ROTTNEST ISLAND

     The island is called Wadjemup by the Aboriginal Noongar people, meaning "place across the water". It was given the name "Rotte nest" (meaning "rat nest" in the Dutch language) by Dutch captain Willem de Vlamingh who spent six days exploring the island in December 1696, mistaking the marsupial quokkas for giant rats.

     Early on Saturday morning (7:15 AM Dec 1st) Scott & Karen took the train (LRT) from Atwell to the Barrack Street Jetty in Perth to board the 8:30 AM Rottnest Express ferry. The 1 hour scenic trip down the Swan River, with informative commentary from the ship's purser, revealed many highlights including a sailing regatta with hundreds of boats, a dolphin pod and Australia's most expensive property - a 57.5 million dollar mansion sold to mining magnate Chris Ellison in 2009.

    The crossing from Fremantle to Rottnest Island was a pleasant 25 minute trip. When we arrived at Rottnest we took a 90 minute bus tour that circumnavigated the island, hitting all the "high points" of history, flora & fauna, with very detailed and good humoured guidance from our driver Bert. Along the way we saw up-close-and-personal the very tame quokka "rats" (we were told that they number about 10,000 on the island), a lighthouse, beautiful seascapes, shipwrecks, coral reefs, Mediterranean-like Geordie Bay, salt lakes. nesting osprey and various other bird species.

     After a very generously portioned lunch at the Dome Cafe, Scott went to explore the salt lakes area some more and Karen went on a heritage walking tour. We reconvened in time to do a little tourist shopping just prior to the 6 PM embarkation time for the return ferry to B-Shed Terminal in Fremantle, where our very gracious host Anne-Marie was waiting to "chauffeur" us home.