ROTTNEST ISLAND

31^st March, 2012

It’s an early start for us this morning.  We are booked on a day tour to Rottnest Island and by 8.30am we are ready and waiting for the Shuttle Bus to pick us up from the campground.  The shuttle arrives on time and transports us to the ferry terminal on the northern entrance to the Swan River.  Here we board the Rottnest Express

Ferry to Rottnest

and 30 minutes later after ploughing through a heavy swell we arrived at Rottnest Island.

Part of settlement in Thomson Bay on Rottnest Island

Rottnest Island has long been a holiday playground for Perth locals.  Situated 19 kms offshore from Fremantle it is easily reached by boat.  With no cars allowed the only way to get around is by walking, cycling or catching the island bus which drops people at designated stops around the island.  The island is 11 kms long and 4.5 kms wide and has many secluded beaches and bays.  At the end of the jetty we meet up with a guide who gives us a half hour familiarisation tour of the settlement at Thomson Bay and introduces us to one of the 10,000 permanent residents on the island.

Our tour guide feeds a Quokka

When Dutch explorer Willem de Vlamingh claimed discovery of the island in 1969 he named it Rotte-nest (Rat’s Nest) because of what he believed were water voles (water rats) infesting the island.  Of course the rats were actually marsupials and related to wallabies and kangaroos and we know them as Quokkas.  These cute little docile bundles were once found throughout the south west of West Australia and apart from Rottnest Island can now only be found in small pockets of forest on the mainland.  After our walking tour we hopped on the Experience Rottnest Island bus that does a 90 minute tour of the island.

Wok boards the Rottnest Island tour bus

The bus driver is also our tour guide and a fountain of knowledge about the island.  We learn about the island’s history and its flora and fauna.  Our first stop is at Kingstown Barracks where troops were stationed during the two World Wars.

Kingstown Barracks on Rottnest Island

The barracks are now used as dormitories for school groups etc. to stay in while visiting the island.  Fresh water on the island was not a major problem with several small lakes and rainwater being collected in tanks.  Then as we passed Henrietta Rocks we caught sight of the remains of one of the many boats that have come to grief on the dangerous reefs.

Shipwreck at Henrietta Rocks on Rottnest Island

As if on cue a pod of dolphins cruised through the water at Porpoise Bay and at Little Salmon Bay we hopped off the bus to take in the view.

Little Salmon Bay

Up to this point we had seen some more quokkas sitting quietly under trees.  Our bus driver explained that quokkas were nocturnal (like many of our native animals) and usually rested out of sight under bushes and trees during the day.  However, as the morning was slightly overcast, some of the more adventurous quokkas were taking advantage of the lack of sunshine to do some foraging.  This little guy was mooching for titbits in the car park.

Quokka in the car park at Little Salmon Bay

Feeding the quokkas anything but their natural food is discouraged as human food is not good for them.  Just around the corner from Little Salmon Bay was a small rocky outcrop very close to the shore.

Sea Eagle's nest at Rottnest Island

On top of the rock was a giant pile of sticks …. the nest of a sea eagle.  No-one was in residence and our bus driver said it had been a couple of years since he had seen the nest occupied but there were many more nests around the island that had sea eagles in them raising chicks.  Next stop was at Wadjemup Lighthouse.  Wadjemup is the name the aboriginals gave to Rottnest Island.

Wadjemup Lighthouse

Then it was back on the bus to the western end of the island.  Along the way we passed many sandy bays which were popular surfing spots.  A colony of New Zealand fur seals played in the water off the rocky limestone cliffs.

Rocky limestone cliffs on Rottnest Island

As we walked along the boardwalk at Cape Vlamingh a King Skink appeared from the scrubby bushes.

King Skink on Rottnest Island

This was one large skink (about 30 cms long).  He certainly deserves the name of King Skink.  At Fish Hook Bay we spotted another large sea eagles nest.

Fish Hook Bay on Rottnest Island

You’ll be going to see it in this photo but it’s on top of the rock on the right.  Then it was time to head back to Thomson Bay along the north coast.  The bays here were calmer than the ones on the south side but obviously just as dangerous for shipping.  The reefs and rocks around the island are ideal for scuba diving and snorkelling with access to many of the shipwrecks.  Of course there are some bities out there and one has to be mindful that predators such as the Great White Shark patrol these waters.  Our 90 minute tour has turned into a 2 hour tour.  It is nearly 2pm when we sit down for lunch at the Rottnest Hotel.

Rottnest Hotel

We are quietly sitting on the patio sipping our drinks when a friendly quokka hops under the table.  He is so cute!

Quokka under our table at Rottnest Hotel

Mindful that the quokka has obviously been given handouts before Wok tries putting his hand down to see what the quokka will do.  We are not sure what a quokka bite feels like but Wok really doesn’t want to find out.

Wok lets the quokka sniff his hand

The quokka sniffs his hand, decides that Wok has nothing of interest and hops off to the next table.  Not only is the quokka cute he is very gentle as well.  After lunch we make our way along the waterfront and stop for a look in the museum housed in the old Salt Store.  Then we continue on to

Vincent Way

which (apart from a street in South Australia) has the oldest continually inhabited dwellings in Australia.

Vincent Way - Rottnest Island

Along the foreshore in the bay is the Pilot Boathouse.  A pilot and his crew were based on the island and they would row their boat (which looks a lot like an old surf lifeboat) out to any ships wishing to enter the Port of Fremantle and the Pilot would hop off the boat and onto the ship and guide it through the reefs and shallows to the port.  When they weren’t guiding ships they were required to go out fishing to supplement their meagre rations.  We then wandered to the area behind

Vincent Way

.  Here stands the Quod – an octagonal building erected in 1864 with a central courtyard.

The Quod - Rottnest Island

The Quod was once the aboriginal prison block.  Mainland aboriginals were sent to Rottnest to serve their time and most of the colonial buildings on Rottnest (including the first lighthouse) were built by aboriginal prisoners.  Adjacent to the Quod is a wooded area which contains hundreds of aboriginal graves.  The Quod was also used as an internment camp and during World War I up to 1,000 men of German and Austrian extraction were detained here.  Their wives and children were left to fend for themselves on the mainland.  In World War II it was mostly Italian men that were interned.  Things have changed and the Quod is now used for guest rooms by the hotel.  It was nearing 4pm and time for us to make our way to the jetty to catch the last ferry back to Fremantle.  We’d enjoyed our time on Rottnest Island and found the colonial history very interesting but before we go thought that you might want to see one more photo of a quokka.

Awww .... this one really is cute !!!