Revisiting Discovery Rottnest Island, Perth, Australia
Located on the far north east corner of Perth’s very own secret island hideaway, Discovery Rottnest Island is a must visit location for lovers of beach, sun and sand and (we think) is a great reason to add a stop in Perth as part of your Australian adventures. Arguably, provding the very best glamping experience in the state, with the highest category tents nestled right into the water front dunes of Pinky Beach, Discovery Rottnest Island has already become a regular haunt for these proud Perthites.
If you haven’t already, we suggest you read our initial post about Discovery Rottnest Island from back in December 2021 to learn more about the resort in general.
Once you have read that and wet your appetite, below we discuss the pros and cons of each available tent, and any requests you may wish to make when booking…
Our focus is on the Deluxe Oceanside Tents at Discovery Rottnest Island being those of most interest to us and we suspect our readers…
These are the largest and best appointed, but of course the main attraction is that oceanside location with both internal and balcony views that look straight out to the sea with nothing else but natural dunes and the occasional quokka to draw your attention.
First things first, a reminder, the Delux Oceanside Tents at Discovery Rottnest Island are only tents in the broadest sense of the word (this is definitely not camping). You will enjoy a fully equipped bathroom with all the modern conveniences including flushing toilet, two vanities with hot and cold water, shower with rain fall shower head and hand held shower head (though only one can be used at a time), a kitchenette with microwave and small fridge, plus a fan over the bed. There is no air conditioning, but trust us, when you are this close to the water, and with Rottnest generally being a little breezer than on the main land, you don’t miss it for one moment.
Next, a word on ‘luxury’. It can mean different things to different people, but it is probably worth mentioning, particularly for international travellers, Rottnest luxury, and to a large extent Western Australian luxury, is very different to that which you may have come to expect from travels around the world. So while we discuss privacy and noise and the like below, it is important to understand that on Rottnest, there is no such thing as seclusion. Everyone is near everyone else no matter where you stay (including on a private boat in a sheltered bay), and you will hear, and see, them no matter what.
Similarly, Discovery Rottnest Island caters for almost all visitors as you can chose from a number of tent options. Further, you can actually camp, in your own tent, right next door, for all intents and purposes within the same resort grounds. Accordingly, service levels are friendly but modest at best. For example your tent will get serviced each day, but don’t expect it to be promptly and discretly done while you are at breakfast. Official service times are a broad range of between 9 and 4, and in our experience, it is usually closer to the later.
Which Deluxe Oceanside Tent to Request at Discovery Rottnest Island
The six Deluxe Oceanside Tents are arranged in a L-shape across the front of the resort, with slightly confusing numbering, as below:
All six are essentially identical in terms of features and layout, but differ significantly in their outlook. While Discovery management stresses that no room requests can be guaranteed, it may be worth considering which tent may best suit your personal preferences, and put in a hopeful hint.
Starting at the northern end, tents 6 and 1 face northwest rather than northeast, towards The Basin more than Pinky Beach. The distance to the water is slightly greater for these two villas, but as they are more set back from the dune there is more sea view than dune view, and both decks and shower have reasonably full ocean views.
View from Tent 1's Balcony Doorway, looking northwest
Of the two, tent 1 is definitely preferable to tent 6 – as the corner villa and closest to the water of the two, it has much more privacy, and the sounds of the water from two adjacent beaches. It’s side window faces the Pinky Beach dune and although there are not ocean views in this direction, it is a private outlook with no-one able to see in, meaning it is possible to keep this large canvas window fully open at all times.
VIew north from Tent 1 looking north
In contrast, tent 6 is closer to other (non-Deluxe Oceanside) tents, and is also immediately adjacent to the public access walkway to The Basin, with passers-by able to see into the tent quite readily. Admittedly, it is still possible to see into villa 1 from the walkway somewhat, and also in particular for anyone walking along the top of the dune between The Basin and Pinky Beach, but this sand path is much less frequented than the main walkway.
Tent 1 (left) and Tent 6 (right) from the walkway to The Basin
So saying, with both villa 1 and villa 6 at the far aspect of the resort, they are definitely amongst the quietest and most peaceful of the resort’s tents, and for the most part once inside your front door you can easily forget you are in a lodging with over 80 ‘rooms’.
The other Deluxe Oceanside Tents, numbers 2, 3, 4 and 5, are northeast-facing toward Pinky Beach. Nestled into the undulating dune, they vary significantly in their outlook and level of privacy, and their proximity to the public access stairway to Pinky Beach that lies between tents 2 and 3.
Tent 2, adjacent to Tent 1, is definitely one of the picks of the bunch. It’s deck extends up to the dune, with views through the grasses onto the water at Pinky Beach and the Bathurst Lighthouse on the point. While the deck is definitely visible from the beach access walkway, it is not possible for passers-by to see into the villa.
Tent 2 from the Pinky Beach walkway,
Tent 3 has an interesting orientation. It definitely has the best views, with its deck looking out over the gap between the dunes directly on to Pinky Beach, with views of the beach and rolling waves rather than just the more-distant sea. But this comes at a price – the walkway to the beach is immediately in front of the deck of this villa, with passers-by easily able to see not only the deck, but directly in to the living room and bedroom. Any desire for privacy would necessitate the closing of the front curtains, which unfortunately defeats the purpose of the spectacular view. Some guests may be comfortable with this degree of proximity to passers-by, which admittedly is no different to all the other non-Deluxe Oceanside tents in the rest of the resort, whereas others may be uncomfortable with the lack of privacy.
The walkway to Pinky Beach right in front of Tent 3
Tent 4 is definitely another prime pick. It shares a raised entrance platform with Tent 5, giving elevated views from its dune-front location of both the water and Bathurst lighthouse. The deck area is slightly visible from the beach walkway, but it is definitely not possible to see into the villa and the villa feels private and secluded.
The view to Bathurst Lighthouse from Tent 4’s balcony
The view to Pinky Beach from Tent 4’s balcony
Adjacent Tent 5 has similar views and an even more privately orientated deck. It would be a highly desirable villa, if not for its proximity to Pinky’s Beach Club, with its restaurant, music and crowds. We have not yet stayed in this villa to advise whether this is a relevant concern, and it is likely that this is more a consideration on weekends and in high season than perhaps at other times when the resort is quieter. But if you really don’t like noise, we suggest letting management know when you book, because this will be by far the most affected tent.
Tent 5 is right next to the Beach Club
As mentioned above, requests for particular rooms may not be able to be accommodated (in our case we were unsuccessful with our request on this return visit), but it doesn’t hurt to try, particularly if staying at times of the year when the resort is not fully occupied.
Final Tips - What to bring to enhance your stay at Rottnest Discovery Island
If you enjoy your nespresso as a flat white, bring your milk frother from home. And perhaps a sleeve of coffee pods, as these don’t seem to be reliably replaced during your stay.
Bug spray – while the tent is as much hard structure as canvas, there are still gaps, and mosquitos tend to sneak in at night.
There are no electrical outlets on or near the deck – if you’ll be using your laptop while admiring the gorgeous view, consider bringing an extension cord.
If you like to go to sleep early, consider ear plugs for Friday and Saturday nights, if there is a wedding, you will hear the music regardless of which tent you are in till the curfew at 11pm.
Rottnest will always be a touch cooler and receive more wind than Perth, so always have a long sleeve, ideally wind proof, layer for when the sun goes down and the wind picks up.
