The Island with the cutest smile

There is an island 18km west of Perth and the australian mainland which is called Rottnest Island, or Noongar Wadjemup how it is originally called by the Aborigines, australias native people. After beeing I gave it a completely different name...The island of the cutest smile.

Most people will know by now why I gave it that name, all others will learn it soon.

There are 3 ways to get to this beautiful island and the most common is via ferry. You can either take the 45 minute ride from Hillarys Boat Harbour or the 90 minute ride from Perth's Barrack Street Jetty.

You could also take a plane or if you´re lucky enough to have a own boat, just go there with your own boat. Since we do not have a own boat we took the ferry, which is a great way to get there.

There are several options how to get around the island once you´re there. You can choose to walk, which I do not recommend as the island is bigger than we thought. Or you can choose one of the many means of transportation like a bicycle, electric bicycle, small golf cars or a segway tour. There are plenty of options which offer something for everyone.

We´ve decided to take a bike as it was the cheapest and the most fun...except of the steep hills. But we love biking and if it isn´t too hot it´s a good way to get around this island.

The Island is about 11km long and has a width of 4.5km. Hopefully you do not ride a bike for the first time as there is quite some distance to cover. But believe me it´s worth it. At the latest when you reach the first beach you will be rewarded for your efforts. And Rottnest Island has plenty of beaches, some of them are the most beautiful ones I´ve seen on my travels.

If you now think that you will never ever be able to do that in just one day there are good news. The island is not uninhabited and can also be inhabited by you. There are around 340 people living on Rottnest and there are many accommodations to choose from.

But let´s get back to those beaches. There are 63 of them in total, but I´ve selected a few of them for you.

Thomson Bay
is located on the north-east coast of the island and is an elongated sandy beach that connects directly to the ferry pier. Here the water is shallow and is great for swimming and swimming. The island's visitor center is also located on this bay.

Little Salmon Bay
is the next feast for the eyes after leaving Parker Point. Small sandy beach with a bay and crystal clear water. Both Little Salmon Bay and Parker Point are sensational snorkeling spots. From the top of the island road you have a wonderful view of Little Salmon Bay and the large Salmon Bay further west. Here you will find a long sandy beach with powder white fine sand and crystal clear water.

The West End
with its many small bays is not only suitable for swimming and snorkeling. Surfers will find some good waves here. Good surf spots are Strickland Bay, Stark Bay and a reef break at Cathedral Rocks.

The Basin,
a bathing bay that can be reached at the end of the circular route. It is the most popular and most visited beach on the island and just beautiful, you should take a longer stop here. The Basin was voted one of the most beautiful beaches in Western Australia - and rightly so! Here you can swim in the shallow water or snorkel over a colorful coral reef and discover the species-rich underwater world. Due to the protected location of the lagoon, there is hardly any waves, which is ideal for snorkeling.

Apart from all these beautiful beaches there is a lot more to discover on this unique island, like breathtaking coral reefs and lookouts, a pink lake or some really nice and shady bike rides through little forests.

Did I forget something?
Well, I almost forgot the most important thing about Rottnest Island, the reason why I gave it the name The Island with the cutest smile.

That´s because of the Quokka. A Quokka is some kind of a small kangaroo that only lives here on that island and is very famous for it´s smile. In fact it has the cutest smile you´ve ever seen.

Discovering the cute little quokkas on Rottnest Island is really not a big art, on the contrary - in some parts of the island you have to be careful not to trip over them.

At hot midday they are looking for a shady spot, but the Quokkas now know that it is worthwhile for them to be close to people. Many tourists feed the quokkas to lure them for photos. We do not recommend this because you will also be able to take a selfie with a quokka without feeding it. They are not shy animals and even if you get too close they will not run away. For a perfect selfie, approach a quokka from behind, but of course with a little sensitivity and not like a bumpkin. Even if quokkas are not frightening, you should still be careful with them, after all they are still wild animals and you must not harm them.

As soon as you have taken a good position, you raise your camera in front of the Quokka and pull the trigger. The friendly facial expression of the Quokkas comes because they are curious and not photogenic (of course, animals do not know what selfies are, even if it works that way with Quokkas). You will definitely enjoy the trusting Quokkas, which will surely be a highlight of your trip to Rottnest Island. But still our request to you: do not feed, do not touch! Selfies or rather quelfies expressly allowed!

All in all I can say that this is the most beautiful small island I´ve ever been to and I can highly recommend to visit it once in your life. It is truly a great experience.