Wadjemup / Rottnest Island

Neighbourhood map

Western Australia’s favourite holiday destination and one of the most invigorating island experiences in the world. Think bright blue swimming holes, spectacular hiking trails, and the happiest animal on Earth all just a 25-minute ferry from Fremantle Port. THIS IS WADJEMUP / ROTTNEST ISLAND.

Visit Wadjemup / Rottnest Island for:

  • Thomson Bay Settlement
  • The Basin and Pinky’s Beach
  • Wadjemup Bidi trails
  • Quokkas and wildlife sightings

Getting here:

  • 25-minute ferry from B-Shed Terminal, Fremantle
  • The B-Shed Terminal is a 5-minute walk from Fremantle Bus & Train Station
  • All day parking is available at Victoria Quay and Northport terminals
     

"The island is a place of deep cultural connection for the Traditional Custodians of the land, the Whadjuk Nyoongar people. The Noongar name for the island is Wadjemup, meaning “the place across the water where the spirits are.”

ACCOMMODATION

Discovery Rottnest Island

Rottnest Island Authority

Samphire Rottnest

Karma Rottnest

Since the first ferry carried visitors to the island in 1902, Wadjemup / Rottnest Island has been the holiday and recreation destination for West Australians, only closing to the public in wartime in 1914 and 1940-45.
The surfing boom of the 1950s brought even more visitors to the island, where its long, rolling barrels turned it into a surfing hot spot.

But it wasn’t always a holiday destination. Once connected to the mainland some 6,500 years ago, it was used by the Whadjuk Nyoongar people for important ceremonies and meetings and known as Wadjemup.

Following European settlement in the early 1800s, Aboriginal prisoners were taken to Wadjemup from Fremantle’s Bathers Bay, where it served as a prison for a recorded 3,700 male Aboriginals from Western Australia, many of whom were warriors and leaders who had borne the brunt of the frontier conflict. 369 prisoners died on the island between 1831 and 1931. The burial ground located near the Thomson Bay settlement is one of the reasons the island holds such significance to Aboriginal communities today. 

In 1917 the island was declared a Class A Reserve for public recreation and by 1931 the last prisoner had been escorted back to the mainland. Visit Wadjemup Museum in the settlement to uncover more about the island’s history.

Today, the island is renowned for its natural beauty, 63 pristine beaches, 20 beautiful bays, and wildlife encounters that wouldn’t look out of place in a David Attenborough doco. Visitors spend lazy days snorkelling, surfing or stand-up paddle boarding, taking in breathtaking vistas on the cycling and walking trails, and getting acquainted with long-nosed fur seals, migratory birds, humpback whales, and the island’s most famous resident—the smiling quokka.

The island is almost entirely car-free and the most popular way to explore is by bike. BYO or visit Peddle & Flipper on arrival or jump on one of the Island’s Hop-On-Hop-Off buses for a tour. Be sure to grab a map from the Rottnest Island Visitor Centre in Thomson Bay for a full rundown on the island’s attractions, tours, bus services, bike hire, and mooring rentals.