Sandy, sunburnt, sore. This is how we returned from our day trip out. But even though we are waddling round like penguins, applying ample amounts of aloe vera and washing our hair multiple times trying to remove the last of the sand, there's not a doubt in any of our minds that we would go through it all again to spend another day on that little paradise-like island.
One of my favourite things about living in hostels is that the people we meet become like family. Though there is much that sets us apart as individuals, there is so much we have in common and so much we can share. So when one person shouts up that they want to go to Rottnest Island for the day, of course many more people join in. Rottnest Island is a tiny island off the coast of Perth, and if you ask anyone in the city, or look on google, it is the No.1 thing to do around the WA capital. A half hour ferry ride from Fremantle brought us to the jetty of Rottnest and immediately we were speechless by it's beauty.
The best way to explore this little paradise is to hire bikes, they're a little pricey but worth it. We were very blessed with perfect weather, clear blue skies and about 25 degrees, hot enough but not so hot we were sweating as we cycled round.
Our first stop took us to the very picturesque lighthouse and its wondrous views.
From here we biked round the perimeter of the island stopping frequently to snap some pictures and to give our increasingly aching bums a rest. By lunch time, the white-sand beaches and turquoise-blue sea were too inviting for us to ride past any longer. So we locked up our bikes, donned our swim suits, attempted to lay our towels on the sand (not easy with the wind) and splashed into the sea, admittedly a little chillier than we were expecting, but with the sun shining down on us it didn't put us off, though the sight of a jelly-fish sort of did.
And Jelly fish were't the only creatures that crossed our paths, Australia does not disappoint. After waiting 7 months to see one in the wild, twice in one day did we almost cycle over a snake! We were all excited to finally see one but we cycled on rather quickly. But the thing we were most excited by and what we had to stop every time we saw one, were the quokkas. The first time I heard about quokkas was a few years ago when an article popped up on Facebook called "the happiest animal in the world". When I saw their adorable, smiling, little, furry faces I knew that one day I would have to see one for myself.
They are the native animal of Rottnest Island and it's one of the only places in the world you can find these little, sweet rodents. They're fairly tame due to constant tourist attention, that being said, you mustn't touch them, feed them or wake them when they're sleeping!
As the sun started to go down and we started to get a bit cold, it was time to board the ferry back to the mainland. Then it was a fight as to who would get the first shower to wash off all the sand and to sooth our aching muscles, this, undoubtedly, is not one of my favourite parts of living in a hostel!
Comments