Rottnest Island
The main centre of the island, which is also where the ferry jetty is, is Thomson Bay. There is a great visitors centre here which can give you information on everything to do with the island including maps and bus timetables.
Talking of the bus, the island has a great bus service because otherwise you're on a bike! The island's main mode of transport is bicycle and you can either hire one or bring your own on the ferry. You will not be able to hire a car. There are two bus services, one is the BaySeeker which is a jump on jump off service that does a loop around the island and is approx $7 for a day pass. The other is a free service that goes from Thomson Bay to the main beaches of Geordie Bay, Longreach Bay and The Basin and also goes to the airstrip. You can also take a 2 hour coach tour.
Whilst you're on Rottnest you should be able to see Quokkas. These furry marsupials were originally mistaken for a large rat by Dutch explorers hence the name of the island, Rats Nest which has evolved into Rottnest over the years. The animal was known to the aboriginals as the quak-a which was heard by the Europeans as "quokka". They were once found all over the southwest but are now only found in patches of forest on the mailand and a population of 8000 to 12000 on Rottnest. The ones on Rottnest are used to people and many of them are almost tame, don't be suprised therefore to see them wander in and out of accommodation and come looking for a titbit if you're have a picnic!
What to do on Rottnest? Most people laze on the beaches, the most popular ones are the family friendly Basin, Geordie Bay and Longreach Bay. There are also smaller ones like Little Parakeet Bay which are more secluded.
Surfing is popular but for that you need to move around to the other side of the island to Strickland, Salmon and Stark Bays to catch the breaks.
Snorkelling and diving are very popular due to the coral and shipwrecks that you can visit. Some of the shipwrecks are accessible to snorkellers but you'll need a boat to get to them. The visitors centre sells a copy of the Rottnest Island Snorkeller's Guide which covers about 20 bays around the island. You can either bring your own gear or hire it on the island from Malibu Diving who also run daily snorkelling trips.
Birdwatching is great on Rottnest as there's nearly every type of habitat on the island, coastal, lakes, swamps, heath, woodlands etc. You can see cormorants, fairy terns, osprey, oyster-catchers and wedge tailed shearwaters amongst others. To find out where you can see each type of bird, call in at the visitors centre who can advise you.
There are numerous amounts of guided walks, many of them one hour in length and suitable for a variety of walkers.
You can fish on Rottnest and either bring you own tackle or hire it whilst you're on the island. Yuo are best checking with the vistors centre as to what you can and can't catch.
Other things to do on the island are golf, bowls, tennis or a trip on a semi submersible vessel and see what's under the water without getting wet.
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