THERE’S A MAN ON THE FLOOR, contorting himself at strange angles under a pub table. It would be an alarming sight anywhere else, but on Rottnest Island you get accustomed to people pulling questionable moves in pursuit of that prized holiday souvenir: a quokka selfie. The fuzzy marsupials reign ‘Rotto’, as WA locals fondly refer to it, and yes, their fathomless eyes and cheesy grins are irresistible. But I suspect their spell may also be Machiavellian: perhaps their charms are purposefully deployed to distract from Rottnest’s other natural beauties?
Being a seasoned Rotto fan, I’m all but immune to the ways of the quokka. I raise my eyebrows at a seagull, who’s also (fruitlessly) posing inside the glass at the beach-facing Hotel
