Rottnest Island, Geordie Bay, City Of Cockburn, Western Australia, 6161, Australia
Rottnest Island, sometimes known as “Rotto,” is a 19-square-kilometer island off the coast of Western Australia, 18 kilometers west of Fremantle. Rottnest Island, a sandy, low-lying island created on aeolianite limestone, is an A-class reserve, the greatest level of protection allowed to public land. It is, like Garden Island, a remnant of Pleistocene dune ridges. The ancient Noongar name for the island is Wadjemup, which translates to “place across the water where the spirits are.” Rottnest and a number of other islands were cut off from the mainland some 7,000 years ago as a result of rising sea levels. Human artifacts dating back at least 30,000 years have been discovered on the island, however visiting and occupation of the island by the Noongar people appears to have halted following its separation from the mainland.