Qute Quokkas

Cargo Pods awaiting shipping

One of the ways to get to Rottnest Island is by ferry, and there are places to catch the ferry in Perth and in Freemantle. We chose to go to Freemantle, leave our car in the new, secure car park and catch the ferry at Rous Head. Finding the dock presented more of a challenge than we had expected because it’s hidden in an industrial area among a giant stacks of cargo pods that are either awaiting shipment or pick-up. The roads in the area are so new that the GPS didn’t have any idea where we were. Luckily there were signs that helped us get the last few miles. Once we got to the dock, we were greeted by a huge group of Year 3 children on an educational outing. They were bouncing off the walls because this was their first overnight trip; they all had a bicycle as well as their overnight bags. Parents were everywhere taking pictures, and teachers were trying to keep the children from pitching off the jetty into the sea. Once we were on the ferry it was almost standing room only; evidently picking a weekday over a weekend to go to Rotto didn’t make one bit of difference.

Rottnest Ferry

Rottnest Island Lodging, Food and Activities Review

The ride over to Rottenest Island is fun, and only takes a few minutes. If you are going to stay overnight, you probably do want to go during the week; particularly in summer Rottnest gets crowded.

Where we stayed...

Four and one-half Carrots

Top: Lodge bar, bathroom
Bottom: twin room

Rottnest Lodge is housed in the old prison. Inside everything has been modernized and decorated to welcome guests. There is a nice sized seating area near the well-stocked bar, as well as tables and chairs in the hotel courtyard. Trees and umbrellas provide shade, so this is a great place to take a break from hiking around the island. The room we stayed in was large with comfortable beds and windows looking out over one of the trails. There was a small refrigerator and supplies to make tea of coffee available. The bathroom was nearly perfect; the exception was that the shower tended to send water out onto the floor in the rest of the bathroom. The desk clerks were helpful and polite. Your bags are brought from the ferry and delivered to your room, so there is no bother about hauling them up the hill. The bags will also be picked up and returned to the ferry, but this must be done early in the morning. If you have carry-on bags, there is a secure storage area available at no charge.