Rottnest Island Day Trip Guide: Everything You Need to Know (and What We Got Wrong!)
- Manta Ray Cove
- Apr 20
- 4 min read
Rottnest Island – The Things You Need to Know
We visited Rottnest Island at the end of our 7-day campervan road trip from Perth to Esperance.
Safe to say...we were tired.
And we did not prepare for Rottnest Island. Like, at all.
No plan. No bookings. No snacks. No real idea what we were doing.
And somehow…it still ended up being one of our favourite days of the whole trip.
So here’s everything you need to know (and what we got completely wrong), so your day runs a little more smoothly than ours did.
Getting to Rottnest Island
To get to Rottnest, you’ll need to book a ferry - either with Rottnest Express or SeaLink.
Definitely book this in advance. They do sell out, especially in peak season, and you don’t want to be reworking your entire itinerary over a ferry ticket.
We went with SeaLink and it was great. Easy, comfortable, and about a 30-minute journey from Fremantle. The captain even gave us “wildlife updates” over the speaker when humpback whales were spotted near the ferry, which was a very nice bonus!
You can leave from either Fremantle (which we did) or Perth City.
Since we still had the campervan, we parked at Wilson Parking nearby. It’s all outdoors (no height stress), only a couple of minutes’ walk from the ferry, and cost us $12 for the day - which we thought was really reasonable.
Getting Around Rottnest Island (where we fully winged it)
This is where things…didn’t exactly go to plan.
Most people explore the island either by e-bike or the hop-on-hop-off bus. You can hire both regular bikes or e-bikes, but just a heads up - it’s not flat. At all.
There are hills. Many hills.
Both the bus and e-bikes sell out quickly, so ideally you want to book at least a day in advance.
We, of course, had booked nothing.
By the time we arrived (which was quite early in the morning), all that was left were regular bikes, so we queued up and hoped for the best.
And honestly? It turned out to be one of the best decisions we didn’t mean to make.
Yes, it was hard work at times. Yes, there were moments where we questioned our life choices. But we got to explore the island at our own pace, stop wherever we wanted, and actually take it all in rather than rushing between bus stops.
Would an e-bike have been easier? 100%. But did we feel really proud of ourselves after a full day of cycling around the entire island? Also 100%.
We ended the day exhausted, slightly sunburnt, and very proud of ourselves…followed by a very necessary pizza at Hotel Rottnest overlooking the ocean.
If you go for the bus instead, it’s still a great option - just be aware that it can get busy, and you might need to wait for the next one if it fills up.
Also worth knowing: if you’re arriving later in the day (after around 1pm), bike hire is often discounted - so that’s a nice little bonus if you’re not doing a full day.
Food & Drink on the Island (our biggest mistake)
We really got this one wrong.
For some reason, we assumed there would be cafés and food spots all over the island.
Spoiler: there are not.
Most of the food options are around The Settlement (where the ferry arrives), and once you leave that area, things get very quiet, very quickly.
We didn’t bring snacks. We didn’t bring any water. We also didn’t eat properly before setting off.
By the time we reached the West End - which is basically the opposite side of the island -we were starving.
We ended up sharing a Powerade and a Byron Bay cookie from the small cafe (which, for the record, was offensively expensive) just to get us through the final stretch.
So yes - learn from us:
bring water
bring snacks
and eat something decent before you start exploring
Especially if you’re cycling. Those hills are no joke.
A Few Extra Things Worth Knowing
A couple of things we didn’t fully think about beforehand:
The sun is strong. Like, really strong. There isn't loads of shade once you’re out exploring, so sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat are not optional.
Quokkas are out and about, mostly near The Settlement and surrounding beaches.
They’re very cute, they will approach you, and yes - you will want a photo. Just don’t touch or feed them (as tempting as it is).
And finally, time goes quickly. We thought we had loads of it, and suddenly we were racing back to make the ferry. Give yourself more time than you think you need.
What We’d Do Differently Next Time
Even though the day turned out brilliantly, there are definitely a few things we’d change next time.
We’d book transport in advance, just to avoid the stress of figuring it out on arrival.
We’d bring snacks and a lot more water - this alone would have made the day about 10 times easier.
And we’d start earlier, so we weren’t watching the clock towards the end.
That said…we wouldn’t change the fact that things didn’t go perfectly.
Because realistically, that’s what made the day so memorable.
Final Thoughts
Rottnest Island is one of those places that feels a bit like another world - crystal clear water, quiet roads, and more quokkas than you know what to do with.
Even with zero planning, it ended up being one of our favourite days of the trip.
With a little bit of preparation?
It’ll probably be one of yours too.
This post contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you book or purchase through these links, at no extra cost to you. Read more here. – Privacy/Disclosure
Comments