Wadjemup (Rottnest Island) day 1

July 11, 2024

Thursday 11 July - getting to Wadjemup

Our Ferry departed at 9.30am and we met Judy and Mike there as they were a short walk from the terminal. Everything has to be taken of the bikes and all bags and trailers are put with the other lugguage cages while the bikes are taken to the front of the ferry and loaded there. Alot of people took their own bikes over and also the ferry companies all have their own bikes that you can hire and this is very popular. Not sure how much to hire them but we had to pay $20 for each bike and another $20 for the 2 x trailers

the Ferry that brings you from Fremantle to Rottnest Island

All luggage is caged and then hoisted on to the boats

The bikes on Rottnest Island are loaded via a Chinamans ramp

And once on the island it doesn't take you long to see Quokkas! (warning this post has an overload of Quokka photos!)

A little Quokka resting against the building wall

This is how they sleep - they tuck their heads into their bellies

They are nocturnal but we also found out that they are opportunistic that is why we find so many out and about during the day where the public are hanging out - especially at the eating area! They generally ignore you and everyone knows not to touch them or feed them and have to admit we saw everyone stick to that but because of that the Quokkas have taken advantage of it and approach you and everyone is too scared to touch them for fear of getting bitten! Sometimes you do see the Quokka eating or licking an empty packet and you really want to go up to it and take it off them, as they get incredibly sick eating human food, but you are mindful that they can bite you.

They are not afraid to come up to you if you are in the eating/shopping area!

They happily go about their business and ignore people unless they are eating

This one is eating the bark of a twig - they are herbivores

So we did have a coffee and sausage roll/pie for lunch and just as we were finishing a little Quokka decided that he too wanted pastry! and jumped up next to Neil and decided that we were finished but the slow eater opposite Neil wasn't (that would be Mike) and he had a curry pie and Quokka sure wanted that curry pie!

They can climb up on the tables and are bold enough to do it if you are eating

the look on Judys face - she couldn't decide if the photo or her life was more important!

LOL Judy had the same look when Kouta came up to her!

You are probably thinking that we should pick it up off the table, that would be logical if it was a dog, but we are not allowed to touch them and we most definitely did not want to man handle them simply because we didn't know how they would react, the simplest thing is to let it run its course (as it is investigating and sniffing out food nothing else) and not to feed it and just move away!

There is other wildlife on the island -

there are some other wildlife on the island! Galah

and other stuff to see ...

our tent spot - view from Lighthouse no.2

the 3 amigos and a rainbow - yip it did rain later on that evening, it bucketed down!

LOL yip Neil got an $8 bottle of Cab Shiraz from De Bortoli

Judy and Mike returned on the 4.30pm ferry and so the island emptied except for the cabins were full of families since it is still school holidays and there are kids/adults everywhere riding bikes (or trying too!) - ironically bikes rule this island and although there are trucks and utes involved in the construction and upgrade of facilities they are limited to 40km around the island and 10km around the settlement. Which is great as they realise they can't go much faster anyway as they really have to becareful of the Quokkas. Plus kids on bikes just stop or go anywhere they like regardless of their surrounds. I said to Neil, it is like when we were kids - step away from the home, get on our bikes and take off riding anywhere and your parents aren't worried - it is like this here but when they all go back to the mainland it is like they continue with the same ole same ole - cars rule!

So we did wonder if we would get visitors to our tent and sure enought we did and they are sticky beaking at first and they are also sniffing out food. Now I thought our food would be safe closed up in our bags but this little bugger decides that he/she can't unzip so I am going to bite and rip it with my teeth!

"Get out of there ya mongrel!" 'who me!'

he had found my supply of snake lollies and dried fruit

So we had to put all the food in one bag and then leave it at the kitchen bench (not on the table as we know they can climb up the table via the seats) which is stainless steel. Also the camp kitchen is semi open and hase saloon type doors (swing doors) so the Quokkas can't come in. So we genuinely thought the food would be safe and we had our dinner and Neil enjoyed his cup of wine!

Nec minute there are Quokkas in the kitchen - they can open the doors with their noses!

Can you resist that smile - which is permanent as they always look like they are smiling!

a little curious with what I had at my face - until the flash went off!

So we shooed them out and then put chucks under the swing doors to stop them from coming in.

Just a note - outside the settlement you don't see any Quokkas but you do see their poo as they are nocturnal and so come out at night. The ones in the settlement are the opportunistic ones! The ones at the west end of the island do not know what is at the east end of the island (the settlement and pastries!). They did try to relocate some but they came straight back. In the wild they have about a 1km area that they call home!

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