Rottnest Island is just off the coast from Perth and Fremantle. It is an A Class Heritage site which is run by the Rottnest Island Authority. No private land ownership is allowed, and only about 150-200 people live on the island, although this number doubles during the summer. Only people who work on Rottnest are allowed to live there.
The island's name derives from a Dutch captain who mistook the quokka (that cute marsupial in the picture below) for a large rat, and so called it a rat's nest.
The island's name derives from a Dutch captain who mistook the quokka (that cute marsupial in the picture below) for a large rat, and so called it a rat's nest.
Quokka mum and baby
There are fabulous beaches with soft white sand all around the island. The colours of the vegetation and the seawater are quite stunning. 
