Crocker Aussie Travellers 2017: Rottnest Island

Our day tour on Rottnest Island would have to be one of the best days so far.

First a little history of the Island. Along with several other islands, Rottnest was separated from the mainland around 7,000 years ago, when sea levels rose. Human artefacts have been found on the island dating back at least 30,000 years, and the island is called Wadjemup by the people. Dutch sailors landed there on several occasions during the 17th century, by which time it was uninhabited. The island was named by Willem de Vlamingh in 1696, who called it Rotte nest ("rat's nest") after the quokka population which he assumed were rats. Since the establishment of the Swan River Colony by British settlers in 1829, the island has variously hosted a penal colony, military installations, and internment camps for enemy aliens. Many of the islands buildings date from the colonial period, often made from locally quarried limestone, and are now used as accommodation for holidays. It was an Aboriginal prison from 1838-1902 and nearly 3,500 Aboriginals were incarcerated there over this period. The ferry trip over and back was quite spectacular as the seas were quite heavy. The large catamaran was very fast and a bit scary at times. We travelled around all day either by bus or by walking. Some really beautiful wild scenery