Rottnest Island: Paradise off the Coast of Australia.

Instead of doing homework, we took a weekend trip to the beautiful Rottnest Island. After waking up bright and early at 6 am, the lot of us took a rocky 25 minute ferry ride and arrived ready to take on the day.

The 24 of us reserved 3 campsites right by the beach. On the walk there, we found our first quokka. Obviously, we were stoked to see these small happy animals. Over the weekend we would come to realize that these animals are EVERYWHERE. Seriously, all over the place. They aren't afraid of humans either, so they would hang out under the picnic tables, wander into your campsites, and into the busiest parts of town.

how could you not love these things?

We set up our tents, went into town and found a delicious bakery full of sweet baked goods and coffee. It then did not take us long to hit the beautiful beach. The water was so clear, and there was a lighthouse right there as well. It was the perfect spot to camp.  

After hanging out on the beach for a while, a small group of us hired bicycles for three hours, and set out to explore the island. With no plan, and no map, we started riding. We found beaches, beaches and more beaches that got prettier and prettier.

We wandered to the middle of the island and found the Salt Lakes. They are these big lakes that are used for research. You could see piles and piles of pure salt where the water met the sand. The water in the lakes was so stunningly blue and bright.

Bike Gang

We then headed up to Oliver Hill, where there is the original World War II cannon that was used to defend the port city of Fremantle during that time. It was actually never fired. But from this viewpoint, you could see so much of the island, and it was stunning.

the salt lakes in the background

That night was spent at the beach, taking in the sunset and hanging out as a group. It was great fun to get to know everyone better and just relax at the beach on this gorgeous island.

We woke up at 5:45 the next morning to see the sunrise. Myself, sleeping bag wrapped around me, and the majority of the group went up to the lighthouse and watched in awe as the sun rose over the city of Perth 22 kilometers away.

Perth on the left

The rest of the day was spent at a beach we had stumbled upon the day before on our bike ride, Geordie Bay.

Then we caught the 4:30 ferry back to the mainland. Rottnest Island was such a beautiful and fantastic place. We had such an amazing weekend exploring another one of the great experiences that Australia has to offer. An unforgettable weekend of quokkas, beaches, sun, and friends.