What's a Quokka?

One sunny day, we took a ferry from Fremantle (which is south of Perth) over to Rottnest Island. To many locals, this island evokes fond memories of their childhood when they spent many summers on the island in a rented cottage.

The Rottnest Express took us over to the island

Once on the island we rented bicycles. The brochure describes it this way:  "Cycling is the best way to enjoy the beauty of the island." Helmets were mandatory.  Off we went following the trails and map to find a designated snorkelling area for Al to explore but somewhere along the way we took a wrong turn and we ended up "somewhere" and it wasn't "over the rainbow".  The trails were mainly sandy and difficult to pedal through. Maybe our mistake was following an old abandoned rail track which took you by several gun batteries from WWII that had been established because of fears of a Japanese invasion. They were interesting to see but it did not get us to our goal. So there we were... lost and no help to be seen. The directional signs were few and far apart. The sun was beating down on us and we were quickly using up our water supply. After going up and down several large hills, along sandy and rocky trails we finally came across a paved road. Following it we reached the well-known beach called The Basin. It was not what we were looking for but it was nice.

We rented bicycles to travel around the island.
We were looking for the area of beach where Al could snorkel and see the underwater sights.

There were lovely beaches but not the right one.
The waves were rough on many of them and not suitable for snorkelling or swim.

The sun was shining and hot. Where we were cycling it was like the Outback (the largest Australian desert).
We saw no one on our travels. If we needed assistance I wonder if we would have got it.... in time. 

Here Al is resting while we decide which way to go. Many of the trails were just sand.
Not easy going on a bike.

A rock outcrop on one of the beaches. The waves were high here.

The Basin beach. A popular spot for swimming

The Basin Beach was quite nice and on that day it was not too crowded. We both got into the water to cool off. Al explored the area with his snorkelling gear but said that there was not much to see.

 

 Here we are at the Basin Beach, white skin and all.

The sun is a real problem in Australia which means that the risk of sunburn is great. We have been very careful to slather on the sun screen. The number of deaths due to melanoma has risen over the past few years and even the young are affected. Australia has a large campaign to remind people to protect themselves and even supply free sun screen in certain areas, available just like hand sanitizer is in Canada.

So, what is a Quokka?

A Quokka behind some of the cottages on the island. They know to keep in the shade

The quokka is a small marsupial, about the size of a domestic cat.  It normally eats plants and is nocturnal, but many of them on Rottnest Island have become accustomed to humans and are active during the day.  It has a stocky build, rounded ears, and a short, broad head. Although looking rather like a very small kangaroo, it can climb small trees and shrubs. Its coarse fur is a grizzled brown colour, fading to buff underneath.  Early Dutch explorers mistook them for giant rats and named the island Rotte nest (rat nest).

On the mainland, their numbers were decimated by foxes and feral cats, but no such predators exist on Rottnest Island, so they can flourish there.

A Quokka eating a treat from a tourist along "The Lane" which is a short shopping and cafe area.
If you don't bother them, they won't bother you.

The trip to Rottnest was an adventure. We would highly recommend a visit. Rent a bike to travel around the island, at least you will have a breeze while riding. Follow the map and don't get lost. Luckily the island is not that big so sooner or later you would find your way back to civilization.