Rottnest Island, Western Australia

Rottnest Island is Western Australia’s (WA) premier island getaway, located just off the coast of Perth. As a ‘Class A’ reserve, managed by the Rottnest Island Authority, the island boasts unique animal and plant life, as well as some of the most spectacular beaches you will ever see. Take a day trip from Perth, or choose from a range of Rottnest Island accommodation and enjoy a longer stay at one of Western Australia’s (WA) most amazing holiday destinations.

Island Description

Rottnest Island, a low-lying island is a nature reserve (no cars permitted) which attracts many visitors and holidaymakers. It is 11km long from east to west and up to 5km across. It has a varied coastline with numerous inlets and bathing beaches and many inland lakes.

The Dutch navigator Willem de Vlamingh landed on the island in 1696 and pronounced it an earthly paradise. Taking the little rock wallabies or quokkas for rats, he named the island Rottnest (‘rats’ nest’). From 1838 to 1903 it was used as a place of banishment for rebellious Aborigines.

The Quad, an octagonal limestone building with a large inner courtyard, was built in 1864 as a prison. The cells, after renovation, are now holiday apartments. The nearby Rottnest Hotel, also built in 1864, was originally the summer residence of the governor of Western Australia; the hotel is popularly known as the Quokka Arms.

The Rottnest Museum, housed in a barn and threshing mill of 1857, has collections of historical material and relics of shipwrecks.

Most of the little limestone houses round the harbor at the east end of the island were built by convict labor. They are among the oldest buildings in Western Australia.

The island has good surfaced roads and walking trails and a range of sports facilities (tennis, golf, bowling, bicycle and boat hire). Safe swimming and fishing in the shelter of the offshore reefs.

Hobbies & Activities category: Beach; Fishing opportunity; Swimming & water activities; Hiking opportunity; Historical museum; Hotel of note; Natural area; Nautical museum or attraction; Region with significant interests Great Barrier Reef Resort -Luxury rainforest resort, Australia Perfect beach Lodgings in Cairns AU

Just offshore from Perth, Rottnest Island is where the locals go to swim at white-sand beaches, snorkel in turquoise water over coral gardens and shipwrecks, or kick back and go fishing.

Rotto, as it’s called locally, is a car-free zone, which adds to its relaxed feel. And with 63 sheltered beaches to choose from, the island is refreshingly uncrowded.

Hiring a bike is the best way to get around and find those secluded beaches and secret surf spots on the other side of the island.

There’s also a free hop-on-hop-off bus service, as well as guided tours exploring the early colonial buildings, lighthouse and the island’s crucial role in World War I and II.

Why not take a journey back in time with the Wadjemup Aboriginal Bus Tour? Discover the island’s fascinating history as a place of great spiritual significance and hear the stories of Aboriginal prisoners once held at the penal colony.

Attractions include guided walking tours, scenic flights, a family fun park, the Rottnest Museum, as well as tennis, lawn bowls and golf.

Have a go at kayaking, diving, surfing, boogie boarding or fishing.

You can get up close and personal with the island’s indigenous flora and fauna, enjoy a bit of quokka spotting or just kick back and soak up the scenery.

There’s something to suit everyone’s budget, from beachfront villas to tent sites.

Rottnest has a la carte restaurants, a hotel, a general store, take-away outlets and a cafe.

Or just grab a snack from Rotto’s famous bakery and head to the beach.

End your stay watching the sunset over a glass of red at the Quokka Arms pub, boasting one of the best beach-side views in the world.

Rottnest is an easy day trip from Perth and Fremantle or a relaxing holiday spot.

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Bali

The island of Bali is part of the Republic of Indonesia and is located 8 to 9 degrees south of the equator between Java in the West and Lombok and the rest of the Lesser Sunda Islands (Sumbawa, Flores, Sumba and Timor) in the East. Flying time to Jakarta is about 1.5 hours, to Singapore and Perth (Australia) 2.5 and 3 hours, to Hong Kong about 4.5 hours, and to Sydney/Melbourne about 5.5 to 6 hours.
The island of Bali has an area of only 5,632 square kilometers (2,175 square miles) and measures just 55 miles (90 kilometers) along the north-south axis and less than about 90 miles (140 kilometers) from East to West. Because of this it’s no problem to explore the island on day tours. You can go wherever you want on the island and return to your hotel or villa in the evening.
Located only two kilometers east of Jawa, Bali’s climate, flora and fauna are quite similar to its much larger neighbour. The island is famous for its beautiful landscape. A chain of six volcanoes, between 1,350 meters and 3,014 meters high, stretches from west to east. There are lush tropical forests, pristine crater lakes, fast flowing rivers and deep ravines, picturesque rice terraces, and fertile vegetable and fruit gardens. The beaches in the South consist of white sand, beaches in other parts of the island are covered with gray or black volcanic sand.

There is the combination of the friendly people, the natural attractions, the great variety of things to see and do, the year-round pleasant climate, and the absence of security problems. And then there is Bali’s special “magic”, which is difficult to explain.
As soon as you step off the plane you might sense the difference. In the villages you’ll notice the quietness and wisdom in old people’s faces, and the interest and respect in the young’s. Old men sit at the road side caressing their fighting cocks. Beautifully dressed women walk proudly through rice fields and forests carrying offerings on their heads to the next temple. There is the smell of flowers, and in the distance you hear the sound of gamelan music.
Gods and spirits have been an important part of Bali’s daily life for hundreds of years. Gunung Agung – Bali’s holy mountain – is internationally regarded as one of the eight “Chakra” points of the world. This may be more than an coincident. Watch out, the moment you feel the magic of this island, you’re addicted for the rest of your life.

Bali, the island christened by Nehru as the ‘Dawn of the world’ never ceases to facinate the visitor. Her breathtaking beauty, her friendly people and her strictly guarded traditions provide the traveller a sense of adventure and a genuine cultural experience.
Island of the Gods. The beautiful island of Bali is one of the world’s favorite holiday destinations. Here you can climb a volcano, walk through beautiful terraced rice fields and jungles, swim and surf some of the worlds most famous beaches, visit magnificent temples and traditional villages and meet some of the world’s most culturally rich and fascinating people.
Over the past decade or two, tourist numbers in Bali have soared towards one million visitors per year. The majority of tourists take advantage of package holiday deals that include all fares and hotel accommodation, generally in the resort areas of the south; Kuta Beach, Sanur or Nusa Dua.
But Bali has more to offer than hotel pools and tropical cocktails sipped in the shade of coconut palms and the occasional trek into the village streets to purchase souvenirs or fake watches.
To see the Bali of lush green tropical jungles and spectacular rice terraces perched on the sides of towering mountains, ancient temples and the events of everyday life amongst the local population, the traveller has to put aside the protection of the hotel walls and venture outside of the tourist area that is defined by Kuta, Sanur and Nusa Dua.

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