Round Rottnest Island

A perfect day for island touring!  We were on the 8:30am ferry and it was a quick 3km cycle to the B Shed Jetty.  The bikes were loaded on the Rottnest Fast Ferry and we made ourselves comfortable for the 30 minute journey. We were soon disembarking at Thomson Bay which was really busy as we made our way to the bakery for the recommended rolls and jam donut, as well as coffees from the nearby cafe.  We enjoyed our morning tea looking out over the Bay. There were plenty of quokkas around, clearly comfortable with visitors and enjoying easy food sources despite the many signs advising tourists not to feed them.

We wanted to do a morning tour to learn a little more about the history of the Island so joined the 10am free tour, Pioneers and Prisoners.  However, it appeared that our guide saw his role as directing us to the relevant information signs which told us a little about the buildings which had been former barracks that accommodated the soldiers who guarded the Aboriginal prison, but could be read at our leisure.  We abandoned the tour and made our way out of town on the recommended cycle route that would enable us to circumnavigate the island.  There were heaps of cyclists - some more experienced than others, but all very enthusiastic. 

We stopped at the some of the swamps dotted around the island, now largely salt, and then at Henrietta Rocks with its gorgeous blue water and lots of seagrass nearer to the shore.  We continued on towards Little Salmon Bay and stopped at the headland to take some photos. I ventured off the track to get a view down the beach and as I turned to take a shortcut back, I spotted a large black snake so quickly retraced my steps, vowing to stick to the path in future.

After a brief stop at the waters edge we continued on, detouring up the Wadjemup lighthouse, and timing our arrival with the commencement of a tour.  Again run by volunteers, this one was much more engaging and we learnt a little about how the lighthouse was built, the various gun placements and the role of the women who allowed boats to pass into the harbour based on the provision of a code.  We had amazing views around the island from the top, and took our time enjoying the vista.

We continued along the coast, detouring to the different view points and noting an ideal picnic table for lunch at Mabel Cove before taking the loop to the western end.  We parked the bikes and took the boardwalk out to see Cathedral rocks and Cape Viamingh. We ran into an English woman who had been on the lighthouse tour with us, and she kindly took our photo at the most westerly point on the island.  There were heaps of people around, with the hop on, hop off buses pulling up regularly and we were pleased to escape back to Mabel Cove.  Fortunately, our perfect picnic table was free, but there was a large group of people milling about including some on the nearby hilltops. It turned out to be a group of Aboriginal men and a film crew who was videoing some of the local ceremonies. One of the group joined us at our table, with his two big cameras. Another Aboriginal man headed down to the beach and set himself up on the rocks.  The crew carefully positioned themselves while the star of the show sang some form of vocal chant accompanied by clapsticks - it was quite magical in such a beautiful spot.

Entertainment over, they all got back in their cars and headed off to the next stop whilst we contemplated the view and tried to spot the whale that our companion at the table had apparently seen, but without success. 

Finally we headed off again, making our way past more glorious beaches to Geordie Bay which had lots of cabins and then past the campground, with a quick stop at Bathurst lighthouse, the smaller sibling to the one we had visited.  We just had time for a quick cold drink before making our way to the ferry.  It was a full boat with people sitting on the floor, so we were glad we had boarded early and had window seats. 

Once off the boat we took the advice of our hostess and stopped for a beer at Gage Roads Freo Brewery.  We had planned to stay on for dinner but it was getting cold and we still had 3kms to cycle home.  We ordered some Thai takeaway and hurried home to shower and put on some warm clothes before Simon cycled the short distance to collect it. 

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