Rottnest Island lies 19 kilometres off the Perth coast, a 30-minute ferry ride from Fremantle or 45 minutes from Barrack Street Jetty in the city centre. It is a car-free island of beaches, bays, and coastal heathland, and it is famous above all for one thing: quokkas. These small, friendly marsupials are found almost exclusively on Rottnest and have no fear of humans, which makes close encounters — and the inevitable selfies — essentially unavoidable. They are, genuinely, one of the more delightful wildlife encounters you can have in Australia without planning a safari.
Beyond the quokkas, Rottnest has something like 63 beaches and bays, ranging from calm, protected swimming spots to exposed surf beaches. The main settlement at Thomson Bay has accommodation, restaurants, and bike hire — the only way to get around the island is on foot or by bicycle, which keeps it pleasant. The snorkelling around the reefs is excellent, with seals hauling out on the rocks at the western end of the island. Most visitors do Rottnest as a day trip from Perth, which is very manageable: take the early ferry, hire a bike, ride around the island, snorkel at The Basin, have lunch in Thomson Bay, and catch the afternoon ferry back. Book ferry tickets in advance in summer and school holidays.