We came to Perth in January, 2012. And from then, for the next month and a half, whichever market we went to, whichever hotel we checked into, whichever websites we surfed, they were all full of information and praises on why Rottnest Island is a must-see for tourists. We were not quite sure because we had read about several kilometers of shallow coral reefs as the highlight of the place. The obvious conclusion was that the place is meant for snorkelers/divers. We kept wondering if the place is really worth a visit for people like us, who do not know snorkeling and cannot walk/cycle for 28 kilometers in an up-hill/down-hill terrain. We were not quite sure if we wanted to go.
So after taking feedback from fellow Indians staying in Perth (most of them advised us to have modest expectations), we decided to go. We took a ferry (Rottnest Express : http://www.rottnestexpress.com.au/) from the Barrack Street jetty stop. There are both air-conditioned enclosures and open-air seating spaces on the ferry. To enjoy the breeze and the lovely, clear waters, we opted to sit in the open.
While the ferry was sailing through the Swan River, thanks to the live commentary on board, we could spot places like the Kings Park and botanical gardens, the freeway, the most expensive house in Australia, etc. The ferry stopped at Fremantle to on-board more passengers, and many more bicycles. Once it resumed its journey from there, it picked up great speed and very soon, the river merged into the vast Indian Ocean. As a kid, while reading Geography books, I used to wonder how the place where a river meets the ocean looks like 
Finally, I had my question answered after so many years!
We finally reached Rottnest around 11 in the morning. After a brief inquiry at the information center, we bought tickets for a “Hop-on, Hop-off” bus that runs every one hour. So, we hopped-on. First, we hopped-off at the Roland-Smith memorial. We had about an hour to spend there before the next bus, ample time to feel the clear sea waters, notice the patches of green in blue sea waters (due to shallow reefs), and have the joy of seeing crabs and turtles swim around us!
One thing each tourist on Rottnest Island must do is to carry a lot of water and some snacks. There is absolutely no way you can find these once you have left for the more remote beaches.
After spending an hour with the crabs and the turtles, we hopped on to the bus and then did not hop-off until we came back to where we started from. We were not sure if we had enough time to cover the entire island on a bicycle, so by taking the bus, we got a fair idea of what could be the best beaches/places for us to visit. After a quick snack in the food court, we rushed to hire bicycles. Some people had brought their personal bicycles, too. We headed north, towards Porpoise Bay, Parker Point and Little Salmon Bay. On the way, we saw mesmerizing scenes, of dense forests; of clean, white sand; of the quokkas (which a Dutch sailor thought looked like rats or rodents, hence the island was named ‘Rattnest’ or ‘Rottnest’) and peacocks; of nature and its beauty! Every time the bicycle accelerated downhill, we could not help but think how blessed we were to be able to breathe such fresh air and be a witness to the existence of such a pristine place on earth!
We drove about five and half kilometers to the Little Salmon Bay.
It is a beautiful beach with wide but shallow reefs, where many people were snorkeling and swimming. There are big rocks near the shore. The water hits the rocks with great force, but it gushes out of the gaps in these rocks even more forcefully. The sound that it creates is just magical!
It was time for us to head back, to reach in time for our ferry. We reached with about an hour left before the ferry was to leave. After returning the bicycles, we had enough time to buy some souvenirs. Our ferry dropped us at Fremantle, from where we took a train to the Perth station.
We had not cycled so much in our lives! The legs kept paining for a couple of days after the trip. But we managed to accumulate priceless memories. Rottnest Island – a must visit place for everyone who comes to Perth.
