Whilst in Perth we decided it best to take a day trip out to Rottnest Island. I may have called this rocknest island in a previous entry and I have been calling it something else to Regina all along. We booked our tickets for the Tuesday after the bank holiday so we got them for nearly half the normal price with bikes on the island included. The ferry was at half seven in the morning so we got up at half six to have brekkie and get the train out to Freemantle, its just two stops out so its perfect. All aboard the ferry and off we went for the 30 minute sailing across the Indian Ocean to the port on the island. We grabbed the bikes off the boat and off we went to explore the island…

We had the bikes by half eight I reckon and it was still a bit chilly so we grabbed a cup of coffee in the café before we headed off. We decided (I decided) that we would cycle a fair bit of the island and sight see before we went snorkelling, it was still a bit too chilly for my liking, and since the warmest spots for snorkelling were right beside the settlement in Geordie Bay, I figured we would just hit the trail and come right around back to it. The island itself is fantastic. Its like an australian version of the Arran Islands, very arid and covered in low lying bush. There are lots of little kangaroo rat things on the island too, Regina thinks they are the cutest thing in the world of course. We cycled around along the path, no cars allowed, and stopped at all the little beaches and bays for a look and continued all the way down to the furthest away tip of the island for our first break of the day, had an apple and took some photos and hit the bikes again. It was really peaceful if not a little eerie how quiet it had been so far, but it wasn't in a bad way, it was lovely just breezing around on the bikes with the sun on our faces and the wind anywhere it felt like it. Eventually we got around to Salmon Bay, the other spot for diving and snorkelling that is meant to get cold in the afternoon and we got in and swam around. We saw loads of fish and coral (not by comparison to the Great Barrier Reef though). Lots of decent sized fish, some rainbow coloured fellas and best of all some black and amber stripped lads. I followed two of the Kilkenny fish around for about ten minutes before I got too cold and got out for a bite to eat… sandwiches, not fish. The next stop, just around the corner was Little Salmon Bay where Regina was straight in the water again. I had decided not to get in because I was still cold (I am warm blooded, Regina is not). At this beach there are markers under the water mapping out a route around the bay for snorkelling along with. Regina was so impressed with this area she surfaced and signalled me to come in, I reluctantly did so deciding that if I just swam a lot while I was in that I might stay warm. It was much the same as the earlier bay but a lot deeper, whilst remaining perfectly safe of course. Loads more fish, including some more Kilkenny fish, I didn't follow these ones though. After a while I got too cold again, it's the water not me, and we got back on the bikes and headed onwards around the island again.

We pretty much ran out of time, and energy to go back around to the first snorkelling bay but we were happy enough to pop back on the boat at this stage. We grabbed a well deserved icecream from the shop and back on board to head back again. The boat home was a lot choppier than the way out, ugh!!!! But we made it all the same. A great day out, the best so far in Australia….