Floating the Day Away at Parakeet Bay on Rottnest Island
Hey there! Sorry for the radio silence over on the blog as of late, but I’m just unplugging and enjoying my time over here in Western Australia! My brother and sister in law have been showing lots of places and hot spots to hit up here in Perth. One of my favourite day trips so far has been Rottnest Island. Located just a short 30 min ride on the fast ferry off the coast from Perth, we took our bikes and daypacks to tour around and explore the island. If you are looking to tour on bikes, they also rent them on the island and at the ferry port in Fremantle.
Once off the ferry and on the island, it was free cruising around to look at the sights and find a quiet cove to set up our floaties and have some beach time. The island is also famously known for it’s Quokka population. The island is a wildlife reserve and home to a number of birds, snakes (which we saw- ok I actually screamed at) and the cute little Quokka- a friendly little marsupial about the size of a house cat.
Some of the tips for heading to Rottnest if you’re doing a self guided bike tour, take a day pack with the beach essentials and a lunch. This saves time from having to run back into the settlement to grab lunch, or plan it to swing by one of the patio’s before you catch the ferry back. If you’re staying over for a few days at one of the hotels, I’d still suggest a bike to get around the island as it’s car free, minus a few golf carts and tour buses. We also took some floaties and a foot pump which was a great add for a perfect day on the beach before heading back to Fremantle for some nachos and a beer. Overall, Rottnest was a perfect little piece of paradise and well worth the trip if you are traveling to or around Perth.
