26 | Rottnest Island

One of the best day trips I have done in Australia. We booked the Rottnest Express which took around 30 minutes to get there in choppy September conditions. I had to stare at the horizon to prevent myself from divulging my rather pricey eggs on toast from the café at the dock. After departing with a swirling headache from the swell of a distant storm we went on to collect our bikes from the pier. $125 for a return ferry trip and bike hire for the day seemed pretty reasonable and it really was the best way to see the island.

We started off our 32km route heading west down to Fish Hook Bay. Now for anyone who has seen the series Lost, it definitely felt like the Dana Initiative outpost with many abandoned shacks and radio towers. Initially I thought the island would be similar to the others I had seen on the east coast however I was pleasantly surprised to take in very different views. More importantly I was on a bike again after 7 months and using all 3 gears to break in my new steed. I would have loved to go round on my road bike doing time trials of the island but hey its 2 wheels so that’s good enough. On a clearer day I would have jumped straight into the water but it was cold even for that time of year. Salmon Bay looked like the perfect spot for snorkeling but I was told the jellyfish arrive in large numbers in the summer and the Great White sharks migration path passes just north of the island so I was happy enough to stay on dry land.

We stopped off at Fish Hook Bay for a picnic and were joined by 4 hungry looking seagulls and dark clouds. After 2 minutes and a couple of crisps later the heavens opened and we took refuge in a cave, an authentic Rottnest experience for sure. By mid afternoon we arrived at the lighthouse which charges a small fee but its not too bad. The ranger called rob was a decent bloke who chatted about the history of the island and the changes it is currently going under; a free history lesson, bonus!

We pushed onto Little Armstrong Bay where the high winds crash against the coast and on a good day you can spot whales. No luck on this gloomy day but the views are great. At this point the panic stations began. We had 1 hour to make it back to the ferry and continue exploring. With more than 10 km to go, cycling with a 35ml rucksack on my back and another bag rapped around my shoulders from the front made the final push slightly challenging. I bet you wouldn’t catch Chris Froome pulling the double bag look whilst pedaling along.

After 5 hours of gently pedaling around the island we arrived back in the village in Thomson Bay. So far we had only seen the legendary Quokkas once in the entire day and were pleasantly surprised to see a small gathering of 10 of the little fuzz balls snacking on berries right in the middle of the road. We stopped to take a few shots and they were really inquisitive in the way they approached you sitting on their hind legs to get a better look of you whilst checking you out to see if you had any potential food. One ended up crawling all over Kristen’s bag; I was definitely not going to share the delicious cookies which were inside.

I really enjoyed the day and for the money there was plenty to see and enjoy. I would suggest two days would have been better to include snorkeling which we had no time to do. I would go back for sure if I ever go back to Perth.

#Nature #Advice #Wildlife #Beach