Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ROCKINGHAM
POP 100,000
Just 46km south of Perth, Rockingham's main attractions are good beaches and the Shoal-
water Islands Marine Park, where you can observe dolphins, sea lions and penguins in the
wild.
Rockingham was founded in 1872 as a port, although this function was taken over by
Fremantle in the 1890s. There's still a substantial industrial complex to the north, at Kwin-
ana.
Most places of interest are stretched along Rockingham Beach.
1
Sights & Activities
Shoalwater Islands
Marine Park
(
www.marineparks.wa.gov.au
)
S
Just a few minutes' paddle, swim or boat ride from the mainland
is tiny, fabulous and strictly protected
Penguin Island
. Home to about 600 breeding pairs of
seriously cute little penguins, and several thousand pairs of ground-nesting and in-your-
face silver gulls, the island also has an informal and informative feeding centre (for long-
term injured or orphaned penguins), boardwalks, swimming beaches and picnic tables for
day visitors. It's lovely, low-key and very ecoconscious; no food is sold on the island, toi-
lets are composting, and the island is closed for nesting from June to mid-September.
Apart from birdwatching (pied cormorants, pelicans, crested and bridled terns, and
oystercatchers), you can swim and snorkel in the crystal-clear waters. Nearby
Seal Island
is
home to a colony of Australian sea lions and off-limits to the public. The naval base of
Garden Island can be reached only by private boat.
The
Penguin Island ferry
(Mersey Point Jetty; ferry $12; hourly 9am-3pm mid-Sep-May)
is run by Rock-
ingham Wild Encounters (
Click here
). Tickets combining the ferry with entry to the is-
land's discovery centre penguin-feeding (adult/child $18/15) are available.
At low tide it's possible to wade the few hundred metres to the island across the sandbar.
However, take heed of warning signs, as people have drowned here after being washed off
the bar during strong winds and high tides.
NATURE RESERVE
