Daily Walking Tours
Free guided walking tours are offered daily by the friendly and knowledgeable Rottnest Volunteer Guides at many points across the island. No bookings are required
Take your pick of tours that focus on the heritage, natural features and sustainability of Wadjemup / Rottnest Island.
Tours in the Main Settlement (Thomson Bay)
Tours outside the Settlement
Away from the Settlement we also run a number of tours every day – at the Lighthouse, Guns, West End and Parker Point on the south coast.
Rottnest Island is around 11km from one end to the other and there is a great network of walking trails (‘Bidis’ in the local Noongar language) but remember it’s hot and dry during the summer. Most visitors get to these locations by bus or bike. The guns on Oliver Hill are also accessible by a dedicated train service.
Between Parker Point and Little Salmon Bay on the south coast (departing from Bus Stop 5 – get there by bus or bike) our 30 minute Whitecaps and Wilderness guided walk along the road past Jeannie’s Lookout to Stop 6 – Little Salmon Bay gives great insights into the beautiful coastline, plants and birds and lets you discover how the island came to look like this.
Free, 10:15 am to 1:15pm
Patterns created by fish on the limestone reef at Jeannie’s Lookout. Credit: RVGA
Out at West End (Bus Stop 11) our roaming guides provide information about the variety of wildlife including whales in season and where to see the fur seal colony and ospreys.
Free, 10:30 am to 2pm
West End looking east. Image: Rottnest Island Authority
At Wadjemup Lighthouse in the centre of the island. Discover what goes on inside a working lighthouse and spiral up the 155 steps to experience breathtaking 360° views from the upper balcony. Get there by bike or walk up the hill from Bus Stop 8 (650m)
Open 10am-3pm with tours every 30 minutes. $15/adult or $34/family.
Wadjemup Lighthouse and Signal Ridge from Pink Lake. Image: Rottnest Island Authority
Oliver Hill Gun and Tunnels. Explore this nationally significant defence heritage site from World War 2 with its many stairs and tunnels. Discover why these massive 9.2″ (234mm) guns with a range of around 29,000m were installed on Rottnest and how they operated. Get there by bike or train.
Open 10am-3pm with tours every hour. Last tour at 2pm $15/adult or $34/family.
Descending the Engine Room tunnel beneath the H1 gun. Image: Rottnest Island Authority
Remember that once you leave the Kingston / Main Settlement / Geordie Bay area there are no water fountains or shops. It can be hot and dry on the island – please plan your trip accordingly! There are kiosks at Wadjemup Lighthouse and at West End that sell drinks and snacks.
Museums
You can also visit the two Museums in the Settlement, which are open daily:
Pilot Boathouse Facing onto Thomson Bay and only a 200m walk from the Visitor Centre on the main jetty, the boathouse tells the story of Rottnest’s maritime history.
Open 1 – 3pm. Free.
Inside the 1859 boathouse with the replica pilot boat . Image: Rottnest Island Authority
Wadjemup Museum Housed in one of the old 19th Century farm buildings (behind the Bakery) the museum has some fascinating exhibits about prisoners, pioneers and modern tourism on the island plus changing displays.
Open 10am – 3:30pm. Entry by donation.
Museum, originally the mill and hay shed for the prison farm. Image: Rottnest Island Authority
Guides are on the island 364 days a year, and all our tours are scheduled each day. In bad weather if ferries are cancelled, and we can’t get to Rottnest, services can be significantly reduced.
Other Tours
The Guides also run tours for pre-booked groups, and also lay on additional activities during the WA School Holidays