The WA Wanderers famous February walk on Rottnest Island this time including a snorkeling tour.
Summary for ferry bookings:
Date: Sunday 16 Feb 2014
Ferry: Rottnest Express – Departing from B Shed Fremantle
Ferry Departure Time: 9:30am
Ferry Return Time: 16:25pm
Level of difficulty: short walk from Parker Point to Little Salmon Bay, category 1 snorkelling (beginners).
What to bring: bring a mask, snorkel and fins, or hire for $21 + $25 refundable deposit. More advanced snorkelers may want to bring a wetsuit and/or weight belt. You might also want to bring reef shoes if you have them. The book suggests wearing an old pair of cotton socks if you think your fins may chafe your feet.
Also bring walking shoes, weather-appropriate clothing, a hat, sunscreen, plenty of drinking water and snacks/lunch. Also bring swimwear and a towel. You will also need $14 for the bus, and your 2014 annual membership fee of $40 or a $10 single walk insurance fee if you haven’t already paid.
Ferry Tickets: You will need to book your Rottnest Express Ferry tickets in advance as tickets may sell out. We will be travelling from Fremantle B Shed on the 9:30 outbound trip and returning on the 16:25 ferry. There is a 25% discount ($23 one way) for booking a same day return ticket 5 days in advance. There is currently a summer special deal available ($15.20 one way) for the return ticket. There is also a government fee of $13, making a total of $51.20. Book online here
https://bookings.rottnestexpress.com.au/Reservation/frmOnlineBooking.aspx?P=FS&o=FRE&d=ROT&r=FRE .
There is no further discount available for the Entertainment book voucher, but it may be useful if you don’t book 5 days in advance.
Plan: We will meet at Fremantle B shed (not the Dome café this time) and catch the 9:30 ferry arriving on the island at 10:15. After leaving time for folk who need to hire equipment or buy snacks, we’ll catch the island bus to Parker Point, our first snorkel location (with underwater signage). After completing the snorkel trail we will walk across to Little Salmon Bay for a second snorkel. After that we’ll eat our lunch and decide on a third snorkel opportunity based on the wind and weather. We’ll then catch the bus back to the ferry terminal and board the 16:25 ferry back to Fremantle. There will be an optional stop for fish and chips.
Background information: The warm Leeuwin current flowing past Rotto keeps its waters about 4 degrees warmer than those at the mainland beaches. The current also brings colourful tropical fishes to the island. The current is strongest when there is no El Nino and there hasn’t been one for years, so the snorkelling should be excellent. There will be a high tide of 0.56m at 11:55 and a low tide of 0.5m at 15:42 (basically almost no tide change).
