Rottnest Island

As opposed to a..?


Stupid animals.

Adam and I start the day by driving to Fremantle. People mistake me for and American driver when I drive on the right side of the road but all I am is a poor driver. On the 0930 ferry, I meet a retired doctor from UK who also has glowing reviews of Sheffield. Yay. We get to Rottnest Island at 1000 and embark on our own quokka spotting walk. It is not difficult to find them even though they are small. Their favourite places are public taps (where they drink the water thats spilt on the floor) or under trees (where it's shadier). A while later I'm hungry so we set off looking for quokka burgers but find none.


We then take a glass-bottomed boat out for a spot of snorkelling. There are shipwrecks centuries old and underwater arches for testing your courage and diving skills. Back on land, we hire push bikes (read: mountain bike) to cycle to Wadjemup Lighthouse, the tallest point on the island. En route, my Tour de France performance causes the tyres to blow so we're sitting at the side of the road on the causeway between two salt lakes, under the whoosh-whoosh of the huge wind turbine. A little picnic is in order and we enjoy ourselves a bit.

Causeway, salt lake, wind turbine

The recovery team comes for us and gives me a new bike but as soon as this is done, the lighthousekeeper is coming along in his mini-bus. We'll never make it in time if we cycle there so he loads our bikes on the bus and drives us to his lighthouse. Turns out, we're the only two visiting the lighthouse at this slot so we get a private and personalised tour. The lighthousekeeper is kind and warm. He even points out some birds so we can watch with his binoculars. After everything's done, he even sends us all the way to the bike rental shop. Talk about service!

It's checking us out too..


We first meet on The Ghan and now on MV Eagle Express.

On the ferry back, we're minding our own business in the open deck when I see Pat. Earlier, I thought I saw him but convinced myself it wasnt. Now this guy is standing in front of me as we embrace and marvel at meeting all the way out here in Rottnest Island. We catch up a bit and exchange numbers. Most of all, I'm amazed with all the serendipity I have with all my fellow train passengers who I later meet all over Australia. Trains are the only way to go!