This iconic island is undergoing its biggest transformation to date

“Who’s feeling strong today?” The question from Captain Scott, skipper on restored schooner Willie the Pearl Lugger, hangs awkwardly in the air. I don’t blame my fellow passengers, many of whom are already in the water, for their hesitation; it’s a searing 28-degree day and answering may cut short their brief Indian Ocean respite.

Our vessel is anchored off Little Armstrong Bay, one of Wadjemup/Rottnest Island’s 83 exquisite beaches. Built as a 1985 tribute to the early 1900s luggers of the Kimberley coast, the handsome navy vessel stands out against the ubiquitous white leisure cruisers that nuzzle Rotto’s turquoise coves.

I’m one of a dozen still draped across Willie’s boom net, forming a vertical clothesline of adult rash shirts and raw pink skin. As we climb back aboard, someone queues up a soundtrack of sea shanties and it has a surprisingly rousing effect. A crew member in a bucket hat delivers the command – “Off youse go!” – before four grinning volunteers start furiously pulling up the sails, as if their next tinnie depends on it. Bucket hat watches on approvingly, guiding them to keep the gaff rig level. “Record time, boys,” he crows.

The whole production proves a perfect icebreaker. As the sailing boat picks up speed, so too does the socialising onboard; by the time we’re saying our final farewells and disembarking, it feels as though the journey has ended too soon.

I’ve joined Willie’s inaugural season at Rottnest Island, months after its first eight-day voyage to Rottnest from its Broome home in late 2024. And Willie isn’t the only newcomer making waves; Rotto is undergoing its most radical transformation to date.

After decades of stagnation, the familiar backdrop of many West Australians’ childhood summers – one of tents and ageing self-catered cabins – has entered a new chapter, luring visitors with upgraded infrastructure, premium accommodation and fresh tourism and hospitality experiences.

Its newest property, The Lodge Wadjemup, underwent the final stages of its construction in mid-2025, which added 109 rooms to the island, and marked the first major accommodation offering since the opening of luxury beachfront resort Samphire in 2020.

Its Mediterranean restaurant Sunsets, helmed by chef Mat Powell (ex Il Lido Cottesloe), has already raised the culinary bar across the island. However, as Rotto modernises, it’s also looking back to honour its complex heritage, with operators like Dooga Waalitj Healing launching several new First Nations-led experiences exploring the island’s painful Indigenous past through Wadjemup cultural tours and Nyungar art workshops.

I’ve opted to join another of the island’s new experiences, a guided cycling tour. I’m met outside my accommodation by guide Laura, founder of Laura the Explorer tours, who’s dressed on-brand in a safari shirt, floppy wide-brimmed feathered hat and bike shorts, looking like Rottnest’s answer to an Irwin sibling.

Laura’s full-day tour goes for a marathon seven hours, covering 10 kilometres – the ambitious circuit packs in stops at Rotto’s idyllic reefs, bays, pink lakes and quokka hangouts; mercifully I’m doing an abridged four-hour version.

One of the first stops, Parker Point, sets a high bar. The water, a molten patchwork of sapphire and mouthwash-blue, gently laps fine white sand beneath curving limestone cliffs. Sadly, we aren’t staying for a dip.

We cycle on through sealed coastal paths flanked by spinifex-dotted dunes, samphire-hemmed lakes, tea trees, native wattle and saltbush. The terrain is much hillier than I anticipate and there’s an alarming lack of shade – apparently we have the quokkas to thank for the latter, due to their heavy grazing habits and taste for young tree seedlings, which prevents new trees from maturing and contributes to the scrubby landscape. To say I regret not upgrading to an e-bike is a huge understatement.

When we finally stop at boat-free Salmon Bay on the south side of the island for a quick snorkel, my calves are burning. I’m astonished when, after just a few minutes of circling the glassy shallows, a small manta ray glides past, quick despite its serenely flapping pectoral fins. The encounter fuels me for the remainder of the tour, passing quokkas, cliffs and pink-tinged salt lakes so pretty I have to stop and snap them.

Back at Sunsets, my aching legs are briefly forgotten as the restaurant makes good on its moniker and the sky ignites behind a silhouette of palm trees.

With spritz in hand, and wonderfully briny Albany rock oysters beckoning, I toast the day’s sailors and manta rays. I may not have been feeling all that strong this morning, but between swims and calf-burning rides, Rotto has a way of demanding your best, then rewarding it tenfold. As the sunset intensifies, it’s clear that a sense of awe and earned respite remains the island’s most exquisite constant.

THE DETAILS

TOUR
Laura the Explorer offers full-day (seven-hour) guided bike tours from $150, including bike hire, lunch, snorkel gear, island admissions and a small gift, or $250 including ferry transfers from Perth and Fremantle. See lauratheexplorer.com.au

Willie Pearl Lugger Cruises operates seasonally at Rottnest Island, however, cruises are currently paused as the operator seeks new ownership. See williecruises.com.au

STAY
Rooms at The Lodge Wadjimup from $350 a night. The property features a guest pool, lakefront restaurant Sunsets and accommodation to suit families, small groups and couples. See thelodgewadjemup.com