ROTTNEST ISLAND RANGER Kaija Antipas stands vigilantly outside her home, a 19th-century lighthouse keeper's cottage. The midday sun beats down on the dry bushland and rugged coastline around her. Her eyes strain as she tries to detect movement on the rocky terrain. Every rustle of leaves or chirp of a seabird sends a jolt of energy through her.
Kaija is on what she calls "quokka watch". It's key to catch the creatures before they strike. With their cat-sized bodies, wild eyes, and permanently fixed smiles, quokkas are widely regarded as "cute". And yet this innocent facade belies a life of crime.
"We have to keep the quokkas out of the backyard because we're trying to grow vegies," Kajia says. "The second something green pops out of the ground, they nail it. So we're on quokka watch. But a big one slips in every night. It jumps over a five-foot-high fence to have a munch.".
There are currently nine quokkas wandering around her front yard. "Where we are, with plenty of natural habitat, they're healthy: gorgeous and fluffy," Kaija says.
"How crazy good are they?!" says Steve, Kaija's partner, as a quokka advances towards us. Is this the mastermind behind the vegie patch raids?
WADJEMUP IS THE Noongar name for Rottnest Island, a 19sq.km patch sitting 33km west of Perth in Western Australia. In 1696 Dutch explorer Willem de Vlamingh mistook the quokkas for giant rats and named the island 't Eylandt 't Rottenest, which translates to "Rats' Nest Island".
In late 2022, Irish vlogger Allan Dixon - who calls himself the "animal whisperer"-jokingly referred to quokkas as "rats" in a viral video, much to the chagrin of a few West Australians. Due to several celebrity #quokkaselfies, the marsupials have struck internet gold.
So Rottnest Island, known affectionately as "Rotto", has become one of WA's top tourist destinations. The island's pristine beaches are an asset all on their own.
Denne historien er fra July - August 2024-utgaven av Australian Geographic Magazine.
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Denne historien er fra July - August 2024-utgaven av Australian Geographic Magazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
SULAWESI SENSATIONS
There are worlds within worlds and marvels untold waiting to be experienced on Indonesia's remote islands.
SEARCHING FOR AUSSIE DINOSAURS
Our understanding of where to find ancient life in Australia has been turned on its head by a new appreciation of the country's geology. Now the world is looking to our vast outback as the latest hotspot to locate fossils.
THE HARDEST NIGHT
The first Australian ascent of Mt Everest in 1984 is one of the great feats of mountaineering. Climbed by a small team semi-alpine style, with no bottled oxygen, via the Great (Norton) Couloir, it remains unrepeated 40 years later.
WEDGE-TAILED WONDER
The chance discovery of an eagle nest leads to an extended vigil observing normally hidden behaviours of one of nature's supreme winged marvels.
BURDENED BY BEAUTY
Northern Australia's Gouldian finch survives in huge numbers in cages around the world, but its wild population continues to struggle.
A TELESCOPE FOR A GOLDEN AGE
After a stellar 50 years as one of the country's major scientific assets, the AAT continues to play a major role in keeping Australian astronomy on the world stage.
COCKY WHISPERING AT COOMALLO CREEK
This patch of remnant bush on the edge of the West Australian wheatbelt is a place loved by one of Australia's rarest bird species and the man who has studied the site for more than 50 years.
A PIONEERING PAIR
Louisa Atkinson and her mother, Charlotte, were among Australia's earliest authors, and pioneers in women's rights.
THE LONGEST WALK
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SECLUDED, BUT NOT ALONE
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