The next place we visited was Rottnest Island (Wedjemup).
A Nyungar elder named Noel welcomed us to the island. He instructed us to go to the water’s edge, grab a handful of sand and throw it in the water. He said the island would smell us and sense our presence through this ritual.
Noel is one of the most beautiful people I’ve ever met, and listening to him talk about his beliefs and how nature reflects life, I could just sense the connection he has to nature and how much it means to him. One of the things he said that day that has stuck with me through the years is this, “There are only two things in life you need, truth and love. If you have true love, well then you have everything.”
Noel also shared with us the history of Wedjemup and the significance it has in Nyungar culture. Rottnest is a popular tourist attraction in Australia. It’s an absolutely beautiful island with a very sad history.
Wedjemup is called the “Spirit Island.” It was a prison island where many Nyungar were taken to and imprisoned, many not even knowing their offense, or if they would ever see their families again. Once the Nyungar were taken to the island, they were stuck in a small holding cell down by the water that was about a 6’ by 9’ room. About 25 or more were crammed in this small cell, chained up and left overnight. The saddest part about being imprisoned on Rottnest Island is that from the shore you can see Perth.
The Nyungar who were imprisoned on the island could see home all the while, never knowing whether or not they would ever go back. Many Nyungar died on the island and their families believe that their spirits are not at rest and trapped on the island.
Later during the history of the island, the “Quod” was erected to house prisoners.
Today the structure serves as accommodations for overnight guests. There is no signage on the island detailing the bleak history or any information to let travelers know their rooms once served as prison cells.
Noel also showed us another place on the island, a sacred burial ground, whose history also seems to be covered up.
You would never know that it was a sacred site, except for the crosses on some of the trees. It was once used as a campground, and probably still is.
After our lessons, we were given the option to stay on the island or leave on the ferry. Our teacher, like a lot of Nyungar, will not stay on the island because of the spirits there. I didn’t want to be disrespectful, but we were encouraged to stay and enjoy the island, so we did.
This was our little villa for the night. It was really rainy that day, so by the time we were finished walking around the island, we were soaking wet. That didn’t hinder our exploring though.
This is a quokka. Rottnest Island is crawling with them. They are very friendly and cute.
This beautiful creature was just hanging out.
Funny story, during a break in our lesson, we went to eat at DOME and these little guys joined us.
Quokkas were literally running under my feet at the table where we were eating. I was amazed that no one seemed to mind. Of course I acted like the typical tourist and whipped out my camera to document it. I thought it was pretty cool and I didn’t mind the show either. I mean, how cool is it to eat with a peacock?!
After exploring, we decided to head back to our villa for the night. We wound down the evening by drinking a little wine and talking. The next morning we got up and caught the ferry back to Fremantle and returned to Murdoch for the weekend. To be continued…
