Rottnest Island

Rottnest Island is a unique place, and very different to all the other inclusions on this list. The only spot in the world where you can find a quokka – a smiling, fluffy marsupial with no natural predators, Rottnest is an open-air nature reserve that also acts as a sanctuary for some very rare and special animals. With no cars on the island, you can walk or cycle around to some of the most spectacular beaches in the world and see quokkas, birds, reptiles, seals and whales all dancing without cages in their natural habitat.

It is important to acknowledge that Rottnest (whose original name is Wadjemup) has an ancient Indigenous history and a recent tragic past that must be respected.