OH! Magazine - Australian Version October 2015 | Page 31

To get us started we take a two and a half
hour bike tour run by Two Feet and a
Heartbeat. When we visit in March, it’s a
new addition to the island’s activity
portfolio, so we are the only ones on the
tour. Even for us east coasters that know
little about west coast history, the tour
commentary is a bit basic and we were
hoping for something more ‘localised’
and that we couldn’t read about in the
brochure.
Covering the main points of interest close
to Settlement, it’s a good introduction for
those who don’t want to do too much
riding or map reading. With a guide more
experienced in the ways of Rottnest i.e.,
someone who has a history of visiting the
island since youth, this could be a cracker
of a tour.
The island tourist map and markers are
superb; easy to follow and is all you need
to plan your day of riding and to get you
to historic military sites, gorgeous bays
and lighthouses with sensational views.
For those who prefer not to ride, the
Island Explorer bus services 98 per cent
of the island, and the Oliver Hill Railway
makes the trek up to the Oliver Hill Gun
placements.

Hikers have a choice of several walking
trails that all pass by points of interest.
An honourable mention goes to the
quokkas, the island’s cute little furry
mascots after which the island is named.
Dutch sailors passing by in the 17th
century mistook the quokkas for giant
rats, and so naming the island Rottnest,
meaning ‘rat nest’ in Dutch.
Quokkas are endemic to the island and
apart from zoos; you won’t find these
marsupials anywhere else in the wild.
These guys are friendly, too friendly when
it comes for their quest for food. Look but
don’t touch.
After 20km in the saddle, my normally
non-riding partner has had enough and
we meet later in the beer garden at Hotel
Rottnest. If you aren’t used to Western
Australian prices, take you ȁ