Rottnest Island

Wadjemup –  Land across the water where the spirits go.

Rating:  1,000 Frequent Bio Points

 Plus 500 Bonus Frequent Bio Points every time you walk or ride to a bay away from the settlement!

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Rottnest Island

19 Kms across the sea from Fremantle, Western Australia.

Rottnest Ferry services are available from Perth and Fremantle.

Rottnest Island is an A Class Nature Reserve preserving flora, marine and wildlife.

Cars are not permitted on the Island and bicycles or walking are the main means of transport.

Rottnest is a place of natural attractions and healthy activities.

 

Rottnest is the home to the quokka, a quokkasmall marsupial with a pouch similar to Kangaroos and Wallabies. In 1696 de Vlamingh thought that quokkas were “a kind of rat as big as a common cat” and he named the Island ‘Rotte nest’ (meaning ‘rat’s nest’).

The traditional and Indigenous name for Rottnest is Wadgemup.

After colonization Rottnest was used for a time as a prison for convicted Aboriginals. These convictions were often only for very petty crimes.  The conditions on the Island have been quoted as being horrific; ‘squalid, cramped, dank and dark’. This was a shameful period in the recent history of the Island.  A memorial centre is to be built and at least some proper respect will be paid to those who lost their lives there.

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There are many walks on the Island including guided walks and bird watching walks

The Island is surrounded by beautiful and often secluded bays.

The waters around Rottnest as crystal clear and perfect for swimming and snorkeling.

October and November are best times to see the many humpback whales heading past Rottnest towards the Southern Ocean.

Accommodation is basic but clean. It is a safe place for children and families.There are facilities for disabled and elderly visitors. This has become a place for all people to enjoy. 019e435f9a6c1fbd7ea637179c88dd39b636d5013f

Developers want to get their hands on the Island and build 5 star hotels and resorts.

Locals do not want the Island to become a place just for the wealthy.

 

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My mother  has Parkinson’s disease.

We have just spent a lovely week at Rottnest.

We were well looked after on the ferries and on the Island.

Mum says she felt so much better after having spent a week in such a healthy environment.

Her appetite was good, she slept well, and there was an obvious improvement in her health each day and throughout our stay.

 Rottnest is a  pristine environment and a natural wonderland.

 Highly recommended!

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Park for Parkinson’s

Perry Lakes

 My mother has Late Onset Parkinson’s Disease. She is 85.

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Some times when I visit her she is struggling a bit to move around her apartment. Every Sunday morning we go for a walk in the park. We drive down to nearby park lands called Perry Lakes. This is large beautiful area with lots of trees and several lake areas situated right next to Bold Park (an A class reserve).

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The air in Perry Lakes is always fresh and the bird life plentiful.

And there are outdoor exercise machines here too!

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We take our time as we walk through the trees towards the several outdoor exercise gym machines. On those days we are nearly always overtaken by other people!

freda-8Two exercise machines are particularly good for mum.

This first  one is the cross trainer walker machine and is a little like a ski walking machine.

It helps her coordinate her arm and leg movements and helps her to  make large strides.

 

 

 

fredaThe second is an ab-hip swinger.

Mum often comments that she can feel this one loosening up her hips.

She finds them both easy to do and I can see how much more she is loosening up as she exercises on each machine.

The results of taking these exercises in the park are always apparent afterwards. When we return to the apartment her ability to move around the apartment has greatly improved.  We often remark that it is not just the exercises but also the fresh air and the natural surrounding that re- invigorate her.  It is noticeable to us that the effects are  better than those when she  exercise indoors.

For mum, the walks are easily worth 1000 or more  Frequent Bio Points (this is subjective of course)! It may not cure her but it at least helps improves her condition.

White Cockatoos recorded at Perry Lakes

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Thank you to the Rotary Club and the  Town of Cambridge for supplying and maintaining this resource.