Rottnest Island

How to do it without wasting the day

The mistake people make is treating Rottnest as a quick quokka selfie and being surprised it eats a whole day. The island sits 19km offshore, it’s car-free, and the only way on is a booked ferry — so the first move is to book the crossing online before you go, especially in summer and at weekends when sailings sell out days ahead. Sail from Fremantle rather than Perth if you can: it’s a 25-minute crossing from about A$59 (£31) return against a 90-minute one from Barrack Street Jetty for roughly double, and you add the A$23.50 (£12.50) island admission at checkout — about A$80 (~£42) all-in — so there’s nothing to queue for at Thomson Bay.

Hire a bike and snorkel set at the jetty (about A$40 / ~£21) instead of waiting on the island bus — the whole point is pedalling at your own pace between the swimming bays. Pack water, reef-safe sunscreen and a hat; the WA sun is fierce and GOV.UK flags the UV and heat as a real risk here. The Basin and Little Salmon Bay are the bays worth the ride, and you should swim between any flags where they’re set.

Worth a full day from Perth?

Come for the early or late hours if the quokkas matter to you — they’re out and active around the settlement at dawn and dusk, and they vanish into the shade at midday. Don’t chase or feed them: it’s an offence to touch them, so crouch, stay still and let them wander over. Give yourself six to eight hours and the last Fremantle return is usually around 16:30–17:30, earlier in winter, so check the timetable before you build the day around the final boat.

This is the one thing most worth a full day from Perth, but only as a slow swimming-and-cycling island rather than a flying photo stop. If you’ll get on a bike and stay for the bays, it’s superb value; if you only have a couple of hours or won’t ride, the A$59-plus fare is harder to justify. Pair it with a half-day in Fremantle on the way back rather than trying to bolt the Swan Valley onto the same day.