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Most visitors arrive on Rottnest Island / Wadjemup with a simple checklist: snap a quokka selfie and swim at a postcard-perfect beach. While there’s no better place to do just that, this protected nature reserve rewards those who look beyond the obvious.
Just 90 minutes from Perth by ferry (or 30 from Fremantle), Rottnest Island is a place where history, nature, culture and adventure intertwine in unexpected ways.
Scroll on to discover the Rottnest Island beyond the postcard.
Join a Mirliny Cultural Yarning Experience
Hear from the local Noongar peoples by joining a yarning circle near the water’s edge. During a Mirliny Cultural Yarning Experience, you’ll learn about Wadjemup (the Noongar name for Rottnest), discover the six seasons – a calendar marked not by months, but by when the wattles bloom, the whales return and it’s time to gather certain foods from the land – and learn about the island from those that have read it for millennia.
Learn from Traditional Custodians with Dooga Waalitj Healing
Connect to Country with Dooga Waalitj Healing’s immersive storytelling, smoking ceremonies, guided cultural tours and hands-on art workshops. These Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led sessions range from 30 to 90 minutes, demonstrating that when we connect to the land, we foster greater connections with each other.
Inspire little ones with Koorda’s Crew Tours & Workshops
Travelling with curious young minds? Koorda’s Crew – koorda meaning ‘friends’ in Noongar – brings culture to life through hands-on workshops designed for little explorers. Think making bangles from quandong seed (a native bush tucker fruit), rock painting inspired by the Noongar six seasons and storytelling that turns the island into one big outdoor classroom. Run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander guides who know how to capture young imaginations, these experiences nurture respect, wonder and connection with Country.
Ride the Rotto Rickshaws
Part novelty, part practical transport; Rotto Rickshaws adds a playful twist to island exploration. These pedal-powered carts make it easy to explore iconic lighthouses, tucked-away bays and hidden World War I bunkers quicker than on foot. They strike that sweet spot: intimate enough to notice details, efficient enough to cover serious ground, and meant to be shared.
Play pickleball at Rotto Racket Sports
Yes, Rottnest Island has joined the pickleball revolution. Book on the app or simply turn up to Bathurst Point where the Rotto Racket Sports pickleball courts are located. This social racket sport has taken off for good reason: it’s genuinely accessible, whether you’re athletically inclined or haven’t picked up a racket since high school PE. What sets it apart on Rottnest Island? Play with the breeze off the ocean cooling the back of your neck, seabirds wheeling overhead and the satisfying thwack of the racket in the air.
Descend into World War II tunnels
Rottnest isn’t just a pretty face – during the Second World War, it played a key defensive role protecting Western Australia, fortified with gun batteries, observation posts and an extensive network of underground tunnels.
Climb the steep rise to Oliver Hill and reach a strategic lookout crowned by two 11-metre naval guns, the only intact emplacement of its kind in Australia. Come at sunset for sweeping views or visit by day to join a guided underground tour through the tunnels where soldiers once moved ammunition and maintained artillery beneath the island’s rocky surface.
For a different angle, hop aboard the Captain Hussey train to hear stories of wartime Rottnest as it chugs along, or visit the Pilot Boathouse, the island’s oldest building (circa 1846) that’s packed with maritime history and archival photos.
Discover the pink salt lakes
Think Rottnest is all cobalt and turquoise? Think again. Salt lakes cover around 10% of the island’s inland area, and can transform into breathtaking shades of rose, coral and blush, depending on the season and conditions (it’s caused by microorganisms reacting to the salinity of the water). Framed by big blue skies and native bushland, it feels genuinely otherworldly.
Snorkel the shipwreck trail
There’s a whole other world beneath the surface at Rottnest, with more than 13 shipwrecks scattered around the island, most lying in deep water off the coast. But for snorkellers, the real drawcards are the ‘Uchides’ and ‘Shark’ sites, both sitting just metres from shore. As you glide over these sunken relics – some dating back more than a century – you’ll see remnants of hulls, anchors and scattered debris now encrusted with marine life and woven into the reef ecosystem.
Savour a treat at Rottnest Bakery
If the quokkas are Rottnest’s unofficial mascot, the Rottnest Bakery isn’t far behind. This establishment has achieved legendary status for its oozing jam doughnuts, crayfish pies and fresh sourdough. The line snakes out the door mid-morning, but it’s part of the ritual, and when you sit down by the water with your spoils with quokkas hopping past, it tastes even better than you imagined.
See Rottnest by air
Coral breaking through crystal water, blues shifting endlessly, unexpected splashes of rose from the salt lakes – seeing Rottnest Island from above is something else entirely. For many visitors it’s a highlight and a chance to see the island not as a collection of separate experiences, but as one interconnected ecosystem. Rottnest Air-Taxi operates 10 or 20-minute light aircraft flights, with a 35-minute route covering Perth as well, while Corsaire Aviation offers a different perspective with helicopter flights.
Say hello to fur seals
If the quokkas brought you here, the fur seals will make you stay longer. A colony of long-nosed fur seals calls Cathedral Rocks home, out on the island’s western tip. From the dedicated viewing platform – best reached by bus or bike – you can watch them bob through the water, belly–flop off rocks, or simply bask in the sun, barking in their own happy language.
Feature image courtesy of Tourism Western Australia; all other images Rottnest Island Authority.
