Everything you need to plan a day trip to Rottnest Island, Australia. I can't wait to tell you about swimming, ferries, quokkas, and more. It's time to start planning your Rottnest day trip!
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The "shed" (aka office building and cafe) for the ferry in Fremantle.
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Bringing your own bike is a really popular option but you'll pay a small surcharge to do so
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I'm going to give you the worst possible answer: It depends!
First, know that every adult ferry ticket includes a $19.50 surcharge ($20.00 if you're reading this in 2022...) This is known as the Rottnest Island Admission fee and it's collected on behalf of the Rottnest Island Authority. This fee contributes to the upkeep of island facilities. Toddler and infant ferry fares are exempt from the RIA fee. Most ferry booking websites will show you a breakdown of their cost, the RIA fee, and the final price so you know exactly what you're getting.
In general, the cost for a same-day round trip (including RIA fee as applicable) is $49 to $70 for Fremantle trips, $87.50 for Hillarys Boat Harbour trips, and $79 to $109 for Perth trips. There are discounts for students, seniors, and children. Trips that aren't same-day (known as extends) cost a bit more.
What accounts for the range of pricing for the Fremantle and Perth trips? There are two companies that cover these routes, so there's bound to be a bit of competition and different promotions at different times. As such, it really goes pay to search both websites in advance, see what kinds of promotions they're offering, and hunt down the best deal.
Note that all companies have a surchage of anywhere from $10 to $25 for items like bikes, surfboards, kayaks, diving gear, and so on. Happy researching!
First, know that every adult ferry ticket includes a $19.50 surcharge ($20.00 if you're reading this in 2022...) This is known as the Rottnest Island Admission fee and it's collected on behalf of the Rottnest Island Authority. This fee contributes to the upkeep of island facilities. Toddler and infant ferry fares are exempt from the RIA fee. Most ferry booking websites will show you a breakdown of their cost, the RIA fee, and the final price so you know exactly what you're getting.
In general, the cost for a same-day round trip (including RIA fee as applicable) is $49 to $70 for Fremantle trips, $87.50 for Hillarys Boat Harbour trips, and $79 to $109 for Perth trips. There are discounts for students, seniors, and children. Trips that aren't same-day (known as extends) cost a bit more.
What accounts for the range of pricing for the Fremantle and Perth trips? There are two companies that cover these routes, so there's bound to be a bit of competition and different promotions at different times. As such, it really goes pay to search both websites in advance, see what kinds of promotions they're offering, and hunt down the best deal.
Note that all companies have a surchage of anywhere from $10 to $25 for items like bikes, surfboards, kayaks, diving gear, and so on. Happy researching!
Flights to Rottnest Island
Photo courtesy Swan River Seaplans under Creative Commons license.
If you would rather not sail, several companies offer flights to Rottnest Island and a variety of different tour packages. They include Rottnest Air Taxi, Corsaire Aviation, Swan River Seaplanes, and Air Charters West. Prices start at about $100 one way but the costs can vary widely spending on many factors, like the size of your group and whether you want a champagne breakfast, aerial tours of the island or Perth, or seafood experiences.
Swimming to Rottnest Island
Photo courtesy of The Golden Star under Creative Commons license.
I bet you thought I was joking when I said you could swim to Rottnest Island, but my friend Stephanie has done it. The Rottnest Channel Swim is a 19.7km swim from Cottesloe Beach to Rottnest Island that you can experience as a solo venture or within a team environment. While this isn't exactly for everyone, there's no denying that it's the most memorable way to get to Rottnest Island. I asked Stephanie to share her experience for all my readers and this is what she said:
"Swimming the Rottnest channel was a crazy adventure! First off, the Aussies are kinda these kamikaze swimmers who don't seem to be phased by super salty ocean water up their noses, or stinging jellyfish, or huge waves.. this is just all in a day of swimming in the ocean. We're talking like burning salty sensations in the back of your throat and nose, jellyfish that end up down the front of your bathing suit and sting every inch of your exposed skin, and waves that throw you forward and then backwards as you try to find a time to catch your next breath between strokes without having a gush of salt water enter your mouth and nose. The Aussies are also incredibly modest and make everything sound like it's a walk in the park, so leading into swimming the Rottnest Channel I thought, I can handle this. I can swim the distance no problem (20km total with our team of four swimming 5km each) in open water (ie: practicing in lakes here in Gatineau) and my sister has done it 7 times already, so I can do it too.
The day of our swim it was forecasted to be cooler in the morning (13 degrees) and hotter in the afternoon 27 degrees, so getting on the support boat I was shocked to see my sister, Erica hand me a winter coat, toque, and gloves. I definitely needed them and seriously could have used a scarf and snow pants, it was that cold racing across the ocean to the race starting point. The race was incredible! 2,500 competitors all in the water at the same time. Solos, duos and teams of 4. Leaving the shore in heats and support boats linking up with their swimmers 1km from the shore of the mainland. Each team had a kayaker that paddled beside them to keep them in line with swimming towards Rottnest Island which was definitely not visible from the wavy water. All four of us took turns swimming for 20 min and then resting on the support boat. 11 km into the race there was the first ever shark spotting by one the support boats. Every competitor was notified by boat radio of the spotting and told to stay tuned for what to do next. We were told to just keep swimming until the officials gave further instructions.
It was my turn to jump in next after the spotting. I took my cue from my team mates and jumped in to swim, wondering the whole time if Aussie sharks preferred Canadian meat. On my next turn to swim something even more worrisome happened. I was focused on timing my breathing and getting the most out of the waves driving me forward, when I saw my kayaker looking far into the distance pointing at something and calling to the crew on the boat. Everyone on the boat began leaning over the front of the boat shouting and pointing at something. All I could think between breaths is that they had seen the shark and were to busy starring at it to remember me in the water!! It turns out they weren't staring at a shark they were staring at a boat that sank 25m in front of us! A support boat had sprung a leak and gone down so fast that the crew only had time to jump ship and swim to other support boats in the time it took the boat to tip and sink! After all that we ended up finishing first in the woman's team division!
What a great adventure! Rottnest Island was paradise of snorkelling, biking (with NO cars on the road!) and quokka selfies."
"Swimming the Rottnest channel was a crazy adventure! First off, the Aussies are kinda these kamikaze swimmers who don't seem to be phased by super salty ocean water up their noses, or stinging jellyfish, or huge waves.. this is just all in a day of swimming in the ocean. We're talking like burning salty sensations in the back of your throat and nose, jellyfish that end up down the front of your bathing suit and sting every inch of your exposed skin, and waves that throw you forward and then backwards as you try to find a time to catch your next breath between strokes without having a gush of salt water enter your mouth and nose. The Aussies are also incredibly modest and make everything sound like it's a walk in the park, so leading into swimming the Rottnest Channel I thought, I can handle this. I can swim the distance no problem (20km total with our team of four swimming 5km each) in open water (ie: practicing in lakes here in Gatineau) and my sister has done it 7 times already, so I can do it too.
The day of our swim it was forecasted to be cooler in the morning (13 degrees) and hotter in the afternoon 27 degrees, so getting on the support boat I was shocked to see my sister, Erica hand me a winter coat, toque, and gloves. I definitely needed them and seriously could have used a scarf and snow pants, it was that cold racing across the ocean to the race starting point. The race was incredible! 2,500 competitors all in the water at the same time. Solos, duos and teams of 4. Leaving the shore in heats and support boats linking up with their swimmers 1km from the shore of the mainland. Each team had a kayaker that paddled beside them to keep them in line with swimming towards Rottnest Island which was definitely not visible from the wavy water. All four of us took turns swimming for 20 min and then resting on the support boat. 11 km into the race there was the first ever shark spotting by one the support boats. Every competitor was notified by boat radio of the spotting and told to stay tuned for what to do next. We were told to just keep swimming until the officials gave further instructions.
It was my turn to jump in next after the spotting. I took my cue from my team mates and jumped in to swim, wondering the whole time if Aussie sharks preferred Canadian meat. On my next turn to swim something even more worrisome happened. I was focused on timing my breathing and getting the most out of the waves driving me forward, when I saw my kayaker looking far into the distance pointing at something and calling to the crew on the boat. Everyone on the boat began leaning over the front of the boat shouting and pointing at something. All I could think between breaths is that they had seen the shark and were to busy starring at it to remember me in the water!! It turns out they weren't staring at a shark they were staring at a boat that sank 25m in front of us! A support boat had sprung a leak and gone down so fast that the crew only had time to jump ship and swim to other support boats in the time it took the boat to tip and sink! After all that we ended up finishing first in the woman's team division!
What a great adventure! Rottnest Island was paradise of snorkelling, biking (with NO cars on the road!) and quokka selfies."
Taking a Rottnest Island bus tour
No matter how you get to Rottnest Island, one thing is for certain. You won't be driving when you're there. The island is car free, save for maintenance and emergency vehicles. You can get around by foot, by bike, or by taking a Rottnest Island bus tour.
TheIsland Explorer Hop On/Hop Off bus goes to 19 different points of interest on the island and starts service at 8:30 AM. This is the option we chose and we were happy with it (and especially pleased that the tours at different points of interest seemed to be timed to correspond with the bus schedule.) However, by early afternoon the bus was packed and our plan to ride a second loop just to enjoy the scenery soon fell apart.
Other bus options include the Wadjemup Lighthouse Shuttle Bus (perfect if you just want to see this one attraction or explore part on foot and take the bus back). The Bayseeker Island tour departs twice a day, takes just under two hours, and showcases all the big attractions. And if you're staying the night and want transportation to your accommodations, the aptly named Accommodation Shuttle costs just $3 a day or $5 a week.
TheIsland Explorer Hop On/Hop Off bus goes to 19 different points of interest on the island and starts service at 8:30 AM. This is the option we chose and we were happy with it (and especially pleased that the tours at different points of interest seemed to be timed to correspond with the bus schedule.) However, by early afternoon the bus was packed and our plan to ride a second loop just to enjoy the scenery soon fell apart.
Other bus options include the Wadjemup Lighthouse Shuttle Bus (perfect if you just want to see this one attraction or explore part on foot and take the bus back). The Bayseeker Island tour departs twice a day, takes just under two hours, and showcases all the big attractions. And if you're staying the night and want transportation to your accommodations, the aptly named Accommodation Shuttle costs just $3 a day or $5 a week.
What to do on Rottnest Island
Humans should not touch quokkas but apparently no one tells the quokkas not to touch the humans! Here Ryan lifts his arm to minimize his contact with a quokka who climbed up on his lap.
Chances are, if Rottnest Island is on your travel list, it's because of one thing: Quokkas!
Quokkas are short tailed wallabys about the size of a housecat (thank you, Wikipedia, for this apt summary!) While they are found in a few locations throughout Western Australia, Rottnest Island is their primary home. Having evolved in relative isolation, with few predators, quokkas have developed into the world's friendliest and cutest animal. Don't worry, you will see quokkas. And they will see you, come over to you, and maybe even try to hop into your backpack if you're Ryan. (Note: While quokkas love to come up to humans, it should always be on their own terms. They shouldn't be fed human food as it's not a healthy part of their diet. Don't let their insane adorableness let you forget that these are wild animals!)
Quokka visits are just the beginning of what to do on Rottnest Island. Here are some other considerations.
Quokkas are short tailed wallabys about the size of a housecat (thank you, Wikipedia, for this apt summary!) While they are found in a few locations throughout Western Australia, Rottnest Island is their primary home. Having evolved in relative isolation, with few predators, quokkas have developed into the world's friendliest and cutest animal. Don't worry, you will see quokkas. And they will see you, come over to you, and maybe even try to hop into your backpack if you're Ryan. (Note: While quokkas love to come up to humans, it should always be on their own terms. They shouldn't be fed human food as it's not a healthy part of their diet. Don't let their insane adorableness let you forget that these are wild animals!)
Quokka visits are just the beginning of what to do on Rottnest Island. Here are some other considerations.
Rottnest Island tours
I've already mentioned that there are aerial tours of Rottnest and different Rottnest Island bus tour options. But that is just the begining of the list! You can also experience Segway tours, Aquaplay tours (like riding a bike on water), historic train tours, whale watching and coastal boat tours, Aboriginal culture tours, e-bike tours, glass bottom kayak tours, and guided hikes with the Hike Collective. You can see a full list of allRottnest Island tours and activities here but I do want to take a moment and highlight my favourite one of all: the free walking tours.
Without a doubt, the best value comes from the incredible, volunteer-led Rottnest Island tours. Their program focuses on history, culture, and ecology and is almost always free (occassionly, there may be a modest fee). Their tours were the highlight of our day trip to Rottnest Island. Most tours depart daily outside the Salt Store, located between the Dome Cafe and The Settlement mall. Depending on the schedule, you might be enjoying themes such as "Pioneers and Prisioners", "Guns and Tunnels of World War II" or "Meet the Quokkas".
You can learn more about the different programs and the remarkable volunteers who make things happen here.
Without a doubt, the best value comes from the incredible, volunteer-led Rottnest Island tours. Their program focuses on history, culture, and ecology and is almost always free (occassionly, there may be a modest fee). Their tours were the highlight of our day trip to Rottnest Island. Most tours depart daily outside the Salt Store, located between the Dome Cafe and The Settlement mall. Depending on the schedule, you might be enjoying themes such as "Pioneers and Prisioners", "Guns and Tunnels of World War II" or "Meet the Quokkas".
You can learn more about the different programs and the remarkable volunteers who make things happen here.
Rottnest Island beaches
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The list of Rottnest Island beaches includes over 60 beaches and 20 bays. One of the most popular, Thomson Bay, is located by the main settlement, and is family-friendly with a ropped-off swiming area. However, to avoid the crowds, pop into the visitor's center, tell them about your plans for the day, and see what they recommend that's a bit more off the beaten path.
If you're into beaches, you'll be keen to know that part of the free walking tour program includes the "Whitecaps and Wilderness" tour, which covers flora and fauna, geology, and marine reserves. It's offered most days at 9:45 AM and 12:00 PM at Parker Point (yep, these times coordinated with the hop on/hop off bus.) I really appreciated this tour, as it showcased just how diverse the local ecology is - beyond the quokkas!
If you're into beaches, you'll be keen to know that part of the free walking tour program includes the "Whitecaps and Wilderness" tour, which covers flora and fauna, geology, and marine reserves. It's offered most days at 9:45 AM and 12:00 PM at Parker Point (yep, these times coordinated with the hop on/hop off bus.) I really appreciated this tour, as it showcased just how diverse the local ecology is - beyond the quokkas!
Rottnest Island snorkeling
I feel a little pang of regret whenever I think about Rottnest Island snorkeling. We brought our masks but it was a cool, windy day and there was no readily available solution (in other words, I was looking for a big sign that said "snorkel here!", complete with spacious changing room.) I wasn't alone in my assessment, as we only saw a few people snorkle all day, but I still wish we had taken the plunge.
If you decide to check out the Rottnest Island snorkeling scene, some popular spots to visit are The Basin, Parakeet Bay, Parker Point, Little Salmon Bay, and Little Armstrong Bay. You can rent gear for about $20 at Pedal and Flipper (just behind Hotel Rottnest).
If you decide to check out the Rottnest Island snorkeling scene, some popular spots to visit are The Basin, Parakeet Bay, Parker Point, Little Salmon Bay, and Little Armstrong Bay. You can rent gear for about $20 at Pedal and Flipper (just behind Hotel Rottnest).
Restaurants in Rottnest Island
Restaurants? What restaurants? All quokkas need are some tasty leaves - no human food needed.
Alright, it's time for some grumpy talk. We did not have a great experience with the restaurants in Rottnest Island. That's polite, travel writer talk for "our meals were wildly overpriced and near-inedible and the service was the pits." Told you I was grumpy!
To be fair, Australia has a very high cost of living and not only is Rottnest geographically isolated, so is Perth, its main supply city. Add in the fact that you have a captive audience of day tripping tourists and it comes as no surprise that you don't exactly have value priced meals. So I'm trying to be philosophical about this.
If I had to relive my trip all over again, I'd want someone to tell me to pack my own snacks. I also wish I'd thought to grab breakfast (or a second round of coffee at the very least) in Fremantle, maybe atmy beloved fav, the Leake St. Cafeteria. And if I had a do-over, I'd be checking out the following places:
To be fair, Australia has a very high cost of living and not only is Rottnest geographically isolated, so is Perth, its main supply city. Add in the fact that you have a captive audience of day tripping tourists and it comes as no surprise that you don't exactly have value priced meals. So I'm trying to be philosophical about this.
If I had to relive my trip all over again, I'd want someone to tell me to pack my own snacks. I also wish I'd thought to grab breakfast (or a second round of coffee at the very least) in Fremantle, maybe atmy beloved fav, the Leake St. Cafeteria. And if I had a do-over, I'd be checking out the following places:
- The Rottnest Bakery: You can get deli sandwiches (including some vegetarian and vegan options), savoury hand pies, sausage rolls, and jam donuts from this popular bakery. They also offer roast chicken dinner plates from their new enterprise, the Chook Shack.
- Geordie's Café & Art Gallery: Located away from the main hub on Katemeraire Road, this artsy destination offers mains like fish and chips, Greek salad with octopus, or burger with fries for $22, while more elaborate dinner meals like surf and turf ring in at about $50.
A day trip to Rottnest Island is a day well spent.
We loved our time in Perth and a day trip to Rottnest Island was an absolute highlight of our visit to Australia. I'm betting that you'll feel exactly the same way when you go.
If you enjoyed this piece, you'll also like:
The Best Free and Frugal Things To Do In Perth
Our Top Secret Fremantle Coffee Spot
Beyond Bondi Beach: An Insider's Guide To Sydney
PS: While in Perth, we stayed at The Westin Perth. We loved the wonderful city views, the robust local wine list, and the spacious rooms that included a small table, which was perfect for late night dining on their special room service menu designed to promote good sleep. We also love that Vanessa chatted with members of Def Leppard in the elevator, having absolutely no idea who they were. You can book via our site's affiliate link here to get great rates and support the blog (at no extra cost to you!)
If you enjoyed this piece, you'll also like:
The Best Free and Frugal Things To Do In Perth
Our Top Secret Fremantle Coffee Spot
Beyond Bondi Beach: An Insider's Guide To Sydney
PS: While in Perth, we stayed at The Westin Perth. We loved the wonderful city views, the robust local wine list, and the spacious rooms that included a small table, which was perfect for late night dining on their special room service menu designed to promote good sleep. We also love that Vanessa chatted with members of Def Leppard in the elevator, having absolutely no idea who they were. You can book via our site's affiliate link here to get great rates and support the blog (at no extra cost to you!)
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