Where to see quokkas on Rottnest Island

The quokkas on Rottnest Island near Perth in Western Australia are so prevalent that you don’t need to look too hard to find one. Get that Rottnest Island quokka photo by the beaches, the golf course or the main settlement near the ferry terminal.

Rottnest Island has long been Perth’s favourite day trip, and should be near the top of the list for second time visitors to Australia. There are plenty of things to do on Rottnest, including skydives that land on the beach. But in recent years, the island has gone viral on the web thanks to its most adorable local residents.

What are the Rottnest Island quokkas?

Quokkas are medium-sized, unfathomably cute marsupials that look somewhere between a wallaby, a gopher, a mouse and a squirrel.

They’re hard to find elsewhere, even in Western Australia. They tend to live in rural areas and can be quite shy. But the population of quokkas on Rottnest Island is wonderfully inquisitive.

These quokkas gave Rottnest Island its name – the initial Dutch explorers landing there thought they were rats. The quokkas have no natural predators on the island, and don’t seem to think humans are a threat either.

For anyone visiting Rottnest Island specifically to see the quokkas, there must be the fear of not being able to find any. Don’t worry about that – you’d have to be spectacularly unobservant not to spot several.

Cycling Rottnest Island

It’s not possible to drive on Rottnest Island without special permission, so the best way to get around is by bike. To save time, rent a bike when you book the Rottnest Express ferry from Perth or Fremantle.

Once the Rottnest Island ferry has arrived, start cycling around the coast until you find a beach you like the look of. There are plenty to choose from around the north of the island, with Pinky Beach, Geordie Bay and Little Parakeet Bay being justifiably popular.

Chances are, you’ll spot a Rottnest Island quokka or two at the back of the beach. If not, plenty can be found scuffling around in the leaf litter by the roadside. Just keep an eye out while cycling and stop when you see something small and furry.

Otherwise, head to the Rottnest Island golf course. Like kangaroos, quokkas love golf courses.

In truth, however, you don’t even need to go that far. Plenty of quokkas hang out around the shops and cafés in the main settlement near the ferry jetty. Often, they’re tucked up and asleep next to a flower bed. But when they wake up, they bounce around, or come up to investigate what’s in bags.

Rottnest Island quokka selfies

But how best to get that all-important Rottnest Island quokka photo? Well, the quokkas aren’t quite as camera-friendly as the gazillions of selfies posted online will suggest. You’ll probably end up with several shots of quokkas with their heads down.

Most of the Rottnest Island quokka selfies are achieved by cheating. Lots of unscrupulous tourists dangle food above the quokka’s head until it stands on its hind legs and looks into the camera. Don’t do this – quokkas aren’t supposed to eat food made for humans.

Less terrible is holding up a leaf instead. Ideally, you still shouldn’t do this as they’re wild animals and shouldn’t be trained to perform for food. But it’s better than holding up a crisp or a chunk of a sandwich.

More Western Australian wildlife encounters

Cruises around Penguin Island, near Perth

Meeting nocturnal marsupials near Busselton

Seeing stingrays on the beach in Margaret River

Hand-feeding dolphins in Shark Bay.

Caversham Wildlife Park in the Swan Valley near Perth.