Vacation Ain't Over Yet

Because we weren't quite ready for the holiday to be over, we decided to go away to Perth's own little island destination: Rottnest. It's only a 20 minute ferry ride from Fremantle. 

 Our chariot awaits!

I was expecting and Aussie version of my New England oasis Block Island. A place for the beach, outdoor showers, happy hour with fresh clams and twisted teas, games of celebrity, nights at the Yellow Kitten, and bike rides to the library on rainy days. Well it turns out there isn't a library on Rottnest, because there's not really a town. There's a settlement. No one really lives on the island. It is purely a vacation destination. And I like it that way.

It seems like the best way to get to Rottnest is on your own yacht. I'll start working on that...

Rottnest was named by Dutch sailors. Rottnest, meaning rat's nest. But it's not rats that live on the island. It's quokkas! Quokkas are kangaroo rats that are only found on islands in Western Australia. Given my past history with rats and love of animals, you know they were the reason I went to Rottnest ;). They've become people-loving scroungers and came right up to our table, searching through Emma's backpack. They even have special gates in the stores to keep them out.

But quokkas aren't the only wildlife in the settlement. There are also peacocks!

We rented bikes (no one has cars there) to get around and spent the day riding from beach to beach, snorkeling, sunbathing and reading.

 

After spending the morning on the beaches, we headed back to the settlement for lunch. In my beach-going mood, I was feeling a salad, some fruit, a sandwich... Kyla and Emma insisted that on Rottnest, we HAD to get...meat pies...? Apparently it's an Australian thing. I mean they have them in Perth, but it doesn't scream beach food to me. Doesn't seem like my idea of beach food, but when in Rome...

BTW It was delicious! And next time I may even pair it with a spearmint milk :)

In the afternoon, we were going to head out to Parker Point near the west end, but halfway there, we decided to use our time more wisely and spend it on the beach of course! We ended up at Porpoise Bay, and were the only ones on the beach. Again, beautiful beach and where are all the people? I"m beginning to think I may be missing something...

We ended the day with ice cream and jam doughnuts (because apparently that is something else you HAVE to have at Rottnest).

I couldn't agree more...