Oceania
Rottnest Island, known locally as "Rotto", sits about 19 kilometers off the coast of Perth in Western Australia. It's a small, car-free island ringed by 63 beaches and 20 secluded bays, with water so clear it looks unreal from the air. It's also the only place in the world to see the quokka, a small, perpetually smiling marsupial that has made the island internet-famous. Beyond the photos, Rottnest is one of Australia's most underrated outdoor playgrounds: snorkeling reefs, shipwrecks, salt lakes, and a layered Indigenous and colonial history most visitors barely scratch.
Things to Do
Cycle the 22-kilometer loop around the island, the only practical way to reach the best beaches, with stops at The Basin, Little Salmon Bay, and Parker Point. Snorkel the protected reefs at Little Salmon and Parakeet Bay, where you'll see reef fish, rays, and seasonal humpbacks just offshore. Take a guided walk with a Whadjuk Noongar guide to learn the Indigenous name for the island (Wadjemup) and its deep cultural significance. Climb the Wadjemup Lighthouse for a 360-degree view across the salt lakes and ocean. And of course, find a quokka in the settlement at Thomson Bay (just don't feed or touch them). I took the first ferry of the day to get ahead of the crowds, and finding quokkas turned out to be the easy part: most of them hang around the main settlement and visitor areas near the port, so you don't need to hike far to see one.
Best Time to Visit
September through November (Australian spring) and March through May (autumn) are the best windows, warm enough to swim, calm seas, fewer crowds than the December–February summer peak. Summer is gorgeous but busy, with day-tripper ferries packed and accommodation booked months out. Winter (June–August) is mild and quiet but the water turns cold and choppy.
Where to Stay
Most visitors do Rottnest as a day trip from Perth or Fremantle, but staying overnight is when the island really opens up. The Karma Rottnest hotel and the heritage cottages at Thomson Bay put you in the small main settlement near restaurants and bike hire. The Pinky's eco beach resort offers glamping tents right on the dunes. For budget travelers, the Rottnest campground at Caroline Thomson is a short ride from the main beaches.
Budget: Rottnest Island Authority Campground, the island's only campground, at Caroline Thomson on the north shore, walking distance to Pinky's Beach.
Mid-range: Karma Rottnest, heritage rooms inside the historic Quod precinct at Thomson Bay, the most central place to stay.
Luxury: Samphire Rottnest, the island's newest boutique hotel on Thomson Bay, with a pool bar overlooking the jetty.
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Getting Around
No private cars are allowed on Rottnest, the island runs on bikes, a single shuttle bus loop (the Island Explorer), and your own feet. Bring or hire a bike at the Thomson Bay settlement; e-bikes are available and worth it for the hilly western end. Ferries leave from Fremantle (25 minutes), Perth's Barrack Street Jetty (90 minutes), and Hillarys Boat Harbour (45 minutes). Book ferries in advance in summer.
Hidden Gems
The salt lakes in the island's interior turn pink in late summer thanks to algae and high salinity, strange, beautiful, and almost always empty of people. The wreck of the Macedon, just off Thomson Bay, is one of the most accessible shipwreck snorkels in Australia. And the abandoned WWII gun emplacements at Oliver Hill, reachable by a short uphill ride, sit above one of the best lookouts on the island, and almost no day-trippers make it out that far.
