Australian.Geographic_2014_01-02

January–February 2014 41

Peak hour at daytripper heaven. Thomson Bay’s main jetty (above)
is where mainland ferries arrive and depart. The island is so close to the
mainland that it’s a popular daytrip for visitors who want a taste of a way
of life that harks back to the mid-20th century.

reports to WA’s minister for tourism. Private land ownership
has been prohibited on Rottnest since 1839 and the resident
population fl uctuates from 150 to 200. Having spent 33 of his
50 years deliberately marooned here, Pedro, who works at the
general store, is its longest-serving inhabitant. “There’s nowhere
like Rottnest; it’s really unique,” he says. “I meet people from all
around the world and they’re just gobsmacked.”
Pedro’s home is a small, heritage-listed shack and he says
Rottnest’s “back to basics” style is what makes it special. “It’s the
simple life; kids can walk around freely,” he says. “The super-

market still does home delivery and we’ll even put your groceries

in the fridge.”

Boat skipper Sarah Ellis-Stott has a name for residents such as

Pedro and herself. “We call the long-timers ‘the abalone’: they get

stuck on the rock,” she says, smiling. Thirty-something Sarah has

lived and worked here on and of since she was 18: fi rst, she was

at the bakery, then with the ranger’s team; now she runs her own

canary-yellow charter boat. A devoted water lover, Sarah takes

snorkellers to frolic with playful sea lions in transparent waters

during the sunny tourist season, from September to November.

“Rotto is my favourite place in the world,” she says, enthusiasti-

cally. “I’m amazed that such a special natural place can exist so

close to WA’s capital city.”

Rottnest has been referred to as “the brick on Fremantle’s

doorstep”, thanks to the number of ships wrecked on its reefs. But

so many sandgropers have passed carefree childhood holidays

Lazy days. Mia Hessels (below, at left) and Charlotte Saunders enjoy the

crystal-clear waters in front of their holiday villa at Geordie Bay. Cruise

company Charter 1’s Sarah Ellis-Stott (bottom, at left) with husband Matthew

Oakley aboard her 41-foot catamaran Capella, which can sleep 10.