There are at least 10 things to see and do on Rottnest Island during winter. Rottnest Island (called Rotto by the locals) has a very relaxed, casual atmosphere. Rotto is a great place to visit for a day trip or a longer holiday, I stayed for 4 nights in July (our winter). It is about 20 kilometers from the Fremantle Port, in Western Australia and most people, including myself, go by boat. Winter is great for hiking and cycling, which are the best things to do on Rotto.
The island is 11 kilometers in length and 4.5 kilometers at it’s widest point with only service vehicles allowed on the island, making it an ideal place to explore. Here is my top 10 things to see and do on Rottnest Island during winter.
1. Quokka Selfies are the thing to do and see on Rottnest Island.
The number one reason people visit Rotto is for a quokka selfie made famous by Roger Federer (Swiss Tennis Champion). Quokkas are super cute, small animals, native to Western Australia and are easy to find, especially in the Settlement area, where the general store, bakery and food outlets are. Please don’t feed the quokkas as human food makes them sick and you can receive a fine from the rangers. The quokkas have no predators on the island and are quite friendly. The first settlers thought these animals were rats and called the island “Rat’s nest” which was later changed to Rottnest.
Quokka are the happiest animals on earth. Thanks Kayla great selfie.
So cute.
2. The next thing to do and see is the Oliver Hill Railway and Gun Tour.
The next must do activity is to go by train to see the huge guns, discover how they were built and why?
The Oliver Hill train takes you to the Oliver Hill Guns via the Kingstown Barracks.
You can catch the train from the Settlement train station for $10 AUD return and purchase a ticket from the ticket booth at the main bus station on Brand Way. The train leaves every hour from 10.30am to 1.30pm and tours go every hour from 11am to 1pm. The tour guide will met you at Oliver Hill and the return train waits for the Guns and Tunnels tour to finish, so you don’t need to worry about missing it. The scenic train ride is about 25 minutes each way. For more info see http://www.rottnestisland.com
The gun and tunnels tour is $9 AUD and you can purchase tickets at the entrance. The guided tour lasts about 50 minutes. It’s well worth hearing how the Army brought the guns to the island, then up the hill and into place.
Crew shelter and information display centre.
The tunnels underground are very cool, though quite steep, but worth it to see the magazine room and engine room.
Don’t forget to stop and check out the awesome 360 degree views of the Island before getting back on the train.
On a clear day you can see all the way to Perth.
3. The most enjoyable thing to see is Seals at the Viewing Platform – Cathedral Rocks.
Today the weather was raining and windy, I took the hop on/off bus and ventured down to the West end of the Island (stop 11), to see the New Zealand Fur Seal colony on the Cathedral Rocks. On the path down to the lookout there is an audio Dreamtime story about the area, well worth hearing.
New Zealand Fur Seals sun bathing.
There was a group of seals playing in the water and a lone seal fishing in the waves. I could of watched them all day. They weren’t bothered about the weather.
Viewing Platform to Cathedral Rock..
Then the sky darkened and the rain came down.. but not for long. I love this photo, it ‘s not a black and white photo, that’s how dark the sky became.
There is no shelter at Cathedral Rocks, so you will need raincoats or hats depending on the weather, but there is a toilet block near Bus Stop 11.
4. Just next door is Cape Vlamingh the fourth thing to see and do on Rottnest.
To get to Cape Vlamingh from Cathedral Rocks, walk back to bus stop 11 (about 300 meters) and continue past it to Cape Vlamingh. The blue sky and sunshine are back (crazy weather!!).
Stunning coastline around Cape Vlamingh, no wonder there are so many ship wrecks here.
The Cape has a very rugged and scary coastline with amazing rock formations.
The sound of the waves crashing on the rocks was deafening, but exciting. A winter bonus.
5. The Wadjemup Walking Trail is my favourite thing to do with so much to see.
The Wadjemup Walk Trail is the thing to see and do on Rottnest Island. Wadjemup is the Aboriginal Noongar name for Rottnest, meaning place across the water where the spirits are. It goes around the entire island, but can be broken down into 5 different walking / hiking trails, ranging from 6kms to 19kms and all are sign posted, just follow the flying osprey symbol. I walked the Lakes Section from the Settlement, past Garden Lakes, Herschel Lakes, the wind turbines, then the weather changed and the rain came down, so I headed to Georgie Bay and got the free shuttle back to town.
The wind turbines at the top of a hill. There are great views while you catch your breath.
Herschel Lake through the trees.
6. The Settlement is the first thing you see when you arrive on the Island.
The Settlement in the main shopping precinct on the island (don’t get excited girls, it is basic). Here you will find a clothing shop, the general store, which is surprising well stocked with everything you need, a bakery ( I highly recommend going here.. yum!), Subway, a café (The Lane) which was very popular for breakfast, Simmo’s Ice cream and a restaurant (Frankie’s on Rotto). Frankie’s had tasty pizza, but best of all was watching the staff continuously chasing the quokkas out, as one quokka went out the front door another doubled back around the side…lol.
There is also a museum in this area, but it was closed for renovations when I was here and a visitors centre nearby. You are guaranteed to see quokkas here.
7. Watching the sunset from Vlamingh Lookout and visiting the Cemetery are the seventh things to do and see.
Watching the stunning sunsets from Vlamingh Lookout is the thing to see and do on Rottnest Island.
The Vlamingh Lookout path is located next to the Rottnest Cemetery on Digby Drive, not far from the main bus stop. The sun sets quickly in Western Australia, so give yourself plenty of time to walk up the short, but steep path to the top and check out the cemetery grave stones at the bottom, before the sun goes down.
The historical graves are from the early settlers and a few graves are baby’s and children’s. The first settlers had a difficult life on this dry, salty and windy island and the settlement was not successful.
8. Climbing the Wadjemup Lighthouse might be the thing you like to do.
Wadjemup Lighthouse was the first lighthouse built in Western Australia.
The lighthouse is located in the centre of the island at the highest peak. You can learn more about the lighthouse and how it works on a guided tour by the Rottnest Island Voluntary Guides.
The tours are daily at 10am and 2.30pm, but check times at the Salt Store as they can change with the seasons. The guided tour explores the surrounding buildings and goes inside and up the lighthouse. The lighthouse has 155 steps but well worth it when you see the amazing views stretching back to Perth. The tour cost $9 for adults and $4 for children. Concession and family tickets are also available.
To get to the lighthouse you can walk on the Wadjemup walking trail, ride a bike (it takes about 15 minutes) or catch the Island Explorer bus, which stops at the bottom of the hill ( stop number 8) and you will need to walk up the steep hill.
9. The historical buildings in Thomson Bay are a reminder of how things were on Rottnest Island.
Rottnest Island may not have been successfully developed as a settlement, there are still some old buildings remaining from that time in history. You can get a Historic Buildings map from the Rottnest Tourist Centre, (located at the end of the jetty) which has a brief description of the 17 buildings and what they were used for. The buildings include a School House, Lomas Cottage, Governor’s Residence and The Quod (prison) just to name a few. Most of the buildings have information plaques outside.
The Rottnest Island Voluntary Guides has a ‘Pioneers and Prisoners” tour every day at 10am, leaving from the Salt Store. The tour will take you around the historic buildings and includes stories of the people who lived here. It’s free and lasts about 45 minutes. A very interesting thing to do on Rottnest.
To check out other walking tours by the Rottnest Voluntary Guides Assoc. go to http://rottnestisland.com click on ‘see & do’ then ‘walking tours’.
10. The last, but not least thing to do and see are the Salt Lakes.
Rottnest Island has 12 salt lakes, though 5 of them dry up in the summer. The salt lakes are 4 times more salty than the ocean. The Gabbi Karniny Bidi trail (part of the Wadjemup Trail) is a 9.4 km loop starting at the Settlements down Digby Drive and along the salt lakes.
The area is very exposed to the weather and there is no shelter, so be prepared with plenty of water, hats and raincoats.
The birds look like they are walking on water.
The sunset reflections on the salt lakes are beautiful.
For more information about the Wadjemup Bidi trail and wildlife see http://wildlife.rottnestisland.com
Travel tips-
1. Getting to and from Rottnest Island.
There are a number of ferry operators going to Rottnest Island. Some leave from Perth, Hillarys Boat Harbour, Fremantle B Shed or Northport, Rous Head Harbour Fremantle.
The fares vary from $49 to $115.50 depending on whether you are going for a day (same day return) or extended stay or on a weekend or week day. Week days (Monday to Friday) are cheapest, $49 same day return (Telethon Saver fare).
I went on the Rottnest Island Express from Northport, Rous Head Fremantle, as they have discounted secure parking and sometimes free parking. I had free car parking for 6 days. But it can cost $9 per day for cars and $13 per day for cars with trailers or caravans.
There is no public transport to Northport and the Fremantle Port Authority doesn’t permit cycling in the Rous Head area.
If you need public transport it’s best to get the train to Fremantle B Shed Victoria Quay. You can take bikes on the train.
There is luggage restrictions regarding the size and weight and luggage labels need to be purchased ($2 each).
I had my suitcase taken straight to the hotel, which was great. The jetty can be chaos with everyone trying to get their luggage, bikes, prams and kids.
You can organise this when you check in your luggage at the Fremantle boat terminal.
For more info check out http://rottnestexpress.com.au
2. Bike Hire.
You can hire a bike or take or own on the ferry. It costs $15 to take your own bike. Most ferry operator also hire bikes where you pay for the hire with your fare and pick up the bike on the jetty at Rottnest Island. Bike hire starts at $30 per day (adults) or $15 per day (children) and is cheaper the longer you hire it, as 10 days is $103. There are also baby seats, child trailers and cargo trailers available.
On the Island you can hire a bike from Pedal & Flipper for $30 per day and $14 for additional days for adults and $20 per day and $10 for additional days for children. For more info see http://rottnestisland.com
Bike helmets must be worn in Western Australia by law.
I didn’t hire a bike because I tend to fall off them…lol I walked or got the Island Explorer Hop On Hop Off bus, it’s much safer for me and everyone else. The bus day pass is $20 for adults, $15 for children, for one circuit in one direction, so plan your stops before hand. For more info on the Island Explorer see http://experience.rottnestisland.com
3. Plan for the weather.
Be prepared for outdoor activities by wearing lots of layers of clothing to keep you warm and take off as you warm up. Don’t forget your raincoat. There is little or no shelter on Rottnest.
There is not much to do when it’s raining, so pack a book or some games. I enjoyed reading my book in the Dome café with a hot chocolate.
Luckily, it didn’t rain for long and I was back outside enjoying all the 10 things to see and do on Rottnest Island during winter and I hope you will be too.
Are you planning a trip to Rotto or have experienced this beautiful island, I would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below.
Or travelling around Western Australia?
Read some of my favourite articles below.
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Busselton – http://sole-traveller.com/things-to-do-and-see-in-busselton/
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Margaret River Region- http://sole-traveller.com/awesome-day-trips-from-busselton/