Perth, Australia 2.0 - Rottnest Island

So the other day I just finished blogging about my Perth, Australia 1.0 trip, so with this post, the journey continues! :) Second day of the trip, we went to Rottnest Island. It is a 30-minute ferry ride from the Fremantle Harbour to the island itself, while from Esplanade, Perth City, its a 1 hour ferry ride.

Important things that you should/must bring to Rottnest Island for a one day trip:

1. Sunblock SPF 50 (VERY IMPORTANT)
2. Water bottle (with water LOL)
3. Isotonic drink (optional but may help)
4. Swim wear
5. Spare clothings
6. Thongs and/or sneakers (whichever you are comfortable with to cycle in)
7. Sunglasses
8. Little bottles of soap and shampoo (if you want to wash up later on)
9. Towel[s] (one for at the beach and the other for shower)
10. Camera 
11. Phone (I know its a trip & an adventure but its just for emergency)
12. Watch (To keep track of time, wouldn't want to lose track of time in the hills now!)
13. Power bar or snack (for when you are cycling around the hills, it's a long road you might get hungry)

Before leaving for Rottnest, we went for breakfast in a cafe called Tasty Express Cafe, B Shed ferry terminal for breakfast to fuel up for the long journey ahead!

Good Morning!

The food there was great! Never expect it for it to be so awesome! I enjoyed their cappuccino the most, it was very fragrant and smooth and the froth was thick and fluffy. Breakfast was really gooooddd, it made my day!!

The ferry ride was.... kinda horrible. Well for me and Kuok Sing at least. It was okay at first and then it turned bad because we felt sea sick. the waves were very rough especially the ferry trip back to Freo Market. But we managed to control it in. 

Our dying faces *uuugggggghhhh*

It was summer, so it was really hot, hot, hot! But the wind was strong, strong, strong (and cold)! We were greeted by the clear blue skies and cotton candy clouds with lots of seagulls around!

Yes, it was VERY bright! Look how small Ivy's eyes has become! XD

How can we NOT take a picture right? 

Don't worry about getting lost as they have a Rottnest Island Visitor Centre to assist lost souls. You are able to ask questions regarding accommodation, food, island tours bike and snorkelling gears rentals etc..

Posers in front of the Visitor Centre.

Rottnest Island Bike & Hire

This is where you are able to rent bicycles and snorkelling gears. Don't worry as there are bicycles for different sizes of people from kids to adults and for those who prefer to ride as a couple. They are very friendly people so do not hesitate to ask for help for change of bicycles if you are not comfortable with the bicycle that they have given you. :)

Please do pick up a map of the Island as well. It is very important! Don't be gung ho, the island may not seem that big in the map but when you start cycling, you will get lost one way or another. But not to worry if you still get lost, with the map and a couple of friends, you should be able to find your way back on track. Plus, you won't be the only cyclist around.

Travel light! Our bikes and our bag packs which contains only the necessities that we need on our bicycle journey.

 The sign says: CAUTION. No drinking water outside settlement. Cyclist keep left. Do not feed Quokkas. Beware of venomous snakes.

 We did not come across any venomous snakes but just beware. :) Also, if you are wondering what is a Quokka...

Yes, very cute and pretty harmless (I guess). Just be sure not to feed them!

Rottnest is all about enjoying the breathtaking view and also the adventure! So I shall let the pictures do the talking! :)

 The girls.

 The boys

US!

 

The road that we cycled on

The view from on top of one of the hills.

Some of the hills are quite high so if your stamina is not good, you will definitely get tired and your legs will be sore. That's why water is important! We cycled for quite a while before we managed to reach Parker's Point which is one of the snorkelling spots on the island. Make sure to protect your skin with sun block, else you will get sunburn like me! Haha. I live by the sea in Port Dickson, and the sea here is beyond words to describe as compared to PD's.

I have never in my whole life seen such a beautiful beach as this!

When you are at the beach, you should do the cliché thing of all. Jumping poses! XD

Then after our dip in the sea, we decided to head back to the "mainland" (LOL) because it started to drizzle heavily and the clouds were turning grey. The feeling of raindrops on the skin was so refreshing! I loved it even more as I was cycling! We stopped by this unusual spot where the lake is pink! We were very curious as to what it was as the land surrounding it seemed like salt. True enough after our trip, I googled it and it is one of the Salt Lakes on the island which occupy ten percent of the area of Rottnst Island. This one is called the Pink Lake. Through the pictures it doesn't look pinkish at all cause it was too bright!

The Pink Lake

Salt blocks

After the discovery of the lake we continued with our journey.

Shoo sweeeettt! ^^

Upon reaching the "town" of Rottnest, we returned our bicycles and snorkelling gears. Then we head to the bathroom to wash up and then it was lunch time!! There are a few eateries on the island i.e. bakery, restaurant, dessert store etc. We decided on Riva Restaurant which the food, we loved too!

After lunch, there was time to spare before our ferry arrives. so we took a stroll around the "town" of Rottnest. They have a grocery store there too! So don't be afraid if you think that you will starve on the island. It was very hot so Kuok Sing and I bought Magnum ice cream which its flavours, you don't see in Malaysia. Not that it wasn't good! But i still prefer the original. :D

There was still time to spare! We were pretty drained so we decided to just chill not far from the jetty, on the grass. I would never lie on the grass in Malaysia! Just be mindful of the bird poop landing around the lawn. XD

We don't know why, but somehow the wind was really really REALLY chilly!!! No one expected summer to be cold right so we were all unprepared for it. Jackie said that the wind is the type of wind that you will get in winter.

Cuddle up!

The boys getting some warmth from the sun.

Rottnest Island was a trip worth making. We only went there for a one day trip but I am pretty sure if you were to stay there a few days, you would be able to see more and visit more spots on the island. If you ask me, I would return to Rottnest Island again for the activities, the food and the atmosphere. We were so happy that we managed to pull through cycling up and down the hills (especially kudos to Ivy who did not know how to cycle at all, managed to cycle through until the end of the day) and returned back in time for lunch! :D In Rottnest, you experience adventure, you feel relaxed and you have fun too. Just make sure that your loved ones are okay with you going snorkelling. My mom and sister freaked out when I told them I entered the sea water of Rottnest. They were talking about the dangers of the sea in Australia. Oppsie?

The journey continues in Perth, Australia 3.0! :)

P/S: Pictures here are a combination from my friend Jackie, the boyfriend - Kuok Sing and my camera. Thanks guys! :)