Australia - Rottnest Island

Monday the rainy weather finally broke and the rich Australian Sun shown down on us. The forecast was for two days of sun that Jo and I made sure to take advantage of. A day on Rottnest Island was on the top of our list.

Rottnest Island lays about 12 miles off the coast of Western Australia. Originally inhabited by Aboriginal People 30,000 years ago, Europeans first discovered it in 1610. Dutch sailors named it Rottnest which means "rats nest" because they mistook a small marsupial called a Quokka that populated the island for a large rat. As you'll read, I had a few experiences with quokkas on Rottnest and I thought they were gentle and adorable creatures. Shame on the 17th century Dutch for comparing them to rats! Ha!!

Rottnest Island

We woke up early on Monday morning and caught the ferry from Fremantle to Thompson Bay (it's just under the R in Rottnest in the image above). The ferry was packed, mostly with construction workers commuting to work as it was the off season. It being the off season we discovered we had the island mostly to ourselves. After about a 45 minute ferry ride we disembarked to a scene of white sands and turquoise blue waters with the crash of distant surf and seagulls in the background. I was ready for action. The first stop was the dive shop to pick up wet suits and snorkeling gear, then to the bike rental to hire some bikes. There are no private cars allowed on Rottnest so bikes are the main means of transport, my kind of island!

Ferry to Rottnest

To our dismay and against what I had been told back on the main land, we found out the dive shop had been literally bulldozed to build a new one, but the bike rental might have snorkeling gear. So off we went to the bike rental only to find out that there was no snorkeling gear for hire anywhere on the island, only bikes. This couldn't happen, it was our only day on the island and we had to find snorkels somehow. I picked out the least-rusty Giant hybrid bike I could, we donned our mandatory rental helmets, and were off to find some snorkels. At the General Store in Thompson Settlement there were some poor quality sets for $25AU each and proper diving sets for $50AU each. Money was short so the budget ones would have to do. The only problem was we that couldn't find wet suits anywhere, so it would be a cold adventure.

Our Bikes

Food was the next order of business and sticking to the budget theme we had breakfast at Subway. That's right Subway! On the remote settlement of Thompson Bay, Rottnest Island, 12 miles deep in the vast Indian Ocean there was a Subway tucked under a palm tree. In WA, Subways are as common as McDonald's are in the states and they are also the only establishment open late at night. Weird huh??

Nourished, with wheels and snorkels, we set out to explore the 6 mile long, 3 mile wide Rotto (as the locals call it). It was 9:00am and there was a bit of a chill in the air. The forecast was for highs in the lower 60's, which was about the same temperature of the Indian Ocean. We headed out of Thompson Settlement on the north side of the island. Along the way were treated to the first of many miles of picturesque coast line. It was like we were riding through a vacation poster with jagged rocky cliffs leading down to isolated soft white sand coves lapped by crystal clear blue waters. You could see the sea bottom, vegetation, and reefs all the way out past the surf break.

Our First Impressions of Rotto

After an excursion up the north coast we headed inland. Along the way we rode through a causeway along a network of inland salt lakes. Peggy had pointed out a native "tree grass" tree called a Tea Tree in Perth. In Perth they were only about 4 feet tall and I wondered why she called them tree-grasses. I found out why as we rode across the center of Rottnest through an enchanted forest of 20+ foot tall tea trees.

Salt Lake Causeway

Australian Shelduck

Enchanted Tea Tree Forest

Our Next Stop

Perched on a tall bluff in the center of the island is Wadjemup Lighthouse. On the way up the "steep" hill I spotted my first Quokka. He was foraging through the grass under a sleepy tea tree. I approached cautiously as not to spook him. As I gently walked under the tree I nearly walked into a 6 foot diameter spider web. Ducking under the web I was able to get right next to the quokka. He wasn't the least bit concerned about my presence, in fact he was almost tame, probably from years of exposure to curious tourists like myself. He was a peacefull little fellow who moved through the grass with grace. It was relaxing just watching him as I sat in the grass.

Quokka

As I leaned back in the grass I put my hand back next to a Bob Tail Lizard that had been stealthily basking in the sun directly behind me. He broke his statuesque pose in a burst into a tail-swinging run away from me. It scared everyone. All three of us, human, lizard, and quokka scattered in different directions. As I leaped in fear back to the path I ran right through the spider web. It went in my mouth, eyes, hair and nose and I could feel the silver dollar sized spider crawling on my back. As a rule most wildlife in WA is poisonous so I took off in a panic only Will Ferrell could imitate and ran down the path trying to extricate the spider from my back. The spider fell off and I made a thorough check of all my clothing to make sure he was clear. Jo just shook her head in mild amusement and we the finished the climb up to the lighthouse without incident. Wadjemup Lighthouse was built in 1896 and is the 4th tallest lighthouse in Australia. On top of the bluff we were treated to 360 degree views of the island.

Wadjemup Lighthouse

Sun Rings

It was warming up a little, so we continued south toward the coast. We reached the coastline at Salmon Bay, a wide sweeping crescent bay with a reef-break far off shore. The surf was huge and there were a few daring surfers tow-in surfing the big waves behind a jet ski.

Salmon Bay

Stitched Panorama

We continued east along the coast line to Salmon Point. Out on the point we were closer to the reef break and I could grasp how huge the surf was. Sets of perfect, deep pipeline rollers came in one after another. The rich dark blue of the waves contrasted the turquoise shallows and white sands in a medley of colors. There was a huge Osprey nest built on a small island off the point that I didn't notice until I zoomed in on my camera to check a pic. I scanned the horizon for the bird and finally spotted him in the distance to the East. I waited and waited, but he never came back and it was time to go snorkeling.

Clean Pipeline Breakers

Osprey Nest

(can you see it?)

Salmon Point

Peggy's neighbor Tim told me that the spot on Rottnest to go snorkeling was Little Salmon Bay. It was a small cove isolated by land on both sides and a reef line in the ocean. The sun was high in the midday sky, but it there was still a chill in the air. The glassy water had been calling to me all day, cold or not I was going in! We changed, donned our cheap snorkels, and stood at the waters edge for a moment contemplating how cold it would feel. There was no turning back, I stepped forward on a determined walk into the Ocean. After a few steps I couldn't stand the incremental exposure so I dove head first into the surf. The cold water was breathtaking and paralyzing. It stung sharply against my skin followed by numbness that gave way to a slight chill. Done, I was in... Jo followed with a scream that was cut short when the cold water stole her breath. Once she was acclimated, we swam out towards the reef.

Little Salmon Bay

(HDR)

Little Salmon Beach

Australian Pelican

Another Local

Jo Changing Across the Bay

(and she thought no one could see her)

Pelican Close Up

(I walked through 3 spider webs to get this shot)

As we swam out to the reefs there was a bit of a surge that took some getting used to. The corral started immediately with small 55 gallon drum size reefs giving way to larger car sized ones followed by huge deep water reefs fading into the darkness. Little Salmon bay had a snorkel trail marked with under water plaques that marked stops along the reefs. From the surface of the water it didn't look like there was much wildlife below, but as soon as my mask broke below the ocean came alive with corral, aquatic plants, and fish of all sizes and species. Skimming the surface there were small baby fish that constantly nibbled on my feet and nipples. Below larger schools of fast movers darted in all directions while stationary lurkers hung out in small caves in the reef walls. A description and pictures of marine life at Rottnest can be seen Here. Tim told me of a large grouper that lived in a cave near one of the far reefs. Jo and I swam out against the surf in that direction and saw some medium sized groupers near a bus sized reef. The cold was really starting to set in and we were floating in deep water so we decided to turn back to warm up for a bit. On the beach there was no warmth to be gained in the 60 degree air so Jo decided to call it a day and dry off. I was cold, but not ready to be done yet.

Turquoise Blue Waters

Heading Back Out

Toursim Image of Under Water Plauge On the Snorkel Trail

(Notice the Wet Suit)

I headed out making a good pace against the surf to where the large Grouper supposedly lived. Sure enough as the sea floor dropped off a bit there was a tall narrow reef with a large shadowy figure hovering below it. I took a deep breath and dove down under a small overhang. As the grouper came into view it's size became apparent, he was about as big as a trash can lid. Annoyed that I had entered his house he swam around the back side of the reef. I followed, but couldn't keep up. Running low on air and about 18 feet down I tried to relax and conserve as I floated up to the surface. I took one last look down and the shadowy figure was back in his spot. I imagined him shaking his fin like a fist at me for invading his home.

Searching for the Grouper

He Looked Like This

Success

When I broke the surface I saw Jo had walked out to the point. She yelled; "How are you doing?" Just then I realized how cold I was and replied that I was "a little cold." "You don't look so good, you should come in", she said. I headed back to the beach and the gravity of how cold I had become was apparent as my motor skills were clumsy and diminished. I headed over to the shallow reefs that lined the rock wall on the east edge of the bay just in case I cramped up. Drifting in 2 foot deep water over the top of the reefs I enjoyed close up views of small fish, puffers, and shrimp that lived in the shallows. It was a great tour other than a few nipple-scraping moments against jagged corral rock caused by unexpected large waves. Shivering uncontrollably, I stumbled out of the water and Jo wrapped me in a towel. It took about 45 minutes to feel warm again.

Drifting in the Shallows

Cold

Cycling, cold water, and swimming were great for working up an appetite so we headed east along the coast line for some lunch at the only place we could afford - Subway. Along the way we stopped at Porpus Bay for a few pictures. Climbing up the stairs from the beach I spotted another quokka. She was foraging near a bike rack and had a noticeable bulge in her pouch. After clearing the area for lizards (luckily the highly venomous Dugite snake was still hibernating) I was able to get pretty close for a photo. We made friends and I reached my finger down to let her smell it. After a brief sniff she nuzzled my finder. Overcome by how adorable she was, I cautiously gave her a pet. She seemed to enjoy the affection and stood up to reveal a Joey peeking out of her pouch. It was a touching moment.

Female Quokka

Making Friends

Joey Peaking Out of Her Pouch

We made good time back to Subway and I ordered the same Turkey Sandwich I always get. Focused intently on unwrapping my sandwich and delving in I stumbled into a tree branch on the way out. Something wasn't right though, the branches felt different, almost like feathers. They were! I looked up to see a peacock looking angrily down at me. This wasn't my first run-in with a peacock. I knew from an early childhood encounter that they can be vicious, especially if you are of equal size and curious about their shiny feathers! "Easy buddy" I said as I eased away, guarding my sandwich. I was so hungry I a fight to the death wasn't out of the question.

Peacock Outside of Subway

After lunch, time was short so we decided to take a detour to Bathurst Lighthouse. Bathurst Lighthouse was built in 1900 in response to the sinking of the a ship named the City of York off the East Coast of Rottnest. It's a pretty interesting story, more Here. The small bluff Bathurst sits on offered views of WA's western coast. A man with binoculars had spotted two humpback whales migrating North in the channel. I used the fence as a tripod and squinted through the viewfinder scanning the featureless ocean trying to predict when they would surface next. It hurt, but I managed to a few poor shots.

Perth

Bathurst Lighthouse

Humpback Whales Off Shore

With time and light fading the day was nearly over. We took a walk along the beach below Bathurst and explored the rocks on a small point. Jo did some yoga while I foraged in the shallowes for a snack (see pics). The coastal rocks on Rottnest are extremely rough and jagged which is contrary to the effects of erosion and surf. It is caused by a small snail that attaches to the rocks and carves small cavities in the surface.

My Postcard Shot

(don't steal it)

Jo Doing Yoga

Alex Foraging for a Snack

Pied Oystercatcher

A and J on the Rocks

Rock Snails

Jo and the Locals

(this could be Far Side cartoon)

I was warm and the water was calling me again, but time was short. Jo relaxed on the beach while I headed in for one more quick snorkel. Diving down in about 15 feet of water a cheeky Angel fish came up to me almost nibbling on my mask. I think he was attracted to the red colors of my snorkel. We played together for quite a while, taking turns chasing each other. It was a great way to end the day.

Peacock on the Way to the Ferry

Time was up and if we missed the last ferry we would be stranded for the night. I dried off and we time trialed back to the bike shop, which had already closed. After some banging on the garage door, they let us in and return our bikes. Running to jetty we were the last ones on the ferry on the way I had another peacock encounter, luckily it was also peaceful. It was an epic day (just like this post) and truly one of the highlights of the trip.