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Mark Moxon's Travel Writing

Australia: Rottnest Island

A quokka
The quokkas of Rottnest Island are cute, there's no doubt about it

After a few weeks back in the office routine, I finally got around to visiting Rottnest Island, a popular place to visit just 20km west of Perth. Rotto, as it's affectionately known by the locals, was first 'discovered' by a Dutchman in the 1690s, and was named Rat's Nest Island in Dutch, due to the local inhabitants – quokkas – that look like huge rats. They're actually marsupials, and on closer inspection they're like a cross between a rat and a kangaroo, and stand about a foot tall. They've also got cute little faces, which is perfect for survival in the tourist age (even if you're not supposed to feed them).

The gentle landscape of Rottnest Island
The gentle landscape of Rottnest Island