Would you go out of your way to visit an island named for universally hated rodents with long tails, seemingly razor-sharp teeth and beady, glow-in-the-dark eyes?
You should.
It’as a beautiful place. And, thankfully, it’s misnamed. The Dutch named the island ‘t Eylandt ‘t Rottenest (“Rats’ Nest Island“) in the late 1600s under the mistaken belief that the native marsupial was actually a large rat. Quokkas are actually quite friendly and are part of what makes Rottness Island – referred to as Rotto by the locals – such a unique place.
The car-free island is just off the coast of Western Australia – literally on the other side of the planet from my home city of Dallas – and is a must-see for anyone traveling to Perth. It is a short 30-minute ferry ride from Freemantle, and is surrounded by most beautiful, swimmable, turquoise water at its sixty-three beaches.
I write this during the pandemic of 2020 that has effectively halted international travel. I have mixed feeling about being grounded. The ability to experience, and photograph, unique places like Perth and reinforces for me just how much people all over the world have in common and, as such, how small of a planet we live on. And then I think about the 24-hour flight time to get from Dallas to Perth, and I am reminded the world’s vastness.
In the end, the ability to experience different cultures, different people, different attractions makes those multi-hour flights worthwhile. Especially when you can get a selfie with a Quokka (remember to bring your selfie stick) on a beautiful island in the Indian Ocean.