After arriving at Perth airport, caught a taxi to pick up 4WD…and got an hour’s orientation to vehicle and tent enclosure. A lot to take in.
Off to Fremantle for the first night’s sleep ‘on board’. En route, visited Hillary’s Harbour and Marmion Beach, just as the glorious sunny weather was about to change to ’stormy’.
The first night’s camping at Fremantle Village Caravan Park was character building – had real difficulty lowering and anchoring tent, and then closing the following morning! Lots of help from obliging campers to be able to go on my way.
My first day was on Rottnest Island, getting there by express ferry. Fun facts:
- history extends as far back as 50,000 years ago, when it was still connected to the mainland of Western Australia; Aboriginal artifacts suggest there was significant human occupation until ~7,000 years ago when the rising sea levels resulted in the separation of the island.
- Without boats, Aboriginal people on the mainland weren’t able to make the crossing, leaving the island uninhabited for the next several thousand years. Rottnest Island features in Noongar Aboriginal mythology as Wadjemup, meaning “place across the water where the spirits are”.
- The island remained uninhabited until Dutch sailors landed in 1658. This marked the beginning of the European exploration and settlement on the island. In 1696, Dutch captain Willem de Vlamingh spent 6 days exploring the island before giving it the name ‘t Eylandt ‘t Rottenest (“Rats’ Nest Island”) after the quokkas which he mistook for giant rats.
- A couple hundred years later, William Clarke and Robert Thomson received land grants from the British Swan River Colony for pasture land and town lots to be built on the island. In 1831 Thomson moved his family to the island and began building up the island’s main settlement at Thompson Bay. Pasture land for hay production was developed west of Herschel Lake, while several salt lakes were harvested and the salt was exported to the mainland.
- Throughout the majority of the European exploration and settlement, Rottnest Island communicated with the mainland of Western Australia through semaphore flags and flares. Up until the 1880s, a manned lookout at Bathurst Point included a signalling station, which conveyed shipping information between the island’s Wadjemup Lighthouse and Arthur Head on the mainland. Wadjemup Lighthouse has undergone many upgrades throughout its history, continuing to be in operation today by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.
- Rottnest Island still goes by many names – known as Wadjemup to the local Noongar people, and colloquially known as Rotto.
- Today, it is a popular holiday destination, with 500,000 annual visitors.
I jumped on the bus shuttle and spent a delightful 6 hours exploring the island. My favourite spots – Little Salmon Bay (swimming and snorkelling in clear shallow water);
Cape Vlamingh (the most westerly point and exposed area of the island, with rolling breakers);
the Pink Lake area (there are 12, and I saw the 2 Pearse Lakes). Plants like beaded samphire, coastal bone fruit, grey saltbush and coastal pig face are close to the lakes edge.
Grabbed a coffee and a late lunch from the Rotto bakery and discovered a cheeky quokka looking for an opportunity to sneak in for a bite, as well!
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