Rottnest Island summer holidays

Rottnest Island is Perth's aquatic playground and I was lucky enough to be invited out for a couple of days on a 49 foot Riveria motor cruiser in the new year. Clearly this isn't my motor cruiser but what a great way to spend my summer holidays.

For us south of the equator - you just can't beat the beautiful summer days of the Christmas season. The days hit 42 degrees Celsius but we hardly knew, stepping off the back of the boat into the refreshing water provided a cool respite from the heat.

Powered by twin Caterpillar 3176 marine engines, this motor cruiser is luxury with a forward double berth, a starboard double berth with private head and shower whilst the port berth houses single bunks and a shared head and shower.

An onboard desalination plant generates 100 litres of freshwater per hour so you never have to pull into a jetty to replenish water supplies, the fuel tanks hold 2000 litres so when you do pull into the fueling jetty, you will know about it though.

I couldn't believe the community set up in the bays, sure there was plenty of boats moored in the vicinity and not only was everybody courteous to other boaties, but the respect shown was amazing.

All throughout the day and evening, tenders chugged ashore delivering people to the island for their daily activities, they also took people fishing and diving with a number of boats having a small transport tender and a larger utility boat to visit the bays of the island.

The local rocklobster provide a wonderful supply of easily caught local delicacies to supplement the stores brought onboard as well as the local Dhufish, Snapper and Baldchin Groper that this wonderful island provides. I still have 12 years until retirement and I think I will be counting down every day until then.