| Cape Vlamingh (picture by Peter Watts) |  |
Cape Vlamingh
Photographer Description of Cape Vlamingh
Cape Vlamingh is the westernmost point of Rottnest Island. There are a series of broadwalks along the cape to a number of lookout points over the coastline. This panorama shows the view from the northern lookout point.Cape Vlamingh - Further Information
Cape Vlamingh is at the western end of Rottnest Island, about 10km from Thomson Bay. The cape curves south from the shoreline. Just to the north are Cathedral Rocks and Eagle Bay lies a little further west.Cape Vlamingh is names after the Dutch explorer Willem de Vlamingh. He mistook the quokkas (small wallabies which inhabit the island) for rats and named the island 'Rottenest' (Dutch for 'Rat's Nest'). The 'e' has been dropped leaving the modern Rottnest. Cape Vlamingh is home to plenty of wildlife, including the sea Osprey. Seals, dolphins and whales can be seen offshore at different times of the year. the cliffs here are very fragile and visitors must keep to the broad walks for both their own safety and the protection of the environment.
Travel Directions and Getting There:
Either cycle or by bus from Thomson Bay. Only the earliest bus of the day goes all the way to Cape Vlamingh, the others stop about 3km away near Whitehill, just at the eastern end of Narrowneck.