Where is Rottnest Island?

Rottnest Island W.A. is located just a short ferry ride from off the coast of Perth, Western Australia. Perth to Rottnest is about a 90 minute ferry trip, whereas if you hop on at Fremantle you’ll have a much quicker 25 minute journey. There are also ferries departing from Hillarys, a bit further north up the coast. The ferry ride itself can be fun on a beautiful day and there are a few different companies that operate ferries to and from the mainland, with the main being the Rottnest Express.

Why visit Rottnest Island?

While the name ‘Rottnest Island’ doesn’t sound particularly appealing, this beautiful nature reserve is internationally renowned for good reason. While being most well-known for the adorable smiley-looking marsupials that inhabit the island, the quokkas aren’t the only drawcard of Rottnest. There’s SO much more to see and do on Rotto, as it’s affectionately known by locals, and it’s a must-see spot if you’re visiting Perth, Western Australia.

Here’s our list of the top 10 things you must do when visiting Rottnest Island (in no particular order):

1. Hike Rottnest Island

The natural beauty of Rottnest is something to behold, so why not pop on your comfiest sneakers and hit one of the many paths that go around the island to check it out on foot?

The Wadjemup Bidi is a 45km series of walking trails around the island in 5 different sections. You can hike the stunning coastline or head inland to visit some pretty lakes depending on what you’re feeling on the day. There’s also guided tours if you're not sure where to go, perfect if you’re keen for an overnighter, want a guide’s perspective, or interested in photography.

2. Take a quokka selfie

Pics or it didn’t happen! The iconic Rottnest Island quokka selfie is a rite of passage when travelling to Rottnest Island. In fact you’ve probably seen famous quokka selfies with everyone from Chris Hemsworth, Margot Robbie and Roger Federer snapping a sweet selfie.

These cute kanga-rats are so friendly that you’ll have no problems getting close - just be sure not to touch or feed them.

Need some help? Here’s some tips from travel photographer James Vodicka on how to get the perfect quokka selfie. I definitely should’ve read it before taking this one 🙃

3. Take a Bus Ride

If you’re not so keen on the idea of hiking, you can jump aboard a Rottnest bus and be ferried about in comfort. Quokka Coaches offers a hop-on-hop-off bus service with 19 different stops around the island. You can take a 2 hour or 1.5hr tour that stop at various sites including maritimne and military historical sites as well as woodland habitats, salt lakes, and beautiful beaches

There’s also a shuttle bus that you can take you to your accommodation if you’re staying overnight.

4. Eat

There are a few great spots to eat on Rotto now, offering picturesque views right near the water and friendly wildlife walking around hoping to grab some scraps. If you’re on a budget and keen to grab something and go, you can visit Rottnest Bakery for your typical pies and sausage rolls hot food and cold bakery slices etc. If you’re keen for a sit down meal with a view then check out Isola Bar or Hotel Rottnest.

5. Snorkel Rottnest Island

For much of the year, the crystal clear blue waters around Rotto are beautifully warm and inviting, so why not snorkel Rottnest Island and take a peek at what’s beneath the surface? I’ve even seen wobbegong sharks hanging in the rocks right near the shoreline! There are 2 shipwrecks at Rottnest Island suitable for snorkelling, just metres from the shoreline.

If you have access to a boat, you can also check out a bunch of other snorkelling spots around the island, but be aware, you might see some things bigger than wobbegongs! We spotted this 2m tiger shark (with a slightly smaller mate) getting a bit too close for comfort just off Rottnest Island.

6. Spend the night

Rotto isn’t just a day trip spot! Why not stay overnight at Rottnest Island, or better yet, make a weekend out of it?

There are a number of accommodation options on the island depending on your budget, but even the ‘cheaper’ options will still be pretty pricey during peak season so expect to pay for the privilege if you plan to stay!

You can sleep under stars relatively inexpensively at Rottnest campground in a tent or eco tents or if you’re feeling a bit boujee check out the rooms at Samphire Rottnest.

7. Scuba Dive Rottnest Island

Keen to get even closer to the wildlife beneath the sea? Scuba diving Rottnest Island should be on everyone’s bucketlist! There are so many different scuba dive companies that do Rottnest Island charters to get you up close with beautiful fish, manta rays, sharks and so many more types of wildlife, not to mention the beautiful plants and corals. There are also shipwrecks at Rottnest Island that make for great scuba diving.

We did a Rottnest Island scuba dive with Perth Ocean Diving at Swirl Reef and Roe Reef back in 2021, and I highly recommend it! Although it wasn’t the cheapest of the charters available, the price included all of your gear hire as well as the boat trip and lunch, and the staff were lovely. You will need to have a scuba certification.

8. Glass bottomed kayaking

With it’s crystal clear waters and colourful marine life, there’s really no better place to try a glass bottomed kayak.

A guided tour from the fairly protected Pinky Beach (Rottnest can get pretty windy) takes 1hrs plus a 15min safety briefing. Multiple tours run daily (weather dependent) and are good for all ages from years onwards with a reasonable level of fitness.

9. Play a round of golf

Did you know that there’s a Rottnest Island golf course? Most people don’t! There’s a 9-hole course that’s situated just behind the Rottnest Island settlement and it’s open to all visitors of the island. There’s also a putting green, and a bowling green so if you’re not keen on playing 9 holes, you can play a game of barefoot bowls instead or head inside and make use of the pool table.

10. Bike around Rottnest

If setting off around the island on foot sounds a bit daunting, you can bike Rottnest Island instead. There’s a 22km loop that will take you around the whole of the coastline in around 3-5 hours if you’re feeling particularly adventurous and athletic. If you break the cycling up over a whole day with swims, lunch and plenty of photo op stops then it doesn’t feel quite as strenuous as it sounds!

There are a few different bike hire companies on the island to choose from so there’s no shortage of bikes available even in the busier warm months. If you’re a local, you can BYO bike if you prefer to hiring as well, just keep in mind you’ll need to add bike freight costs if you catch a ferry over.

What’s your favourite thing to do at Rottnest? Let us know below in the comments!