Picture of Rottnest Island
Caption: Rottnest Island
by @heikojahn 🇦🇺
Caption: Just 19 km off the coast of Perth, but an entire world away, lies the sunny holiday island of Rottnest. Blessed with a casual atmosphere, picturesque scenery, dazzling marine life and some of the world's finest beaches and pristine bays, Rottnest Island is Western Australia's very own island getaway.
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Caption: The island earned its curious name when in 1696, Dutch explorer, William de Vlamingh, mistook the island's unusual marsupial population for common rats and named it Rottnest - literally translating to 'rats nest'. Today, having a photo taken alongside the 'rats' - known as Quokkas - is one of the main highlights for visitors to the island.
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Caption: On Rottnest Island, bikes are the transportation of choice and can be hired or you can bring your own by ferry from the mainland for a small fee. The island is only 11km long and 4.5km wide making it easy to explore with a number of great trails to follow.
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Caption: Not surprisingly, water activities play a major role in island life - from snorkelling and diving to fishing, surfing, boating, kayaking, sailing and swimming!
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Caption: With just over 135 species of vibrant tropical fish and 20 species of coral, heading below the surface is a truly worthwhile experience. The Island boasts the world's most southerly corals seasoned divers will be happy to know that just off the coast slumbers a vast graveyard of over 13 shipwrecks waiting to be explored.
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Caption: Along with several other islands, Rottnest was separated from the mainland around 7,000 years ago, when sea levels rose. Human artefacts have been found on the island dating back at least 30,000 years, and the island is called Wadjemup by the Noongar people.
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Caption: A sandy, low-lying island formed on a base of limestone, Rottnest is an A-class reserve, the highest level of protection afforded to public land. A number of native and introduced bird species nest near the shallow salt lakes in the island's interior, and Rottnest has consequently been designated an Important Bird Area.
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Caption: #stellerstories #stellerplaces #rottnestisland #westernaustralia
#seewhatisee #neverforget #neverstopexploring
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@heikojahn
instagram.com/heikojahn
