Forget The Blue Lagoon - Western Australia is blessed with idyllic island getaways.
Rottnest Island is just a 30 minute cruise from Fremantle Harbour.
This picture-perfect paradise just about has it all - sheltered turquoise lagoons, spectacular surf and multiple reefs flush with colourful schools of fish.
It is truly an aquatic playground, where you can swim, snorkel, scuba dive, surf and fish.
Rottnest Island is a car-free zone for visitors - instead, travel from A to B with a bit of peddle-power!
Historic old stone buildings and little marsupials called quokkas, which hop around at dawn and dusk, add to the unique charm of this tranquil spot.
Near the coastal town of Rockingham you'll find Penguin Island, home to the largest colony of little penguins on the west coast.
You can watch these super-cute creatures being fed at the Penguin Experience Island Discovery Centre.
Visitors can learn more about these magnificent birds through commentaries and displays - or look out for wild penguins nestled in the sand burrows and limestone caverns on the island.
The Archipelago of the Recherche in Esperance - otherwise known as the Bay of Isles - is home to hundreds of islands.
At the most popular of these, Woody Island, you can snorkel among sea-dragons, explore famous dive wrecks, say G'day to the local sea lions and camp overnight in safari tents.
For a desert island escape, visit the eerie Abrolhos Islands off the coast of Geraldton.
With over 19 shipwrecks in its waters, including the famous Batavia shipwreck of 1629, you'll find some of the finest diving in Australia.
Coral and fish also abound in a rainbow of colours.
Up north, the picturesque and unpopulated Dampier Archipelago and Montebello Islands are another great destination for fishing, diving and swimming in sheltered bays.
The Dampier Archipelago comprises 42 pristine islands, many with coastal cliffs, valleys, sand plains and turquoise lagoons, while the Montebello Islands is home to nearly 100 limestone islands surrounded by white sandy beaches and aquamarine waters.
Rottnest Escape
1 Day
Rottnest Island is a small island situated just off the coast of Perth famous for its snorkelling, diving, surfing and swimming. View More