Join Follow the Sun Relay adventurers Jess and Ridge as they explore their final destination on the Follow the Sun Relay. A visit to Perth wouldn’t be complete without a visit to see the quokkas!
When we arrived in Perth, we felt a mixture of excitement and sadness. We were looking forward to seeing the city, but disappointed that our trip was coming to an end!
We checked in at Discovery Parks Perth Airport, where we got some great tips of things to do in and around Perth. We didn’t want to waste any time at all, so we quickly booked a trip to Rottnest Island for the following day!
Ferries depart every hour or so depending on what day or time you go, but we booked to depart at 8am since we wanted to have a full day there. The Rottnest Express has a couple of different departure points, but we chose Northport (Rous Head) as they had the best parking options. When we arrived at the ferry terminal, we had one unpleasant surprise: it was FREEZING!! We had packed for a summer holiday and it had served us well up until this point, but it was only when we arrived in Perth that we realised that may have been an oversight!
Luckily it warmed up when we arrived at Rottnest, and it turned out to be a great day. We saw a quokka almost instantly! They really are so cute and friendly, and there are heaps all over the island.
Fun fact: Rottnest Island got its name from a Dutch explorer, who thought the quokkas were large rats and decided to name the island after the Dutch wording for ‘rat nest’!
The quokkas aren’t the island’s only attraction though. We spent the day cycling around (an easy ride for Ridge, but a very tough one for Jess!) and saw some spectacular sights. The views are incredible and we were also lucky enough to see dolphins, seals and whales!
We were hoping to go snorkelling here as well, but unfortunately ran out of time (and the cold water was a little off-putting if we’re being honest). There are a few different locations marked on the map which are apparently nice for swimming and taking a look at the reef, so we would definitely recommend that if you are ever in the area. All in all it was a long day, but a great one.
The next day we spent the morning getting packed up and preparing to say goodbye to the Winnebago, our home for the last two weeks! The drop-off process at Apollo Motorhomes was very quick and easy, so we then had plenty of time to head into the city and take a look around before our visit to Perth came to an end.
Since we still had a day and a half until flying back to Brisbane we decided to get a hire car. We made the booking last minute but it all worked out ok! We wandered around the city, visited the Museum of Perth and had a quick coffee before heading over to Kings Park and the Botanic Gardens.
The gardens were incredible! The area is huge and there is so much to see. We spent a good few hours enjoying the view and our final WA sunset and ended the day with a delicious meal at a little Italian restaurant.
Since we still had one night left, Discovery Parks were able to accommodate us in a cabin which was perfect. The cabins are basically like a little unit with an ensuite, kitchen space, desk, TV, and most importantly a comfy bed!! We loved travelling in the motorhome but it sure was nice to have a bit more space 🙂
On our final day, our flight out wasn’t until about 5pm and since we had the hire car, we decided to make the most of the morning by heading to the Swan Valley, a well known food and wine area just 25 minutes away! If you’re like us and wanting to visit Margaret River but don’t have time, this is the perfect alternative.
In just a couple of hours there we visited chocolate shops, wineries, a patisserie, a cheese shop, the House of Honey, a nougat shop and a nut shop! This place is a foodie paradise and you could easily spend a couple of days exploring and eating your way around.
At about 2pm we headed back into the city to return the hire car, and then made our way to the airport for our flight home. This was one of the best trips we have been on and took us to so many places that we wouldn’t have visited otherwise. A massive THANK YOU to Dometic, Apollo Motorhomes, and Caravan Industry Association of Australia for the opportunity. We feel very happy and very lucky to have been chosen for this adventure.
Good luck to the next couple. We can’t wait to see what they get up to!
–Jess and Ridge
Check out the rest of the Follow the Sun Relay posts on our website.
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