I flew from Sydney to Perth ready to visit my uncle in Geraldton, 400km
north of Perth. This is the skyline of Perth seen from across the Swan river.
Rottnest Island is a nature sanctuary a few miles out from Perth. It is a
beautiful island with no traffic except for the round-island tour buses
and lots of cyclists. Bicycles can be hired on the island. It is an
hour's ferry ride from Freemantle just outside Perth on the coast.
The island was originally named by Dutch explorers after these Quokkas,
actually part of the marsupial family, but mistaken for large rats, hence
the name. They are numerous on the island but it is important not to feed
them anything other than native vegetation.
This is part of the 'outback' north of Geraldton, where I was driver while
my uncle and some of his friends canoed down part of the Murchison River. The
rivers in Western Australia tend to flow only after significant rainfall, so
when there has been lots of rain, it is important to grab the opportunity for
watersports in the small window of opportunity before the waters recede. The
flies and other insects are a major irritation in this area - they certainly
take a bit of getting used to.
