade, were all taken early. The land itself is dry, lots of bracken and brownish shrubbery. 

We spent most of the day at Little Salmon Bay. Luckily an open cave had been vacated and we took to the shade as fast as we could, hot and sweaty from the cycling and sunshine. Gemma had made us a lovely picnic lunch, fresh salmon salads and veggies with beetroot hummus dip. Oh and vodka and coconut water – it was Australia Day after all! 

The snorkelling out from the bay exceeded my expectations. There were plenty of fish, large and small of many different varieties. I even found some bright purple coral and a huge crayfish going for a wander!   

I know what you’re all thinking. The Quokkas! Tell us about the Quokkas! 

They completely live up to their reputation as one of the happiest creatures in the world. They’re incredibly cute and friendly. We first came across some on the way to the lighthouse, they were lethargic and lying under a tree. With a shake of the water bottle they were our and eager for hydration! We tried to just feed them from the water bottle cap but their thirst wasn’t quenched and the bigger one was straight into the bottle! He’d definitely done that before. He latched on and drank like a baby, happy as can be, selfishly pushing his smaller mate out of the way. Once they were both suitably hydrated the selfie show began. We took sooo many pics with the cute balls of fluff! They kind of look like a wallaby crossed with a happy rat… it’s hard to explain and doesn’t do them justice so just look at the pictures! 

The pink salt lakes were a pleasant surprise, we weren’t sure what they are at first, an epic pink landscape appearing around the hill. 

We made it to the Basin to cool off with another swim then went back to town, dropped off our gear and went to the Hotel to listen to the last of the Triple J Autralia Day Top 100 countdown with some beers and prawns. 

Awesome day out, add it to your bucket list!