"not as interesting"

Have a look at this clown in The Age, who's been on Lord Howe Island:

"It's prettier than Hayman Island, more exotic than Kangaroo Island and more interesting than Rottnest Island. In fact, if it were less friendly and more expensive it would qualify as a temperate piece of French Polynesia."

We haven't been to LHI, but after a cursory glance at it's Wikipedia entry we're sure Rotto is about a hundred times more interesting.

This bloke, in comparison, has the right idea: "...it was forecasted to be a sunny and windless day, ideal for the 'Rotto box' which is what is known for the biggest wave located on the most Western end of Rottnest Island."

He got some good waves a month ago - enjoy the pics.

Rotto, race riots and RPH

This was written a few weeks ago but is unlikely to get a run in the POST: it mentions the beautiful island, so it gets a run on Rotto Bloggo...

Exploitation of Aborigines…shocking treatment of the first Australians…no help for the indigenous.

Not recent headlines from our daily paper: this news was reported in The West and the Inquirer 124 years ago.

Anglican reverend John Gribble kept a diary of his pastoral tour Gascoyne sheep stations. Its publication caused a major fuss: Gribble was assaulted on a ship to Fremantle, and Perth worthies like Winthrop Hackett and Charles Harper stayed their donations to the new cathedral.

Later Gribble sued The West after the paper called him a liar. He lost the case when he admitted much of his diary was hearsay, and died, miserable, seven years later.
That was the Gribble affair, and it’s one of hundreds of entries in the Historical Encyclopedia of Western Australia.

General readers and even keen students of our great state’s past will learn much from this new reference work.

Older POST readers will remember eating out at the Seacrest in Cottesloe. That establishment is mentioned in the lengthy and excellent entry on eating places – but many will be surprised to learn Perth had more than one Chinese restaurant as early as World War Two.

Other entries are just as informative and intriguing. Whaling in WA is well-known, but details on the state’s sealing are given. Other entries on bridges, class, state hotels, race riots, landcare, diet, Section 54B, the Pilbara strike, capital punishment and white-collar convicts are educational and entertaining.

The entries on birth and death show the Encyclopedia at its best. In the former, Carol Thorogood gives a well-written sense of how West Australians have entered the world. At the other end of the mortal coil Leonie Liveris touches on how we died and how others reacted: ‘After 1945 women were at liberty to attend funerals, there was no set period for formal mourning, no black-edged stationery and black crepe armbands were rarely worn by men’.

There are no biographical entries: the editors say this is because they’re already covered by the Australian Dictionary of Biography. Reading a WA encyclopedia without seeing entries on C.Y. O’Connor and Edith Cowan, however, is like looking at a street directory without the highways.

At times persistence pays when reading the Encyclopedia. For example: we were keen to see an entry on the Claremont serial killings, so we turned to crime. No entry there, and none for serial killers – but we eventually found a mention in the very capable entry on murders.

There’s no entry on Claremont Teachers’ College, but it gets a mention in teacher training.

No reference work can include everything or please everyone. There’s an excellent entry on theatre buildings, for example, but none on Subiaco Oval or the WACA.

There are no entries on the western suburbs as a place, the six hungry families, ophthalmology, Tranby House, vexillology or bread/baking.

There’s an entry on Royal Perth Hospital, but it’s odd that institution’s write-up is the same length as the Royal WA Historical Society.

The entry on pacifism is curious. It “has rarely been a significant force” in WA, but then details peace groups, demonstrations and the “increasingly large” anti-Vietnam crowds.

The entry on rock music doesn’t mention the Snake Pit – but that notorious beachside hangout gets a nod in popular music, nightlife and youth culture.

In entrepreneurs we read about Claude de Bernales but not Alan Bond. The latter does get a mention in real estate and land development.

From a journalist’s point of view, the many media entries are detailed and well-written.

This book was a long time coming: the idea was hatched in the early 1990s. At the launch an online edition was hoped for. An Internet version would almost certainly be used by more people than the $89.95 edition.

Online isn’t the answer to everything. The Encyclopedia’s entry on The Sunday Times, for example, is superior to Wikipedia’s version.

But compare the Encyclopedia’s and Wikipedia’s Rottnest island efforts. The print version is very capable, but it can’t compete with the pictures and text at Wikipedia.

So far this year the Wikipedia article on Rottnest has been viewed nearly 22,000 times. How many people will read the Encyclopedia’s version?

Historical Encyclopedia of Western Australia
Edited by Jenny Gregory and Jan Gothard
UWA Press, $89.95

car(e)free

Saw this via Twitter: a Mother Nature Network photoessay on seven car-free cities.

The tweeter (TreadlyAndMe) suggested adding Rottnest (also Lucca and Bergamo) to the list.

The MNN list is Sark (which we've touched on), Mackinac Island in Michigan, a Moroccan medina "home to more than 156,000 people...considered one of the largest contiguous car-free urban areas in the world", Hydra, La Cumbrecita in Argentina, Lamu Island in Kenya and of course Venice.

Rottnest is largely vehicle-free. There are police cars, tour buses, delivery vans, luggage trucks, forklifts...and the pristine vehicle pictured.

We saw it during our June sojourn. It picked up a bunch of people in south Thomson one morning, then was outside the visitor centre near the jetty. Why is it needed on the beautiful island?

quite often hotels

We are loving the spate of strange travel writing about the beautiful island: have a look at this.

"The Rottnest Island is a great place situated in Perth, the Western part of Australia continent. This Island is only 30 minutes far away from Fremantle."

The copy talks about climate being as good as it can, there are resort-style hotels and "to know more about them, you just have to get there and you will definitely obtain your necessarly informations".

What what? Is that a bait site? Or for real? It has the ring of Svenkage being run through a web translator one too many times. We are baffled. The photo is hilarious.

Even the mainstream media can be a bit puzzling at times. This piece in The Australian enthuses about Burswood: "The sight of spare sun loungers strategically placed around the sparkling blue water tempts me to head downstairs, as the temperature is nudging 35C."

That seems warm for last month: the piece is dated July 25. It redeems itself by tacking this on the end: "The hotel is about 15 minutes by car from Perth's domestic airport and 3km from the city centre. Step out to Swan Valley's wineries and the lovely Kings Park Botanic Garden. Farther afield, Rottnest Island is 20km off the coast."

nice apperrance

The pub has been gonged: the Heritage Council has given it one of their awards, reports The West.

“The faithful stabilisation and conservation of the Rottnest Island Hotel has undone 60 years of neglect and, at times, insensitive adaptation,” the Minister said. "The project has reinstated the building as an imposing, iconic structure, which is appropriate for the setting.”

The new-look hotel isn't bad. A lot of glass. The beer garden is very low-care: the quokka poo can be hosed off the Astroturf in the morning.

No awards from a clown from Baltimore called mumbles18: he won't return unless he's with friends...

"went to rottnest island with ian. it was nice in apperrance, but there is nothing to do there. these rate like wallabies roam the island, literally covering just about all of it. there was one bar, which closed at 10. I definitely would not go back, unless it was with a group of people during the summer."

Which bar is mumbles18 referring to? It's a mystery.

pinpointing pirates

On Thursday there will be an eye in the sky above the beautiful island: an unmanned aerial vehicle will be droning - ha! - around Rottnest.

It will be patrolling a beach patrol, searching for a man overboard and identifying pirates and people.

Pirates on/around Rotto? You better believe it.

This story in The West a couple of weeks ago had all the details.

The Cyber Eye V1 is a "...fully autonomous craft, which has a 7m wing span and can reach up to 160kmh, is fitted with a day/night video camera capable of reading a car licence plate from a height of 150m and can transmit real-time images back to a hand-held monitor."

Is V1 the happiest name for a flying object?

We look forward to this innovative device being used to detect imperfections in the mini-golf course, identifying naughty beach drinkers, and searching for quokka abuse.

another giant quokka

Details have arrived regarding Waiting for Rotto, the forthcoming production from the Blue Room...

"The play itself is not set on Rottnest," A BR operative said.

"It's more of a liminal, non specific space that the action takes
place in. However, there are a number of influences and references to
Rottnest within the piece including a giant quokka made from stuffed toys."

A stuffed toy giant quokka! This is the greatest drama development since Shakespeare first heard rumours about Romeo and Juliet.

In other creative efforts about the beautiful island, have a look at this: Rottnest Island Story. That mad, bad Henry Vincent has a starring role...

specialness

Readers have pointed out some Rotto moving and still images that are worth a look.

Here's Trixie rhapsodising over the beautiful island. She finds a chair in a tree, marvels at the clear water and fish, and gets to a few bays and Thomson.

Rottnest is "so beautiful", she notes. Trixie isn't bad either: a cute accent (she's from Brazil) and a lovely tattoo.

That water really is clear. We know it, you know it, and Chai knows it. Check out his blog for lots of excellent underwater Rotto images (like the first nudibranch he saw) and some beach extras, like a mass sea hare stranding.

Marvellous! Perhaps it's part of the reason the beautiful island is so special?

island drama

Hold on to your quokka hats: theatre and the beautiful island look like they’re going to be fused.

Coming up at the Blue Room in September: Waiting for Rotto.

‘Bubba and Bubby are on a quest for fulfillment,’ says the BR site.

‘Contemporary avenues of satisfaction such as fast food and Real Estate offer limited consolation. All is overseen by TV. Always there; advertising canning laughter and flattening life, sex and death onto a screen.
“Any on of these people could be a terriblist…”

‘And who is Rotto? Will they ever meet her? Do they even believe in her?

‘Melding art, performance and music (and absurd references to quokkas, Madonna, and Hungry Jacks), Waiting for Rotto heralds the return of eclectic duo Simon Gevers and Luke Murphy (sub:URB), in a collaboration based on Beckett’s Waiting for Godot.

“No, they’re not self-indulgent self-abusers” – Lynn Fisher, The West Australian.

‘Waiting for Rotto is a comedy, tragedy, eulogy, vaudevillogy, Willagee; sure to appeal to anyone who has ever lived in Perth, questioned the meaning of life, or waited for Rotto.’

Well, that’s us. This sounds very promising. There’s been a film on Rotto, it’s had plenty of TV, there’s poetry about the place – but treading the boards! We’ve emailed the BR asking if it’s set in/around Thomson Bay.

There is some more info on the Film & Television Institute site:

‘Individuals sought to film excerpts that will be included in a theatre production staged at the Blue Room 24 September – 10 October 2009…

‘Melding art, performance and music, the premier production of Waiting for Rotto is a play in the ‘absurdist theatre’ genre, and features the characters Bubba and Bubby on a quest of fulfilment.

‘Produced, written and performed by Simon Gevers and Luke Murphy, two artists who are described as having “an authentic voice (and representing) Perth at its best: intelligent, unpretentious…but quirky” (Marcelle Schmitz, Perth theatre Director.) Their script has generated much interest in the local arts community, with Waiting for Rotto heralded as “confronting, familiar, full of local colour and entertaining” (Tos Mahoney, Artistic Director of Tura New Music.)’

There are even plans for a road show! Rotto on the road!

wolves on rotto

Never mind the Tour de Ffance: all the action is at the Tour de Rottnest.

The Wolverhampton Wanderers have been on the beautiful island: bike riding, swimming, kick a ball around and sleeping on the ferry home.

See here for a couple of dozen pics: we are not so familiar with the world game. Are any of the players famous?

More Pommy presence: details of the comedy and short film festival are out. It's 28-30 August, frontman is UK comedian Jeff Green, Tame Impala will be there.

rotto dumbo

"How many metres above sea level is rottnest island in WA? can't find the answer anywhere!"

Is anyone else disconcerted by this question? The Wikipedia entry says the island's elevation is 46 metres. No doubt the main lighthouse?

Someone on that page says "about 12m". I wonder why you'd need to know.

There have been other Rotto questions. Sturm and drang and angst were released last week when the guvmint announced new fishing charges and rules.

Foe example, you'll have to pay $30 if you want to fish from a boat.

A question asked in this story in The West: "“We’ll be talking to the government about operational details, like is the Rottnest ferry a boat? If you go out to Rottnest and fish from the shore and then get back on the boat, do you need a licence?”

Enjoy our pic today. It was plucked from the sea while on rocks near Longreach last month.

George on Rotto

The US Navy is coming to Rotto: WA Today reports the "sailors, flyboys and flygirls" of the nuke-powered aircraft carrier George Washington will be scuba diving at the beautiful island.

Imagine watching the huge warship drift across the horizon as you're sinking a pint at the hotel. We've been avidly scouring the ship's website for details and specs.

This pic shows the mail being sorted in a hanger. Of course you can't get mail if you're on Rotto.

The beautiful island has a windmill, but the GW has "two nuclear reactors that permit the ship to steam for almost 18 years before refueling".

And the 97,000 tonne ship even has a media office - just like Rotto - and it's paper is The Guardian.

Where will the sailors and naval aviators be snorkelling? Tip offs welcome.

feed back

We filled out a feedback card at the pub (officially called Hotel Rottnest now) when we were there earlier this month. We are grateful to be added to the database and get Rotto news from yest another source - but the first communication has been surprising.

'Champagne and Oysters July Sat 4th and Sun 5th Oyster shucked fresh to order enjoy with a bottle of French champagne.'

How many oysters? What type of sparkling?

You can also stay for a night in the courtside rooms for $370: you get a $60 hotel dinner voucher, two return ferry tickets, and continental breakfast for two.

If the hotel had read out feedback card it would have wondered if we'd be keen to have diner there. We went on our last night and it wasn't a success: watery linguine that was over-cooked, and a pizza that was too doughy and had too much cheese in the middle.

Maybe that's going to be acknowledged in the second email?

Jacko Rotto

Of course Michael Jackson came to Perth. But did he ever make it to Rotto?

He won the swim-thru, of course, but other evidence is scant. We'll keep searching.

This story had Rottnest up there with the King of Pop: read about Jacko's demise putting Google under the pump. The interest in The Gloved One was "volcanic". But:

'New trains and trams for Melbourne pipped Jackson's death at The Age and dodgy weather on Rottnest Island causing ferry cancellations was more popular in WA.'

Good to know Sandgropers have their priorities right.

my praps

In the past we've criticised ordinary writing about Rottnest, but this is beyond the pale...

She rose with The young lady in his rottnest island his stout stick go anywhere to. it is to. rottnest island I did not frightened any rottnest island creetur to an early grave all three dined together off a beefsteak pie sky rottnest island be instant and said good things for husband to looking at my praps and my face We when all of well by rottnest island miscellaneous taste of source of satisfaction The rugged eloquence with which he spoke was not devoid the shop.

'Beefsteak pie sky Rottnest Island'? 'My praps'? 'Devoid the shop'? Is it a subtle satire on the bakery? Is the site some sort of blogging spam? Now we've seen everything.

If you're on a boat to the beautiful island today you might well be screaming out for your praps. On Wednesday we heard about the ferry cancellations and filed something for the Post. The news dribbled out yesterday - see this WA Today report, for example. It says Oceanic will send one ferry today.

'He could not recall such an extended cancellation of ferry services in his 20 years on the island,' WAT writes about a bloke.

Our information is it's happened twice in recent memory: in 1992 (cyclone) and 1996 (bad weather but not quite cyclonic).

Have a prappy weekend.

poopalot

More travel writing on the beautiful island: Charlene dropped in on Anzac Day and had a blast.

The early start wasn't ideal (“woke up at freaking 6am just to catch the ferry”) and there were complications before she reached the safety of Thomson Bay (“changed to another ferry to rottenest, which btw was rather torturous”).

The motion of the ocean was a concern: “even people like me who never get motion sickness, couldn’t really breathe properly.”

But once safely on firm sandstone the insights began to flow: “i honestly think it’s a place meant for cycling, everywhere you see cyclists around”.

She even snapped a pic of the Wadjemup tour bus: “haha this is not our bus, but took a picture of it cause it looks nice”.

What is the cutest thing about Rotto? Charlene has a good idea: “QUOKKAS! sooooooo freaking cute! i want want want one, even though they poop alot!”

Riding around the island meant more unforgettable sights: “an actual sunken ship from a century ago”.

The summary? “a Saturday well-spent!”.

drips

A Rotto Bloggo reader asked about the forthcoming film and comedy festival on the beautiful island - blow us down if this isn't in tomorrow's Post:

'A film and comedy festival is set for Rottnest Island, but authorities are being tardy with details.
'The Rottnest Island Authority announced the event on its Twitter feed this week.
'"We're getting ready for our brand new film and comedy festival! Detail soon," it said.
'But the authority said information would be "drip drip", to keep people in suspense.'

What's up with this bloke? He strikes the same pose in many of his photos, some of which are on the beautiful island. He reminds us of The Tourist Guy.

Much more soothing is this underwater video of watery Rotto delights. It was taken in January and you can see "...buff bream, wobbegong shark, massive bull stingrays, western blue devil, juvenile jewfish, talma, scalyfin being cleaned, a crayfish being bagged, the skipper freediving and much more."

Rotto Bloggo had to drive to Freo today to transact some business. On the way there the island was peeking through the weather. But on the way back the weather was wilder than Patti Chong's hair, and Rottnest was obscured by rain.

ferry fine

You know you’re on Rottnest when you can set your clock by the ferry.

We’d be gazing at Thomson Bay each morning – thinking about what to do that day, musing on how marvellous Rotto is, pondering whether Kevin Rudd would sound more credible if her impersonated Claire Werbeloff instead of Barry McKenzie – and the Rottnest Express ferry would arrive on the dot of eight AM.

Rottnest Express is the ferry of choice for Rotto Bloggo. Mrs RB wouldn’t entrust Kevin, her pistachio Pathfinder, to anyone else.

Rottnest Express delivered our papers every morning and got us to and from the gorgeous holiday island.

The staff are excellent: we were able to change our return trip with no worries, and we’ve even included here a pic of the safety demonstration on board.

They have the best-looking craft, and provide a very comfortable trip.

AND the company supports Canteen.

Here are some pics of the RE ferry and staff in action today, plus a bonus shot of one of their coaches.

Rottnest Express provided our ferry tix for free. We’re grateful!

day 12 eats

Yesterday it was time for work: restaurant reviewing.

We can't hope to approach the excellence of the Beaufort Street Bloggers, but we'll appropriate a few of their devices in our assessment of...Aristos Waterfront Rottnest.

To eat well on Rotto, you usually bring your own ingredients, utensils and recipes. Rotto Bloggo has scoffed some marvellous food on the holiday island playground over the years: eggplant moussaka, tuna mornay, spicy lentil soup, olive and garlic pizza, upsaide-down pear gingerbread...all made in various spots in Thomson, Longreach and Geordie Bays in sometimes-unreliable ovens.

Or you can go to Subway or Red Rooster

Admittedly there's Dome, which is reliable. There used to be the Tearooms (where Aristos is now). The Geordie Bay cafe is only open in summer, but we've heard good reports about it.

Our Aristos expectations weren't high: we've previously blogged about the high prices. But then again everything on Rotto costs a bit more.

We ambled in on Thursday lunchtime. The dreaded muzak was warbling away. Very few people were lunching - it all seemed a bit cavernous. Everywhere on Rottnest has muzak. Is it really a good thing, or do we sound a bit old?

We studied the menu. Your bog standard fish and chips start at $16.50, and the top end red emperor and chips goes for $29.50.

One bbq prawn is five bucks. The costliest item is the hot seafood platter for two: $89.50 nets you lobster morney, calamari, bbq prawns, scallops, oysters Kilpatrick, and grilled and fried fish.

A Rottnest lobster is $46, seafood chowder is $12.50 and Aristos is practically giving away the dim sims and crab sticks: four bucks for three.

Don't bring any booze: signage says until they get a liquor licence, corkage per bottle is $7.50. Instead, you can get Madfish plonks, Leeuwin Estate Prelude for $49 a bottle, a Crownie or a Corona for eight bucks, or a bottle of Louis Roederer Brut for $115.

Mrs Rotto Bloggo opted for the grilled whiting and chips (a $22.50 special). We had the beer batter f&c. Our associates - the Troublemaker and the Print Princess, who were recognised 'cos they were also in there the day before - also went for the whiting.

First good sign was when our waiter, Kepper, came to the table and said the chef advised the whiting would be better crumbed or fried. It was a texture thing. Mrs RB nodded in agreement.

You normally go up and collect your food at AWR, but we were getting on so well with Kepper he brought it to us. Excellent service - and the food was just as good.

The whiting was firm and light, the crumb wasn't too thick and not dry: "lovely" was Mrs RB's assessment. Four generous fillets.

Our bog standard f&c was just as good. Light batter, perfectly fried. Top chips that weren't too salty. Fresh lemon to squeeze. The only blemish: cheap and nasty squeeze sachets of Masterfoods tartare sauce. Is it so hard to whip up a bowl of tartare and dob a bit on the side. It's so much classier.

Afterwards it was long blacks all round. AWR uses Fiori Coffee, and the drinks made by Kepper were pretty good. Far superior to that stuff they serve at the bakery.

The food was served in bento-style boxes. We didn't mind - the official reason is they're saving on labout costs during the slow winter - butdozen others wondered if it wasn't a bit cheap.

There were half-a-owls on the counter: they deploy these in the warmer months to deter the seagulls. Better than that fishing line that used to be starpped to the roof and rail at the Tearooms.

In summary...

Service: The service was so good we wondered if Rotto had been towed from WA to off Cape Town.

Food: High quality: fish and chips are pretty basic, but hard to find flaws here.

Ambience: In the depths of winter, it has a hint of the echoing draughty food hall, and the muzak doesn't help.

Highlight: Crumbed whiting, service.

Lowlight: The monstrous corkage and the Masterfoods sachets.

Rating: 4.1 joey quokkas out of 5.

Will we be back: Sure!

day 11

We're at day 11 on our fabulous Rotto sojourn, but this post is about day 9.

Read on for the hard-hitting report which may or may not be in the Post...

A large male known to authorities slept it off on the beach in front of Rottnest Island’s Quokka Arms hotel this week.

The 1.5m-long rare Australian sea lion was washed up in Thomson Bay on Wednesday morning.

It could have been exhausted and blown off course by stormy weather the night before, or deliberately taken refuge from the wind and rain, experts said.

Holidaymaker Kym Cohen was the first to discover the sea lion, at half-past seven in the morning.

She was worried the big mammal was dead, and whistled to see if it was awake.

“It lifted its head and looked at me, and then plonked back down,” Mrs Cohen said.

At first she thought it was a seal.

“I’d seen seals near the island’s West End the other day, and I thought he was a bit far from home.”

The animal was wet, covered in sand and lying on its side with its eyes closed.

“It has scars and old wounds, but I couldn’t see any fresh injuries,” Mrs Cohen said.

Another bystander called a Rottnest Island Authority ranger, who came and inspected the sea lion.

He took photos and emailed them to Department of Environment and Conservation marine mammal specialist Doug Coughran.

A fence was erected on the beach around the sea lion.

Sea lions have big teeth and can be aggressive.

They can weigh up to 300kg.

Senior Constable Matt Oakley from Rottnest police said sea lions were rarely washed up in Thomson Bay.

“About half a dozen live at Dyer Island, near Henrietta Rocks,” Snr Const. Oakley said.

“They come in and sun themselves on the beach there where it’s quieter.

“This one was probably exhausted by the storm on Tuesday night and ended up here.

“He’s just having a rest.”

Snr Const. Oakley was glad the sea lion was washed up on the popular beach on a quiet winter weekday, instead of a busy summer weekend.

Mr Coughran told the POST the sea lion was well-known to him.

“He normally lives at Carnac Island and Dyer Island,” Mr Coughran said.

“In the wild sea lions live to about 12 years old, and this bloke is about 10.

“We all start to look pretty ugly when we get old.”

Older sea lions lose their rank to younger animals, and they often ‘haul out’ of the water to recuperate on a beach.

“But normally it’s out of sight of the public,” Mr Coughran said.

“The rangers sent us very good diagnostic photos, and the sea lion’s body condition was very good.”

Australian sea lions are rare: there are only about 10,000 in existence.

They live in WA and South Australia and are protected by government legislation.

day 10

Both bars on and Vim under the sink this morning: rain has kept us housebound.

The plan was to go fishing at 0630, but the rain put someone off. Rotto Bloggo's associate said it was too wet, and he only bought two pairs of pants.

I ask you. Did Diggers at Gallipoli refuse to go ashore because their trousers might get wet?

So we were here for the savoury muffins whicked up by Mrs Rotto Bloggo. She used a packet mix but enlivened it with feta, spinach and some other goodies.

Local Blog Man That Cooks has an amusing riff about Rotto: the culinary chap was recently on the beautiful island and made baked beans. He used tinned tomatoes.

Rotto is "a rocky outcrop 12 miles off the coast of Perth that's covered with scrub and salt lakes and tiny rat-like kangaroos that shit everywhere. Accommodation is ex-prison, turn of the century worker's cottage, post-WWII migrant camp, or 1970's unit complex for upper level Soviet bureaucrats. The only vehicles are service vehicles, two police cars and buses. One of them is an aboriginal tour bus and I wonder if they're too polite to mention that under the ground is the bones of their incarcerated ancestors."

But then he lists some of the benefits, and concludes: "It's like the idealised caravan park of my youth without the caravan and without the roller rink."

Then: "There's a lot of guff about Rottnest being the holiday spot for the average West Australian. It's not. It's actually filled with AB demographic Western Suburbanites slumming it. But it does retain some magic and it's this – holiday spots are now places for resorts or holiday homes. Resorts always feel like someone else's place and holiday homes are now more like the home you have in the suburbs. Get in the car, go to the supermarket, get back in the car. I'm just wondering why they can't create communities like at Rottnest, on the mainland."

Is trueness? An associate did spot Reg 'The Toecutter' Withers on Rotto this week. With him were other crusty old buffers resembling Liberal Party dinosaurs.

However: a letter in The West today is from a Bunbury woman who makes an annual pilgrimage to Rottnest every year, and challenges the paper to locate somewhere by the beach that's just as good for $250 a night.

Check out Man That Cook's baked beans here - sounds good.

day 9

We couldn't help but notice this spelling error on a unit in northern Thomson Bay. Cusak? Is it Polish?

It amazes me how much you can get done when you're on holiday.

We're tearing through the books. Mrs Rotto Bloggo is on to Orwell; an associate is reading Alain de Botton, RB is enjoying a photo-journalist memoir. And there's plenty more where they came from.

This morning we were at Longreach on another epic fishing expedition. Another associate almost/nearly hauled in a huge tailor. But it "fell off" his lure with a metre to go. Rotto Bloggo caught nothing. It was a dramatic spot: howling early morning wind, pounding waves, jutting sandstone. See pic for RB associate doing his thing.

Later it was time for a swim at the Basin. Not so much a basin as a Westinghouse or Whirlpool. The surging surf was still happening after the angling. We went in armed with goggles and spied the herring we didn't catch earlier. The water was surprisingly and agreeably temperate. Foreign tourists cycling past paused to marvel at the Australian enthusiasm for swimming in any season.

The other photo is of a newsworthy event, but we can't say too much at this stage. Stay tuned and we will reveal all in a day or two.

day 8 nautical but nice

First, some answers to readers' questions:
Liz, Mrs Rotto Bloggo says Kevin is "performing well, but needs a few minor adjustments once back on the mainland". It's believed these changes involve (but aren't restricted to) the handlebars. Mrs RB has only had to get off the bike once, which is a substantial improvement on previous trips.
Cookster: the dugite situation is manageable. In that there have been none, it's too cold for them. You can't see the dugites for the black skinks.
Paul: thanks for the offer of a box of vegies. But send more Bolly.


Today has been nautical. Imagine our excitement when from the comfort of our luxury premium view pad we spotted a submarine. Our photo here may not be absolutely crystal-clear. But we can assure you that tiny black blob on the horizon is a big black submarine, steaming full speed ahead on the surface. We heard a sound like a rusty washing machine being tossed down a ravine, but that doesn't mean it was an Australian Collins class sub. The sound and vision may well have been unrelated.

A long walk today took in the Thomson Bay wildlife. Mrs RB perched on a cliff, fruitlessly searching for a dolphin sighting. She's seen seals and pelicans, and she wants to cross dolphins, whales and turtles off her list too. No joy today - perhaps tomorrow? We did see what might have been a krill ball thrashing about in the water, which raised our hopes of seeing a dolphin, but not just yet.

Later we angled off the army jetty. A combination of weather, time of day and portents meant we caught four-fifths of fuck-all. No herring for breakfast tomorrow.

Incidentally, this morning's herring was a real treat. Not smoked: fried in a hot pan, tail and all. It led to a stinky kitchen, much smoke that nearly set off the alarm, and a terribly scorched pan that took a lot of elbow grease to get clean again. But the fish? It. Was. Delicious.

At the time of writing it's dark. Nautical things have been put aside for now. An associate is farting on the couch - it may be time for some fresh air and a walk down to the army jetty. It must have been the lentils for lunch and beans for dinner.

Tomorrow? Only time will tell. It might be raining...big sleep in, or brave the elements for another epic fishing experience?

day 6 west end boys and girls

We've had tougher trips out to the West End. We once went on an old bike with no gears. It took half a day.

Yesterday's 10.5km cycle to the other end of the island was fabulous. And when we got there we had the place to ourselves for a while, until a contractor's vehicle arrived.

It's so quiet here during the week in winter.

We ambled along the walkways inspecting the goannas and lizards. Then we went down to the beach. We scrambled out to Rottnest's most-western point. We wanted to edge out along the reef to the most-western rocks, but there was a surging surf and sanity prevailed.


Lunch and a swim, and then on the way back we stopped off at Cathedral Rocks to see the seals.

Another stop and Green Island where we swam with the herring and salmon, found a squid jig on the floor of the bay, and was mildly disconcerted to find a huge black stingray swimming below us.

No fishing at Green Island - the jetty had three people on it - so we went to Parakeet and hauled in one herring.

Home for roasted gnocchi and vegetables and some quality plonk. Even though the reception is terrible we sat through Media Watch on the ABC. The reception on other channels is better, so we caught up with the Tracey Grimshaw/Gordon Ramsay bunfight.

day 6

You might have been to Rottnest a hundred times but you always find something new to marvel over.

Yesterday was another fabulous day. After a leisurely breakfast in the forecourt of our premium view pad we ventured out.

(The place was tres busy yesterday. Many people over for the Sunday session at the hotel. Many boats out in Thomson Bay. One was called Kost-U-Moet. It was lively Saturday night, and then yesterday most of the boats departed.)

Anyway...we walked south of South Thomson to the natural jetty and watched the waves crash from two directions.

Then we trekked south by Bickley Bay to Bickley Point, marvelled at Wallace Island and Jubilee Rocks, and then strode inland.

We'd never seen the Bickley Point Battery Trail before and learnt new things about the island's WWII history.



On Bickley Bay Mrs Rotto Bloggo saw a carcase - a bird, possibly a seagull, maybe something bigger. Not even her vet nurse healing hands could bring it back to life.

As you can see from the photos the vistas are magnificent.

After out stroll we pigged out at Dome, read (we're on Bled to the Gutter by John Phillips, Mrs RB knocked off Cormac McCarthy's The Road) and then ate pasta and chocolate pudding for dinner.

The pink sky at sunset was very Rottnest and extremely soothing. We almost forgot about the swine flue scare in the western suburbs.

Agreeable. It was so restful watching people pack to leave while we are staying here.


Next post: our epic journey to the West End, and how we nearly did a Steve Irwin.

day 5 in haven

Here we are in the haven for the rich. Rotto Bloggo would like to distance ourselves from any perception people who spend time here are loaded. (Mind you, the pic of that Bolly bottle the other day was noted by a couple of people).

You save and save for a nice bottle of sparkling and for your Rottnest holiday and yet people still are so critical. The rest of the time we've been on stale bread and tap water. Honest.

Speaking of bread. This week some of the bakery's output was burnt and not for sale. Oops. Fortunately our $5.50 vegetarian pasty was unburnt.

We had our pasty on another epic fishing trip. First was Armstrong Point. We pulled in cod (or cobbler). Then we moved to Little Armstrong Bay, which yielded more cod/cobbler, herring, an angry black thing (pictured) which was returned to the deep, and a wrasse, which was also thrown back.

No whiting or tailor. Perhaps next time. But we did see the moon, bobtail goannas, quokkas and various craft out on the water.

The women had a swim but didn't detect the warming surge of the Leeuwin Current. It was freezing.


Another day in (non-rich haven) paradise.

Tomorrow it could be time to hike out to the West End and whale-watch.

We've knocked off David Lodge's Therapy (marvellous). Mrs Rotto Bloggo knocked off On Chesil Beach (absorbing).

unlikely tail

Another wonderful day in paradise.

We went for a big bike ride. We explored the delights of Parakeet Bay (and saw the littlest Rottnest beach ever).

We saw a bobtail goanna sunning itself on the side of the road on the way to Parakeet.

It was all sun, sand and the freshest air in the world.


But: it wasn't quite all sweetness and light. There was a medical emergency. At Longreach, between unit 801 and the public toilets, we espied a quokka who was in poor shape. He was, in a phrase, in lateral recumbancy.

Mrs RB - a healing-hands vet nurse - was quickly off her bike and at the side of the patient. She immediately recognised a dodgy tail (or, for you non-medical readers, a tail afflicted with a noma).

What to do? We called the ranger. Hopefully he arrived in good time.

Otherwise, it was more Scrabble, a room-full of journos with much alcohol and pizza, opportunistic seagulls, postcards home, a long black at Dome, discussion of the Easter Cup, crayons (don't ask), and a quick trip to the pub.

Tomorrow promises to be even better: a journey to the West End is on the cards. Watch this space...