rottnest island

Continuing my pursuit of winter sports here in Perth, I booked a day trip to Rottnest Island for some diving. Rottnest, which is located 19 km west of Perth and accessible by ferry, is a popular destination for beaches, bike riding, snorkeling, and diving. It was given the unfortunate ill-fitting name Rottnest, i.e., rats' nest, by a Dutch explorer who encountered these fuzzy brown creatures and mistook them for humongous rats.

As you can see, these guys, called quokkas, are much cuter than rats and Western Australia is the only place in the world in which they are found. According to one of the free guides I picked up somewhere along the way, quokkas can survive without drinking water and obtain liquid sustenance from fleshy plants native to the island. Obviously, a NYC rat would have no chance of survival here.

At 8:30 am, I got picked up at the wharf by Rottnest Island Dive and Snorkel in this boat and met my fellow divers, skipper Vaughan, and divemaster Neil.

Neil guided us on two dives at Rottnest, one at a dive site called The Count, and the second at a nearby site called Henrietta's Rocks. Both dives were really fun, not so much in terms of seeing a vast range of different aquatic life, but more for the thrill of diving over and under limestone rock formations and through narrow underwater tunnels.

After returning to the mainland, I met up with Jess for a free show at Kulcha, a cultural arts center in Freo, and finished up the day with some gospel singing. Here's a photo of me and my wonderful Western Australia hostess Jess (who, by the way, has a beautiful voice). I'll miss you Jess and can't wait to see you in France!