3/03/2018 – Action Outdoors Association March long weekend
It is always great to be back on Rottnest Island. This year I celebrated with an super duper ice cream.
Saturday morning a group of us went on one of the newly publicized walks – Gabbi Karniny Bidi, about 10kms, it was interesting to see some different aspects of the island, and to get to places that cannot be reached by bicycle.
We stopped to watch the birds on one of the salt lakes (they all escaped the camera). Rottnest has a system of salt lakes which covers 10% of the Island at more than 200 hectares. There are 12 lakes in total with seven being permanent, while parts of the wetlands and 5 of the salt lakes dry up in summer. The pinkish colour is caused by the algae Dunaliella Salina. It contains a naturally occurring pink substance called beta-carotene. When shrimp eat this algae it gives them a pink colour also.
Another salt lake showing pink tinges in some places.
This lake is an important area for migratory birds.
It was nice to finally reach the coast again.
However, long weekends do have their drawbacks, and there were plenty of party animals over at Rotto this year, there was also a concert on in the afternoon and evening, so drinking and loud music was the go.
Here is Thomson’s Bay on a long weekend, it looks as if you could walk across the bay on boats. We retreated to our quiet corner of the island to play tennis and have a few quiet wines.
And I had to get a quokka selfie this year after all of the publicity over Federer getting one.