Have you ever heard of a quokka? Yeah, me neither.
Let me set the scene first: I took a day trip to Rottnest Island with my dad, who came all the way from America to visit me! Although his time here was short—only a week—I think we made the most of every moment, with one of the highlights being the quokkas. The ferry ride from the mainland to the island takes about an hour, which was just the right amount of time for me to squeeze in a quick nap before the day’s adventure began. The ferry wasn’t too crowded, and the calm ride gave us a chance to relax and enjoy the ocean views. As soon as we arrived, the excitement kicked in. We rented bikes to explore the island, a perfect way to cover the scenic spots and soak in the beauty of the landscape, which actually looked somewhat similar to Colorado, with low lying shrubbery and sandstone formations. Riding around, we passed pristine beaches, rugged cliffs, and tranquil bays—each spot more stunning than the last. But the real treat came when we encountered our first quokka. We decided to sit down for a little lunch before we did some more biking, just when a woman behind me told me to “look under the table”. Low and behold, a little quokka came up to me to say hi (and also try to get a bite of my lunch)!
Basically, quokkas are often called the “happiest animals on Earth” because of they always look like their smiling (chubby cheeks and all). Native to Australia, quokkas are small marsupials about the size of a house cat, with round faces, fluffy fur, a long bald tail. They’re like a cross between a rodent, a cat, and a kangaroo (if you can imagine that). As said earlier, they mostly inhabit small islands off the coast of Western Australia, with Rottnest Island being the most famous spot to see them. Despite their cute appearance, quokkas are nocturnal and herbivorous, munching on grasses and leaves at night.
Because they live on such a remote island, they have no natural predators. This means that they are super friendly and show absolutely no fear of tourists. Not only did we see one while I was eating my lunch, but we also had a few wonder up to us while we were stopped looking at the beach scenery. I was told that it can be somewhat hard to spot a quokka because of them being nocturnal, but I’m happy to report that this was not the case for my trip.
Besides the quokkas, Rottnest Island truly exceeded all my expectations in terms of natural beauty. The island is a little slice of paradise, with crystal-clear waters and breathtaking landscapes at every turn. One of the best parts of our day was going snorkeling at Little Salmon Bay, a charming, sheltered cove that was teeming with marine life. The water was a little cold because the sun was hidden for most of the day, but it wasn’t too bad. As we swam out to explore, we were surrounded by vibrant coral reefs, all teeming with an array of colorful fish. We had so much fun diving down to get a closer look at the ocean floor, picking up various seashells, only to be surprised when a crab or creature poked out. We also found a few sea cucumbers and conches. Don’t worry, we made sure to return everything to its rightful place in the ocean after we were done admiring it.
I’m really glad that my dad took the time to fly out to see me. I was really cool to show him a slice of my Aussie life, and I think he loved every second of it. He even told me that I should move out here when I’m done with school. Now that is something I wouldn’t be against 😉
DU Abroad 