| Tourism > Australia > Western Australia > Rottnest Island Rottnest Island Tourism About the Rottnest Island RegionDue to its proximity to Fremantle and Perth, Rottnest Island, 19 km off the coast of Western Australia, is one of the most State’s most popular tourist destinations. The island is 11 km long, and 4.5 km at its widest point with a total land area of 19 km sq.
The island was once joined to the mainland and was inhabited by Aboriginal people for much of its history. Settlement, however, decreased after a rise in ocean levels isolated the area, and by the time European explorers arrived in the 17th century, Rottnest Island had apparently been uninhabited for millennia.
It was one of these early explorers who gave the island its name. The Dutch captain, Willem de Vlamingh, mistaking some native animals he spotted for oversized rodents, considered likening the island to a rat’s nest appropriate. In fact, the creatures were quokkas, small and naturally friendly marsupials related to wallabies. The species has become rare on the mainland, due to their vulnerability to introduced predators such as foxes, dogs and cats, and Rottnest is one of the few safe havens for them.
Though at various times, Rottnest was used as an Aboriginal prison (most of the period between 1838 and 1931) and an internment camp (during both World Wars), from the 1950s, it has been used primarily for recreation. Currently, around half a million visitors travel to the island each year, though more than two-thirds of these are day-trippers, Rottnest being a favourite beach destination for residents of Perth, Fremantle and surrounding towns. The majority of visitors arrive on ferries from Fremantle, Perth or Hillarys, though a small airport for light aircraft is located near Thomson Bay, the island’s main settlement.
Despite Rottnest’s popularity, it remains a peaceful resort, the more so since cars are not permitted on the island. Bicycling paths give access to the historic buildings and more than sixty very beautiful beaches, offering surfing, snorkeling, kayaking, fishing and swimming.
List of Towns in the Rottnest Island RegionClick on any town name in the following list to display historical, geographical and tourism related information for the town selected. ROTTNEST ISLAND Last Minute Accommodation in the Rottnest Island RegionSearch for last minute accommodation in Rottnest Island.
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