Reconnect in the Season of Rest

This is your time to discover a secluded island of deep rest.

4 minutes

Rottnest Island sunset

Journey over to Wadjemup during winter, the season of rest. Feel a sense of distance, solitude, and wrap yourself in restoration.

This island has rightly embedded itself into the landscape of summer nostalgia. For locals and those travelling from afar, Wadjemup / Rottnest Island seems to be permanently shining with the sun’s halo. Then, as the earth makes its annual rotation, the cold breath of the surrounding ocean calls the island into a season of rest.

From the thriving native landscape to the comfort of warming local meals, and the stillness required to reconnect to yourself and all that surrounds you, here’s our guide to the restoration that awaits you at Wadjemup.

Time in deep solitude

Our minds and bodies are asked to perform on a constant cycle of demand — with goals of maintaining friendships, career trajectories, financial milestones, and socially-defined markers of success. Sometimes, taking a break can seem like the enemy of progress. Yet, it is the essential balance required to maintain wellness.

Rottnest Island can be the place where you find this balance. A solo escape on the island gives you the freedom to choose the experiences you need and creates space to reconnect with yourself.

Wander one of the Wadjemup Bidi trails, wrapped up against the chill, warming as your heart rate rises. The Ngank Yira Bidi traces 10 km of the southeast corner of the island, following the coastline then turning inward to Bickley Battery and Oliver Hill — it’s the trail where history and nature converge. The natural landscapes of Wadjemup are rich with wonder, pause on the journey and take in the humbling vastness of the Indian Ocean and the lush beauty of the bushland.

On your own, you can recharge at your own pace. Perhaps follow your wander in nature with an indulgent massage then finish the afternoon curled up with a glass of red wine or a hot beverage, and a thick book. Whatever you need to replenish yourself for the seasons ahead.

Wander the hiking trails

Read a book in nature

Reconnecting amongst the romance of winter

Couples seeking cosy solitude will find just what they need on the island. Rottnest Island’s isolation from the mainland makes it even more suited for disconnecting... So, you can reconnect to each other.

Winter is a romantic time on the island. Soft rain disturbing the smooth surface of the salt lakes, windy seas bordered by moody violet skies, and a beachside firepit keeping the chill at bay. And when you stay overnight or for a few days, you can sink into the experience, slowly exploring at your leisure.

Crafting a lo-fi couples’ escape on Wadjemup begins with your accommodation, with options including secluded glamping at Discovery Resorts - Rottnest Island, a boutique room at Samphire Rottnest, or a classic Stay Rottnest beachfront unit. This is where you’ll watch the weather roll in over the sea while sharing a homemade dinner or listen to the rain from the warmth of a cosy bed.

Once your appetite for adventure awakens, head out to explore the island by foot or on a bike. The Wadjemup Bidi trails crisscross the island for 45 km, so you can wander at leisure amongst the unique flora and fauna, your time together only interrupted by birdsong. Then finish up back in the main settlement, for a dinner at the water’s edge of Thomson Bay with Italian fare at Isola Bar E Cibo, or South East Asian eats at the intimate Lontara restaurant, both enclosed to stay warm this winter.

Quokka spotting

Stay Rottnest

Glamping at Discovery Rottnest Island

Samphire Rottnest

Dinner at Isola Bar E Cibo

Dinner at Lontara

Connection with your people

Sometimes it’s hard to stay motivated over winter and these seasonal blues can keep us from connecting with others. Gathering your friends and loved ones for a winter getaway is just as important as following the sunshine in summer.

A group trip to Wadjemup in the cooler months means sharing adrenaline-fueled experiences, like the thrill of a surf at Strickland Bay — in internationally renowned swell.

But it’s also about slowing down, spending quiet evenings in your accommodation with nostalgic boardgames or walking the Wadjemup Bidi, sharing hushed comments of awe.

Hiking in winter

Cycling with friends

Restoring the family unit

Winter can bring different discoveries for the family. Quiet, misty mornings on your balcony, gumboot-clad escapades, sharing a moment of wonder as an osprey takes flight.

Leave the screens behind and allow the kids to fully connect with nature and the meaningful history of the island. As vehicles are limited on Wadjemup, it’s safer to let the kids roam the roads unhindered, cycling along the coastline, then past inland salt lakes and wilderness bristling with life, followed by hot chocolate and bowls of chips at Geordie’s Café & Art Gallery.

Once they’ve been tuckered out, retreat inside the Wadjemup Museum for Children for a journey of understanding. It’s a place filled with stories of the island’s past, brought into the present by historic artefacts and immersive audio experiences. Then, bring this knowledge with you, appreciating the past as you engage in light-hearted family activities like an evening at the Picture Hall for the latest release movies and classic blockbusters.

On Wadjemup, as the weather cools, we welcome a season of rest, a time for stillness and renewal in a place that will rejuvenate your sense of self and foster connection with loved ones.