Rottnest Island

Rottnest Island ({{coor dm|32|00|S|115|36|E|region:AU-WA_type:city(0)}}) is an island located 9 nautical miles off the coast of Western Australia, near Fremantle. The island is 11 kilometres long, 4.5 kilometres at its widest point and the land area measures 19 km². It is a popular weekend holiday location for both locals and visitors. Approximately 500,000 people visit Rottnest Island every year. The Western Australian vernacular diminutive for "Rottnest Island" is "Rotto".

Features

A well-maintained wildlife preserve, Rottnest is popular with divers (the island and its surrounding reefs are littered with ship wrecks), surfers (there are several notable reef breaks at the west end of the island at Strickland Bay, Salmon Bay and Stark Bay), and recreational fishers. A snorkel trail at Parker Point features underwater interpretative plaques that give information about the very unusual marine environments surrounding Rottnest. The Island is the southernmost point along the Western Australian coastline at which coral grows. Rottnest is one of the few areas in the world where the quokka can be found. This is largely due to the exclusion of feral cats and other animals such as foxes from the island.

Related Topics:
Reefs - Ship wrecks - Quokka - Feral cats

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The island features historic buildings, and pleasant beaches (all reachable via the many cycling tracks that are the island's main mode of transport). The main settlement is located at Thomson Bay, facing east towards Fremantle. Other settlements are located at Geordie Bay and Longreach.

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Rottnest Island has very few permanent residents, who are all island workers and their families, a considerable number of workers on the island now commute from the mainland.

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A small airport for light aircraft is located near the main settlement. The main form of transport for the bulk of visitors to the island is a range of ferries that travel from Fremantle and Perth.

Related Topics:
Airport - Aircraft

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The Rottnest Lodge is a hotel located in the centre of the settlement at Thomson Bay, and the popular and recently refurbished Quokka Arms now offers a beer garden, restaurant and ocean views.

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