A Day at Rottnest

By Monica, 8y/o, Guest Lifestyle reporter 29 Mar 2019

Monica Rottnest

One sunny Sunday morning, my mum woke us up early to go to Rottnest. We drove to Fremantle to catch our Rottnest Express ferry. We were there early but the place was already bustling. We went to the Rottnest Express booking counter to grab our Quokka Club passports. Everything went about very quickly. On the boat, there were two storeys. The bottom deck has a snack bar selling treats and the top deck has a TV! There’s a lookout deck at the back, too. We got our passports stamped and received a yummy snack of Quokka lollies!

Half an hour later, we arrived at Rottnest. My mum rented a big bike for my dad, a small bike for me and a bike trailer for my little brother to sit in. My mum brought her own bike to ride on.

Our goal was to have some kid-friendly family fun so we grabbed a map from the information centre found at The Settlement and we were on our way. No quokkas spotted yet.

Our first stop was Geordie Bay. We rode our bikes and saw pretty sites along the way, including the salt lakes and a windmill from afar. I saw a lake turning pink at the edges and with bubbles on the shore. I think the birds enjoyed the lake bubbles! I saw many boats at Geordie Bay, and the water looked so inviting. I wanted to swim right away!

There were several hilly slopes on the road as we biked but it was great exercise for us. It’s a fun way to spend time with my family, too. Biking is my favourite thing to do in Rottnest because my mum taught me how to ride downhill without panicking. And biking got my mum and dad to exercise! 😊

We had a yummy lunch at Geordie Bay Café which has a nearby playground for active kids like me and my brother. Everyone got burgers, I got grilled fish and chips; it’s my favourite food there. I liked the way they grilled the fish and found the fish cooked perfectly and the chips were not oily. The best part was after lunch though, when we got to buy treats at the general store right beside the Café.

We biked to Longreach Bay; it’s similar to Geordie Bay but it looks more open. I saw many lodges along these bays. I didn’t know they have accommodation at Rottnest. My mum told me we need to book way ahead to get accommodation there, at least a year head. Our next stop was Bathurst Lighthouse. I wanted to climb it so I can lookout from the top but it was locked. The view from below the lighthouse didn’t disappoint though. It’s so beautiful to see the sparking waters below!

Finally, we headed to The Basin – my most awaited part of the day! I was excited to see if it looks just as good as the pictures, if not better. It’s my favourite spot at Rottnest. It’s like a built-in pool at the beach. I guess swimming in The Basin as our mid stop for the day helped us feel refreshed and rejuvenated to bike some more.

After we washed up, we were eating our treats as we prepared to get on our bikes. I spilled some of my food but a quokka smelled it and turned up right beside my bike! I know we’re not supposed to feed them so we covered our treats with sand so the quokka couldn’t eat it. I was a bit scared to come near it while my brother was excited. Mum insisted I smile for a “mandatory selfie” with the famous quokka. It turned out okay; the quokka was cute and friendly.

We explored a few kilometres more to Parker Point and saw a small plane flying really low it looked like we can touch it (not really but my little brother thought so). I wished we were able to take videos and pictures but my dad wanted us to be in the moment so no gadgets were used. I think it was a good decision.

We turned back for The Settlement and ate some yummy ice cream from Simmos Ice Creamery. We watched a number of quokkas hopping from one restaurant to another and was so relaxed like it’s the most natural thing in the world. I liked how my family just sat and talked after a long day.

It was time to go home. We didn’t want to leave but we had no choice and we were already tired. Good thing the crew at Rottnest Express were very efficient and got us settled on the ferry in no time. The ride home was a bit bumpy because of the big waves but we all dozed off anyway. We woke up at Fremantle, already planning for a longer stay next time at Rottnest! Hope to see you all there soon.

To book your Rottnest experience, head to rottnestexpress.com.au or call 1300 467 688.

Monica and family were guests of Rottnest Express. Kids travel free to Rottnest Island when they sign up to the Quokka Club program, quokkaclub.com.au

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