Food & wine
Perth Hills fringe
Swan Valley
Western Australia oldest wine region, 25 minutes from the depot. More than 150 cellar doors, breweries and providores in one loop.
Rottnest Island, or Wadjemup, is car-free, and that is the entire point of it. You drive to a ferry terminal, leave the car in the car park, and spend the day on a bicycle with quokkas underfoot and 63 beaches to choose from. It is the one destination on this list where the hire car does the boring half of the job and then waits for you.
The drive from Perth
There are four departure points and the choice matters more than most visitors realise.
- Fremantle, B Shed at Victoria Quay. About 25 to 30 minutes from the CBD and a 25 minute crossing. The classic run. Parking at B Shed is limited and paid, and the terminal has been under renovation, so allow extra time.
- North Fremantle, Northport at Rous Head. Similar drive, similar crossing, and roughly 400 bays in a private car park, which is the easiest parking of the lot.
- Hillarys Boat Harbour. Around 30 minutes north west of the CBD with a 45 minute crossing. Handy if you are staying in the northern suburbs.
- Barrack Street Jetty in the city. No drive at all, but a 90 minute sail each way.
Three operators run the route: SeaLink Rottnest, Rottnest Express and Rottnest Fast Ferries. Fares move with demand, and the island admission levy is collected inside the ticket price, so everyone pays it. Expect somewhere around 90 dollars return for an adult out of Fremantle at the time of writing, and closer to 135 dollars from the city.
What to do when you get there
Hire a bike, ideally booked with your ferry ticket rather than on the island, because on-island hire sells out on summer weekends. Then ride.
- The Basin, the swimming bay closest to the settlement and the one everyone starts at.
- Pinky Beach and Bathurst Lighthouse, five minutes from Thomson Bay and the best short ride on the island.
- Little Salmon Bay, which has a marked snorkel trail.
- Wadjemup Lighthouse, a 38 metre climb with tours and a view back to the Perth skyline.
- Cape Vlamingh and Cathedral Rocks at the western end, for the seal colony and, from August to December, whales.
- Oliver Hill Battery and the Captain Hussey railway, for the wartime gun emplacements.
The quokkas are everywhere and entirely unbothered. Crouch, do not chase, and never feed them.
When to go
September to November is the sweet spot: whales off Cape Vlamingh, wildflowers on the heath, warm enough to swim and quiet enough to get a table. March and April are almost as good. Peak summer and Western Australian school holidays need booking well ahead, both for the ferry and the bikes.
How to plan the day
The island is 11 kilometres long, so distances matter more than they look on the map. From Thomson Bay, the Vlamingh and Mushroom Rock lookouts are about five minutes by bike. Wadjemup Lighthouse and Jeannie Lookout are around 20 minutes. Cape Vlamingh at the far western end is a 35 minute ride or a 30 minute bus trip, and it is the one people underestimate.
A realistic day trip covers the eastern third: The Basin, Pinky Beach, the lighthouse and a swim at Little Salmon Bay, with lunch back at the settlement. If you want Cape Vlamingh and the west end as well, take the bus one way and ride back, or stay a night. Two nights turns Rottnest from a good day out into the best thing you do in Perth.
The hire car we would put you in
The Compact Hatch, a Kia Picanto or similar. Since the car spends the day parked, the only things that matter are what it costs and how easily it fits into a tight terminal bay. The Picanto wins on both. It is the cheapest car we hire, it is automatic, and the run to Fremantle or Hillarys is 30 minutes of city driving where a small car is a genuine advantage.
The exception is a group. If there are five or more of you, the SUV 7-Seater or the People Mover gets everyone to the terminal in one vehicle with room for eskies and towels, and one parking fee instead of two.
Before you leave the depot
Ferries want you at the terminal 30 minutes before departure, so build that into your pickup time. Book the bike and any luggage or sporting equipment with the ticket, since storage on board is limited. Take reef shoes, a hat and more sunscreen than feels reasonable, because there is very little shade on the island and no way to duck back to the car.
