June 28, 2023

A perfect winter getaway to Rottnest

Chiara Di TRAVEL, WESTERN AUSTRALIA Discovery Parks, Perth, Quokkas, Rottnest Island, Wanderlust, Western Australia 0 Comments

Last week I enjoyed a little winter getaway on Rottnest Island (Wadjemup) with my mum which was the perfect treat for both of us.

It was our first time staying overnight on Rottnest (also known as ‘Rotto’ to us locals) and it was so nice and relaxing. Being there in winter was a dream – it was uncrowded, we could still be active and it was so easy to nap.

A 30-minute ferry ride from Fremantle B-Shed saw us arriving on the island at 10am. We stopped into Rottnest Bakery for a snack and were instantly greeted by the friendly quokkas, before dropping our bags at our accommodation – Discovery Rottnest Island – at Pinky Beach.

The accommodation was glamping style tents. The rooms were very nice and had everything we needed including a private ensuite with good shower pressure (very important) and small heater to fight off the winter chills. The first night was quite windy so we heard the tents walls flapping a lot but apart from that everything was very enjoyable. The breakfast was also fresh and to a high standard. The right amount of options to set you up for your day – cereals, fruit, pastries and a hot spread.

We headed to Pedal & Flipper to hire bikes for an afternoon adventure. The hire was $30 for a standard bike for 24-hours. We rode the 10km loop around Henrietta Rocks, Parker Point, Jeannie’s Lookout, Little Salmon Bay, Salmon Bay (home to the osprey nest), Wadjemup Lighthouse and back to Settlement past the salt lakes. The ride was very hilly but the picture perfect views made it worth it. It took a few hours to complete as we took in all the beautiful bays and had some strong winds against us.

On our second day we went on a hike with The Hike Collective to the West End of the island. We met our guide at 9.45am and took the island bus to the start of our trail (the bus ticket is included in the hike cost). The 7km hike took us to Majorie Bay, Mabel Cove, Eagle Bay and Cathedral Rocks where we spotted seals dancing about. The other side of the trail was unfortunately closed due to works so we didn’t get to enjoy any of those bays and lookouts.

We enjoyed sunrises over Bathurst Lighthouse and sunsets at Thomson Bay with a vino or two at Hotel Rottnest – the Rotto pub – before indulging at one of the island’s restaurants. On our first night we enjoyed dinner at Italian restaurant Isola Bar e Cibo and were very deserving of our plate of pasta following a month-long detox.

We enjoyed the calamari fritti, prosciutto San Daniele served with sourdough, focaccia and giardiniera (pickled vegetables) and both chose the crab tagliarini (without cream) for main. It was all delicious and a lot for two but we ate it all!

On the second night we dined at Lontara at Samphire resort, a south-east Asian inspired menu designed to share. My favourite dish was the Moreton Bay bug dumplings – the flavours were unreal. We also shared the lamb cutlets, amok curry of monkfish and chicken chettinad. The restaurant also provides complimentary crackers with hot sauce to start.

A stay on Rottnest wouldn’t be without numerous visits to the bakery and trying to get the ultimate quokka selfie. The quokkas were out in force while we were there – perhaps due to the season or less people being around. They were very playful and seemed to be constantly eating.

We ended the trip back at Fremantle ferry port enjoying a beer and chips at Gage Roads Brewery – the icing on the cake to a perfect 48 hours!

I’m so excited that Europe is almost here and I can’t wait to share all those wanders with you soon.

Until then…

LWL xxx