Boasting one of Western Australia’s most accessible and pristine marine environments and diverse sea life, it’s no surprise that Rottnest Island is a popular destination for boating.
For anyone visiting Rottnest Island Marine Reserve by boat, there are regulations and guidelines in place to help conserve this unique environment and ensure that the beauty of the waters surrounding the island can continue to be enjoyed by future generations.
To preserve Rottnest Island's aquatic environments, five marine sanctuary zones have been established.
Within these sanctuary zones, fishing and collecting of marine flora and fauna is restricted.
For more information on the sanctuary zone boundaries and permissible activities, please refer to the Department of Fisheries.
A range of maps of the Rottnest Island Marine Reserve, including sanctuary zones, are available to download from Rottnest Island Authority.
Visitors are required to pay an admission fee to contribute to the provision of facilities and services on the island.
Those visiting by ferry or commercial vessel pay the admission fee as part of their fare. If you are visiting by private vessel, you’re required to pay admission fees as soon as possible once you’ve entered the marine reserve. This can be done via two different payment options.
More information on fees and payments
Several high profile events are held every year on Rottnest Island which attract a large number of boaters. Visitors are reminded to adhere to requests or instructions from Rottnest Island Rangers, Police, or Officers from the Department of Fisheries and Department of Transport to assist in the management of these events.
Notices to mariners including water closure maps will be available on Rottnest Island Authority website.
In the event of a life-threatening boating emergency, please contact the Police on 000 first or Channel 16 on VHF radio.
If your vessel breaks down or requires mechanical assistance, please contact your local Sea Rescue group.
In the case of an oil or fuel spill, please contact the Department of Transport on (+61 8) 9480 9924 or [email protected].
If you need the Rottnest Island rangers’ assistance, they can be contacted on (+61 8) 9372 9788 or on Channel 16, call sign ‘Rottnest Rangers’.
All visitors to Rottnest Island must pay admission fees.
Individual admission fees can be paid online, upon arrival at the Visitor Centre on the island, or when you book a hire facility online. These can be paid per person for a day trip or an extended stay.
Boat owners can also pay an annual admission fee based on the size of their vessel. You can purchase an Annual Admission sticker online.
The annual admission fees are valid from 1 September to 31 August each year.
Once the admission fee is paid, boat operators can anchor or beach-anchor in the appropriate areas or hire a rental facility. Payment of admission fees does not entitle a boat operator to use any mooring and penalties apply for failing to pay admission fees.
See ria.wa.gov.au/boating for more information.
Boats can be anchored anywhere within the Rottnest Island Marine Reserve, providing the vessel is not within 50 m of a mooring or as specified by signage.
Anchors cannot be dropped in sea grass or on a reef. Popular anchorage areas include Thomson Bay (south of the Army Groyne), Longreach Bay, Parker Point and Stark Bay.
More information on anchoring is available on the Rottnest Island Authority website.
Self-service diesel and unleaded petrol are available 24 hours / 7 days a week at the Fuel Jetty. Contact the Visitor Centre or phone (+61) 439 964 858 during office hours for operator assistance.
Potable water is also available from the Geordie Bay Jetty and small amounts of LPG is available from the Geordie Bay General Store.
Vessels can be taken into any bay. Entrance should be based on the skipper’s skill level, vessel suitability and weather conditions at the time. Operators should check the marine chart Rottnest Island WA412 available for download on the Department of Transport's website.
Several boat convoys are conducted each year by various sea rescue groups to educate skippers on the best approaches to Rottnest Island. Please contact your local group for details.
Mooring hire bookings can be made up to 100 days in advance.
To book visit the mooring bookings website or contact Rottnest Island Reservations on (+61) 1800 111 111 or email [email protected] during business hours (8:30 am to 5 pm AWST, Monday to Friday).
More information about marine facilities hire is available on the Rottnest Island Authority website.
No. There are both private moorings and rental moorings available which are identified by different coloured buoys.
More information about the different types of moorings available, and how you can access them, can be found on the Rottnest Island Authority website.
Hire a boat with Boating West Hire and experience Rottnest Island from a different perspective.
Whether you enjoy fishing, water sports, sightseeing or just being out on the water, Boating West has the boat for you.
Boating West Hire aims to make boating easier, providing a safe, fun and cost-effective way to experience Rottnest Island from the water.
A range of hire boats are available for half-day or full-day boat hire.
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