Revealing the Secret of Australia’s Quokka Haven: Rottnest Island

① A Place to Enjoy Natural Scenery

Australia is a foreign travel destination that embraces vast natural landscapes. It is home to many scenic spots showing its enormous and majestic nature. Looking at the nature of Australia spread out before your eyes is impressive.

When you think of traveling to Australia, Sydney and Melbourne are usually the first places that come to mind. These major cities are places where you can also enjoy Australia’s natural scenery.

Among these, “Rottnest Island” is a lesser-known travel destination, known as the top vacation spot in Western Australia. It is located about 12 miles off the coast of “Perth.” Locals often refer to it as “Rotto.”

Rottnest Island is a designated nature reserve where various wild animals and plants live. It’s small but rich in nature. It would be best if you took a boat to get here. If you’re in another part of Australia, take a domestic flight to Perth.

Three piers are heading to Rottnest Island in Perth. The Fremantle B-Shed and North Fremantle piers are the closest. It only takes about 20 minutes by boat.

While Rottnest Island is known as a vacation spot for Australians, it is known to tourists as the only habitat of quokkas. This place is also known as “Quokka Island.”

② The Only Quokka Habitat in the World

What makes Rottnest Island special is that it is home to quokkas. This place is known as the travel destination where Blackpink’s Lisa visited by helicopter. She left a photo with a quokka on Rottnest Island with a happy face.

You can see the unique quokka scenery only on Rottnest Island. Quokkas are the only ones inhabiting Rottnest Island in the entire world. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, quokkas are considered vulnerable species. Touching these endangered quokkas is fine, so you should not try to touch them. About 7,500 to 10,000 are estimated to be left on Rottnest Island, their only habitat.

As the news that quokkas live on Rottnest Island became famous, many tourists have been flocking to see them. Tourists share photos taken with quokkas on the island on social media. Thanks to the cute expressions of quokkas, they are also called “the happiest animals on earth.”

If you want to take a picture with a quokka on Rottnest Island, you should wait for the early evening. Since about 10,000 quokkas live here, it’s not hard to find. However, there are a few things to remind yourself if you want to take a perfect picture.

Quokkas live in hot climate regions, so they tend to sleep long during the day. They usually wake up around 4 to 5 pm to look for food. If you visit around this time, you can find them more often. If you spot a quokka, you should not scream and stay quiet. They can easily get scared, so it’s important not to startle them. Also, if you visit in April or May, you can see baby quokkas because it’s their breeding season. If you meet one, keeping a distance and not getting too close is a good idea.

③ Enjoy Various Activities on the Beach

In addition to meeting quokkas, Rottnest Island is a vacation spot with many things to enjoy. It boasts 63 beaches where you can see the bottom of the sea and meet the dazzling scenery of the beach. Wherever you go, white sandy beaches and emerald seas await you.

You can spend leisurely surfing, snorkeling, diving, and swimming on the beach. See various corals and marine life through a kayak with a glassed bottom. From September to November, you can see humpback whales on Rottnest Island. If you want a thrilling experience, you can try skydiving. The view of Rottnest Island from the sky gives a different excitement.

It’s a vacation destination where you can enjoy the rustic scenery away from the city. The vast nature of Western Australia unfolds. If you’re traveling in Perth, I also recommend traveling to Rottnest Island.