Most trips to Rottnest Island start with a ferry timetable and end with a race back to the jetty. Stay the night and the island starts to feel different: there’s time for another swim, sunset on the west coast and a slower start the next morning.
Discovery Resorts – Rottnest Island gives you a fitting base for doing exactly that. Set behind the dunes of Pinky Beach, its safari-style eco-tents bring you closer to the landscape without asking you to give up a proper bed or private bathroom. Here’s why you should stay at Discovery Resorts – Rottnest Island.
Pinky Beach is just a few steps from the resort
Pinky Beach sits directly in front of the resort, with Bathurst Lighthouse overlooking the northern end of the sand. It’s one of the island’s widest and longest beaches, with sheltered water and a coral reef suited to beginner snorkellers. The Basin is also nearby when you want a change of swimming spot. Best of all, you can wander back to your tent when you’ve had enough sun rather than checking the time against the last ferry home.
Sleeping under canvas feels right on Rottnest Island
When the resort opened in 2019, its 83 eco-tents became Rottnest Island’s first new accommodation offering in 30 years. The setup keeps the spirit of camping without most of the work: you sleep beneath canvas but still have a proper bed, private ensuite and furnished deck. Flyscreened openings, ceiling fans and natural ventilation let the sea breeze do much of the work, rather than sealing you inside an air-conditioned room. On an island where you spend most of the day outdoors, waking to natural light and fresh air makes sense.
Sunset belongs to this side of the island
Bathurst Lighthouse has stood above Pinky Beach since 1900, when its light first shone across the seas around Wadjemup. The 20-metre lighthouse still operates today and gives the beach an unmistakable focal point as afternoon turns to evening. You can walk up towards Bathurst Point for a broader view across the Indian Ocean, then head back towards the resort as the light drops. This is one of the advantages of staying on the island: sunset doesn’t signal the end of the day, and there’s no need to leave the beach early for the ferry.
Pinky’s keeps dinner close to the beach
Pinky’s Rottnest Island, the resort’s restaurant, sits between the resort and the ocean. The kitchen looks largely to Western Australia for inspiration, with local produce and seafood shaping the menu and WA wines filling much of the drinks list. Its position is the bigger draw: you can come straight from an afternoon at Pinky Beach, settle in and stay as the evening rolls in. When you’re finished, your tent is only a short walk back through the resort.
The rest of Rottnest Island is easy to explore from here
Pinky Beach may be the easiest place to start, but the whole island gives you 63 beaches, 20 bays and 22km of cycling paths and roads to explore. The Basin sits nearby, with a naturally hollowed reef creating protected water for swimming and snorkelling, while a bike opens up much more of the island without requiring a car. Discovery Resorts – Rottnest Island sits 1km from the main ferry jetty, so arriving is simple: make your way towards Pinky Beach, then leave the timetable behind for a while.
