25 August 2022 – Thursday – Rottnest Island

Another early start & breakfast at 7am at the Lontara, part of the Samphire Resort, we enjoy a table in the open air with the sun warming us as we eat. We catch the hop-on hop-off bus at 9am & enjoy the views as we travel the 11km to the West End where we stop for a walk along the boardwalk at Fish Hook Bay at Cape Vlamingh. With the sun out today the scenery has totally changed, the colours of the ocean are amazing & it is very pleasant enjoying the views. At Fish Hook Bay an Osprey has a nest, a large pile of sticks on a rocky outcrop over the ocean. Next to the boardwalk is an anchor from a boat wrecked here in 1984, a Japanese tuna boat, the Kiryo Maru.

We then walk along the track to Cathedral Rocks to view the seal colony that live there, the seals are cavorting in the water just out past the Cathedral Rocks. It is a brisk walk back & the next bus has just arrived & waits for us to take us on to Marjorie Bay where we spot another Osprey nest, this one with a chick in it that we can see. We walk along the Narrow Neck Road to Rock Bay bus stop & catch the next bus that comes past.

Our next stop is the City of York Bay, the place where the ship of the same name ran aground in 1899, around 200m offshore. Its anchor is on display outside the Visitor Centre at the wharf. We walk down to the beach & another group of people walk onto the beach for a swim, the water is a bit chilly for us. It is a steep walk back up to the road & we have a look at Catherine Bay as we wait for the next bus. We take the bus all the way back into town & have lunch before catching the bus at 1pm & heading off again.

Parker Point is our stop this time & we enjoy the scenery as we walk around to Little Salmon Bay then to Salmon Bay. The day is starting to warm up.  There are lots of big King Skinks (lizards) sunning themselves on the bitumen road. AT Salmon Bay there are a few people in having a swim & a snorkel, they say the water is cold. At Salmon Point we spot another Osprey nest perched on a large rock in the water & watch as an osprey brings a fish in its talon for the chick in the nest. From Salmon Bay we get great views down the coast to Cape Vlamingh & also to the Wadjemup Lighthouse.

Onto the bus again & stop next at the lighthouse road, the walk up is steep but the views are worthwhile, from one end of the island to the other & across to Perth. Besides the imposing white lighthouse there are a number of other large buildings on the hill, relics from the defence systems from the Second World War. The walk down is a little easier & we have some time to catch our breath as we wait for the bus. There are people on bicycles peddling past on a regular basis, I am glad we are catching the bus, cycling looks hard work.

The next bus we catch takes us back around West Point then all the way back to the settlement, then back to our room & rest a little until it is time to walk to Bathurst Point Lighthouse for the sunset. The skies are clear blue & lots of other people join us to watch the sun set over the Indian Ocean. Some whales provide some additional interest for us as they swim past.  The sunset is absolutely beautiful with amazing colour.

Quokkas are out everywhere as we walk back in the twilight. The baby quokkas are especially cute & are also plentiful. We stop at the Rottnest Hotel for dinner & around our feet inside the hotel quokkas are foraging for food scraps. The couple we sat near last night at Isola also sit at the next table tonight & we end up chatting again until well after our meals are finished & most others have left. We walk back to the Samphire Resort with them, they are staying on the same floor as us & we say our farewells to them. We walked 12.7 kilometres today & our legs are telling us we need some rest. Another great day.