Rottnest Island
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Rottnest Island was discovered in 1696
by Willem de Vlamingh, a Dutch explorer, who named the island
Rats' Nest due to the many large rats that he found on the
island. Visitors to the island don't need to worry about
these 'rats' as they are one of the islands friendly attractions,
otherwise known as Quokkas which are a small wallaby.
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Although Rottnest Island started out as a prison and
also hosted a large military stronghold during World War II, it
soon became a perfect escape from the busy city life in Perth
and is a wonderful place to visit. You can find out more about
the history of the island at the interesting Rottnest Island Museum,
or by following one of the Rottnest Voluntary Guide Tours around various historical sites. You can also visit
the Oliver Hill Gun Emplacement which is a site from World War
II, which you can get to by train from Thomson Bay.
There are plenty of other things to do on Rottnest
Island, and a number of activities to get involved in. Cycling
is popular on the island and is a great way to get around and
see everything. Also popular are fishing, snorkelling and diving. There
is some beautiful coral around the island which you can see from
various points, as well as a number of shipwrecks. If you are
planning on going snorkelling it is a good idea to hire a boat,
and explore the waters best points.
If you would prefer to relax amongst the beauty
of Rottnest Island, there are a couple of tours which you can join
still allowing you to see the island. There is a tour bus from
the visitor centre in Thomson Bay, as well as a underwater boat
cruise around the island by the Underwater Explorer. The Bayseeker
also travels around the island, stopping at many of the bays and
beaches along the way. Alternatively you can just relax on one
of the many beaches, or admire the fabulous views from Vlamingh
Lookout, or picnic around the salt lakes with the many Quokkas.
There are a number of places to stay around Thomson
Bay, as well as several good restaurants and cafes. You can get
to the island from both Fremantle and Perth by boat. A flight is also available from Perth.
PLEASE NOTE: The Western Australia travel destinations outlined above are only a small selection from the tens of thousands of Australian travel information pages available on Australian Explorer. A comprehensive list of destinations for Western Australia Holidays can be found on the main Western Australia Holidays location guide. |
