Seeing a quokka in its natural environment
Many people come to Wadjemup in pursuit of a quokka sighting. And you won’t have to try too hard. They are found all across the island, sleeping, eating, and hopping around their natural habitats.
These five specific areas are ideal vantage points to witness quokkas in their natural state — stay quiet, give them plenty of space, and venture out early morning or late afternoon as quokkas are nocturnal animals and often spend their days sleeping.
Garden Lake
5-minute walk from the main bus stop
In a few minutes, you move from the high energy of the settlement and arrive in silence. Garden Lake is still. Surrounded by trees and ramped by a field of grass and samphire; you will see a family of quokkas sleeping under the trees or venturing out in the early morning and late afternoon. While there are plenty of incidental quokka sightings on the island, with its boardwalk that offers the perfect view at a respectful distance, Garden Lake is an ideal place to go for a purposeful quokka experience.
On your walk to The Basin
Where Gabbi Karniny Bidi meets Kingsway Road
When you walk the trail between the sports oval and the golf course, you will come in contact with a line of native tea trees just opposite Discovery Resorts - Rottnest Island (the eco-tent village). These tall gums and low-lying tea trees are knitted together to form the ideal woodland habitat for a thriving quokka population. Stand back and take in the marsupial group going about their natural movements.
