01/09/2015 Rottnest Island

Home of the Quokkas

It's funny, when we were planning our trip to Australia, one of our main reasons to go to Australia was to see Quokkas. They are just so cute and always look like they're smiling. The funny thing is, we haven't managed to visit Rottnest Island yet. (Home of the Quokkas)

So today, our last day in Perth, we absolutely had to go there. The day started off really nice. We had a great breakfast, left early and had more than half an hour at the ferry terminal. Fifteen minutes before the ferry leaves, we casually went to the counter to print our tickets and then came the shock: 'Sorry, you are on the wrong side of the harbor, you have to go to the other side.' We were on the wrong side of the harbor and therefore at the wrong terminal... We only had 15 minutes left, then we had to drive halfway across the city, print tickets, get a parking ticket or find a parking spot.

As soon as we arrived at the right place, Jenny ran to the counter and Mike took care of parking. Everyone had already been allowed onto the ferry and Mike had to run back and forth four times because Jenny had the wallet and he couldn't pay for the parking ticket without money... oh dear... that was something. We couldn't have come a minute, or even a second, later, because otherwise the ferry would have left without us. It would have been too easy if everything had gone smoothly. :-D

Once we arrived on Rottnest, we grabbed our pre-booked bicycles and helmets and explored the island. The main question, of course, was 'Where and who will find the first Quokka.' We quickly realized that it's not very difficult to find Quokkas. They are simply everywhere =). As soon as we put down our backpack, filled with carrots, the first Quokkas came to rummage through it. They practically claimed the backpack for themselves. :-D As you can see in the photos, these little cute 'rats' are very trusting and photogenic. It was so much fun taking pictures with them and feeding them. Apart from the Quokkas, the island is beautiful. We managed to cycle around the whole island that day (about 20 km).

The island has many small hills, dunes, and several bays, as well as beautiful beaches. One thing is for sure, if you're planning a trip to Australia, Rottnest should not be left out! All in all, today was just a wonderfully beautiful day and we are really excited because tomorrow we will continue traveling and we don't know what's in store for us.