Rottnest by Ferry and Bicycle

A shimmering vision 18 kilometres offshore, compact Rottnest Island is Perth’s favourite holiday haven. A playground paradise with 63 beaches, 20 beautiful bays, superb swimming, snorkelling and surf breaks – not to mention its famous residents, the impossibly cute quokkas. There are three ferry options to get you to "Rotto" - from Fremantle (25 to 30 minutes), Hillarys (40 to 45 minutes) or historic Barrack Street Jetty in downtown Perth (1 hour). Is luxury more your style? Take a helicopter, air taxi, or charter a yacht and set sail for Thomson Bay, the island’s main settlement. Rottnest Island is blissfully carefree and car-free, so you get around on foot, by bus or by bike. With just a day to play, you can cover plenty of terrain. Make your way up to Oliver Hill Gun and Tunnel – passing inland salt lakes or turquoise-tinged Little Salmon Bay on the coast. Here, you can look across the island and learn about Rottnest’s fascinating military history. The day’s warming up: cool off with some beach time. Little Parakeet Bay, The Basin, Geordie Bay and Pinky Beach are top spots for swimming and snorkelling; while Strickland Bay, Ricey Beach and the Rotto Box offer slow-peeling Indian Ocean surf. You’ll see plenty of wildlife en route - birds and amphibians are everywhere, plus the island’s star attraction, the quokka. Get ready to fill your camera roll with selfies of you and the happiest marsupial on earth. Sprinklings of wildflowers, headlined by the Blue Rottnest Island Daisy, colour the island’s dune-scapes between September and March. Before the ferry ride back to Perth, kick back in a Thomson Bay cafe or bar and gaze across the water to the Perth skyline....

Product Types

• Day Trip

Activities you can engage in

• Birdwatching
• Boating
• Camping
• Cycling
• Fishing
• Hiking
• Mountain Biking
• Sailing
• Scuba Diving
• Snorkelling
• Surfing
• Swimming
• Walks

Itineraries

• Morning: Perth to Rottnest

  

  Hop on a morning ferry from Fremantle (25 to 30 minutes), Hillarys Boat Harbour (40 to 45 minutes) or Perth's Barrack Street Jetty (one-hour Swan River cruise and change at Fremantle). Various ferry operators will take you to Rottnest (and return) with departure points available from Perth, Fremantle and Hillarys. Or you can arrive in style by helicopter, air taxi or on your own boat. When you arrive at Rottnest, head to the end of the jetty and get yourself orientated by grabbing a guide to the island at the Rottnest Island Visitor Centre in the Thomson Bay Settlement. Choose your preferred method of Rottnest transport – bus, bicycle or on foot. This itinerary suggests hiring a bike which you can do either on the island or at the ferry terminals in Perth, Fremantle or Hillarys but you can also reach many of the destinations and attractions on the Bayseeker Bus. At only 11 kilometres long and four and a half kilometres wide, Rottnest Island is easy to explore on two wheels in a day. Find out more about Rottnest bike hire. Before leaving the Thomson Bay Settlement, stock up on water and picnic supplies at the island’s bakery, cafes or general store. Head up to Oliver Hill, following Digby Drive through the salt lakes, or take Parker Point Road along the coast and stop at Little Salmon Bay along the way. Keep a look out for Western Australia’s cutest marsupial, the quokka. They tend to stay under the shade of the trees during the day, but they are easy to spot. When you reach Oliver Hill, you can opt to explore some of Rottnest’s military history with a one-hour walking tour of the restored World War II 9.2 inch gun and maze of underground tunnels, or just sit and take in the awesome island panorama.

  Travel Method

  • Bicycle
  • Bus
  • Ferry
  • Walk

• Afternoon: Rottnest to Perth

  

  Cycle north from Oliver Hill and take Bovell Way east to Little Parakeet Bay, a pretty little spot for a swim or snorkel. Return to Thomson Bay Settlement via Geordie Bay and head to the cafés for a well-earned afternoon tea – or the bar for a long cool drink – taking in the view of Perth’s city skyline on the ocean horizon. Head back to the jetty to catch the afternoon ferry back to Perth, Fremantle or Hillarys.

  Travel Method

  • Bicycle
  • Boat
  • Bus
  • Ferry
  • Walk