Rottnest Island, off the coast of Fremantle, was our destination today. There are a few ferry companies that go out to the island. We went with Rottnest Express, which was currently having a sale. The days for deals seem to change, so check the company websites before deciding which day to plan your trip. The cost of round trip ferry and all day bike rental was AU$53 for us, pretty manageable.
The ferry takes about 30min - 1hr depending on where you take it from (there are a few departing ports) and the waves. Our morning journey was pretty rough...there may have been a few cases of seasick children. Once on the island, you can pick up your bike rental from the back of the ferry, as they are brought on the boat.
There are three recommended bike routes. A 4km, 10km, and a 22km. We chose the 10km, which took us around the major half of the island, through some great marsh and lake areas, past the Wadjemup lighthouse, and then around a loop near Little Salmon Bay. If you're staying for a longer time, there are plenty of other paths and older buildings to get sidetracked on as well. The scenery is incredible on a sunny day. Keep an eye out for the Quokka here as well, they are very friendly and pop up along some of the boardwalks, as well as in town.
There's a bakery, grocery store, ice cream shop, restaurant, and Subway (the only one in Australia to serve pizza apparently.) All the shops are located near the docks. I recommend stocking up on some snacks and water before leaving town. There are very few fresh water taps on the paths, for a sunny day I ran out quickly and spent the later half of my trip panting.
