Day Trip to Rottnest Island, Australia

Rottnest Island is one of the most famous attractions of Perth and of Western Australia, home to beautiful beaches with white sand and stunning blue water, and the adorable quokkas that call this island home.

Perth is the most isolated city in the world, situated all the way on the far western coast of Australia. The next closest major city is Adelaide, more than 2,000km away. It's the fourth-largest city in Australia (after Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane) and the capital of Western Australia. While many travelers come to Australia to see the east coast between Melbourne and Cairns, I can really recommend making the trip out west.

I am currently solo traveling around Australia, following the classic backpacker route, mostly visiting big cities, staying in hostels and traveling by public transport.

Rottnest Island was connected to mainland Australia about 6,500 years ago and was known to the Whadjuk Nyoongar people, who have lived on this land for over 45,000 years, as Wadjemup.

The island was used by the Aboriginals for ceremonies and meetings. There is no record of the Aboriginals returning to the island after the sea levels rose and separate the island from mainland.

European settlers arrived in the area in the early 1800s and imprisoned approximately 3,700 Aboriginal men and boys in Rottnest Island Aboriginal Establishment, a forced labour camp, between 1838 and 1894. After the establishment closed, tourism increased, although part of the island continued to be a penal outstation, part of the Fremantle Prison. About 40 European and Aboriginal prisoners arrived in 1904 to work at the holiday accommodations such as cutting firewood and working as blacksmiths. The last prisoner left Rottnest Island in 1931.

→ Learn the complete history of Rottnest Island.

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Useful Information for Rottnest Island

Below is some useful information for preparing for your trip to Rottnest Island. In all cases, please be sure to check with the relevant local authorities for the latest and accurate information.

Language: The official language of Australia is English. In Perth, the traditional language of the Whadjuk Nyoongar people is Noogar.

→ Learn more about the language of the Whadjuk Nyoongar people.

Currency: The currency used in Australia is the Australian dollar, denoted as AUD $. I use a Wise account when I travel which allows me to have a single, free account with multiple currencies. I only have to pay once to convert my money in the app and then I can pay in AUD $!

→ Check the latest currency conversion between AUD $ and your local currency.

Data: Before you arrive, I recommend purchasing an eSim on your phone so that you can access data the moment you land. eSims are much more convenient as it means you don't have to put a separate physical Sim into your phone. AirAlo offers great deals for eSims of various data sizes and time lengths with Optus.

→ Load an international eSim on your phone with AirAlo.

If you are visiting Australia long term, you might wish to put a physical Sim in your phone as AirAlo is geared more towards short term visitors on holiday. This way you can access a local phone plan. There are three main mobile phone network providers in Australia: Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. Telstra has the best coverage across the country whereas Optus and Vodafone are good within cities. I recommend Telstra as it means you have the best coverage while you travel around the country, especially in rural areas.

Visa: All passport holders except New Zealand require a visa to visit Australia. All arrivals must fill out an Australian arrival card before landing.

→ Check which visa you need for Australia.

Time of year to visit: Australia can be visited all year-round. Perth, the capital city of Western Australia, can get very hot and busy in the summer, especially around school holidays, and cool in the winter months. I recommend visiting in spring (September-November) or autumn (March-May) for pleasant, sunny days.

How to Get to Rottnest Island

By ferry: The most popular way to reach Rottnest Island is by ferry. Three different ferry companies operate from the mainland: the Rottnest Express from Fremantle and Perth; Rottnest Fast Ferries from Hillary's Ferry Terminal; and SeaLink from Fremantle.

At the time of writing, I paid AUD $69 for a roundtrip ferry with the Rottnest Express which included the AUD $18.50 entry fee for Rottnest Island.

By flight: You can also fly to Rottnest Island if you like, which comes with the incredible birds-eye views as you cross the ocean and land on the island. Flights are available by airplane, seaplane and helicopter.

→ Book a flight to Rottnest Island.

By boat: If you have a private boat, it is also possible to visit Rottnest Island at your own pace with plenty of places to explore.

By guided tour: A number of day and multi-day guided tours of Rottnest Island are available from Perth or Fremantle, a great option if you want to leave the planning up to someone else and just join in the fun!

→ Book a guided tour of Rottnest Island.

How to Get Around Rottnest Island

There are no cars allowed on Rottnest Island except for service vehicles. There are a few options for getting around the island, which is fairly large and spread out:

On foot: You can choose to walk, though you may not get very far. This is a great option if you're not trying to get to the whole island, just some of the highlights near the ferry terminal.

By bike: By far the most popular way to get around the island is by bike so you can go at your own pace. This allows you the freedom to go wherever you like for as long as you like. The roads are paved and easy to navigate.

I rented my bike as an add-on to my ferry ticket; at the time of writing I paid AUD $30 for an all-day bike rental. Just be prepared that Rottnest Island is not very flat so you'll definitely get a good workout in as you explore!

By bus: A hop-on, hop-off bus service drives around the entire island with designated stops at the main beaches and viewpoints along the way. This is a great option if you don't want to bike, just be sure to keep track of the bus schedule.

Best Things to Do on Rottnest Island

The main reason you come to Rottnest Island is to hang out on the stunning beaches; think pure white sand and bright blue water. Snorkeling and swimming is exceptional here.

The other reason you visit Rottnest Island is to spot the adorable quokka, the furry creatures that call the island home. Because of the way their face looks like they're permanently smiling, they're often called the happiest creatures on earth. If you're lucky, you can try and get a selfie with one - just please don't touch them as they are still wild animals!

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Jana Meerman

Hi! I’m Jana, a Dutch-German-British-Canadian with a dream of seeing every country in the world. I am a storyteller, photographer and adventurer passionate about documenting and sharing my travels.

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