What's the chance of seeing a Quokka on Rottnest Island?

Quokka's of Rottnest Island - Western Australia
September 2012

Mother and Baby Quokka - Rottnest Island, September 2012

Footprints in the sand, Quokka style... Rottnest Island, WA.

During our holiday to Western Australia in September, we planned a day trip to Rottnest Island, with the main checklist item being, seeing a Quokka in the wild.  Prior to planning the trip to Western Australia, I did plenty of research at the time, looking up the chances of seeing a Quokka in the wild, and pretty much had decided it was going to be similar to when we have visited other places well known for platypus, and they have proved elusive... I couldn't have been more wrong!

Quokka, Rottnest Island, Western Australia 2012

Within 10 minutes of arriving at Rottnest as we set off on our walking journey around the island, we saw our first Quokka grazing on vegetation on the edge of the street!  I couldn't have been  more excited, hence I took a tremendous amount of photos from a distance, worried it would be the only one we saw, and also concered if i approached for a better photo, that it might take off in fright.

Quokka in the main street of Rottnest Island, Sept 2012.

I crawled under a thick woody shrub to get this photo of a little Quokka Joey, poking it's head out from it's mothers pouch. 

We soon discovered, that the Quokka population at Rottnest Island is very healthy and they are extremely used to tourists photographing them, and they happily go about their day, not threatened by humans.  The island also lacks major introduced predators like the mainland of Australia, so the population is healthy, thankfully.

Wild Quokka, Rottnest Island, WA

There is so much wildlife to see and enjoy at Rottnest, along with the history, views, stunning lighthouses and wildflowers, that one day is certainly not enough time to view it all, however if you don't stop moving, you can fit in a tremendous amount of sight-seeing.  The day we visited was rainy and cold but that didn't stop us.

Mother and teenage Quokka, Rottnest Island, Western Australia, September 2012

The children just loved the Quokka's!  As children who have grown up in a house full of wildlife, with me being a wildlife carer, they both have a certain way with animals, and their experiences with the wild Quokkas of Rottnest, was rather surprising.  I would never normally recommend that children approach any wild animal, however these experiences just seemed to happen on their own without any issues, these Quokkas are clearly used to human interaction and did not feel threatened.

Miss K checking out a Quokka on Rottnest Island, Sept 2012

Master C, patting a wild Quokka on Rottnest Island, Sept 2012

I hope you enjoy my collection of  my better Quokka photos taken during the day.  For Quokka lovers who would like a daily dose of joy in your lives, I highly recommend following Quokkahub @quokkahub on Instagram... it really is a feed full of smiles and sunshine.

We look forward to coming back again Rottnest - I for one want to come during the summer to experience the snorkelling.

x

Judi