Rotto visa change, so far but so near

It is that time of year again.

I have just completed my annual pilgrimage to Rottnest Island, and as long-time readers of this column will know, there’s always something worthy of comment.

And here, may I assure you, this is not and never has been for the purposes of making my travel tax deductible.

This year was very different to others because for the first time in nearly two decades our Rotto break was mostly after the school holiday peak. Obviously that fact dates me somewhat, as my children no longer go to school.

That made the island a very different place, with only a smattering of teenage gangs let loose on the car-free roads and far fewer of the usual business connections that I tended to have informal catch-ups with.

This year there were more foreigners exploring the island, with this being the first time since COVID restrictions that overseas travellers were able to get to Rotto in numbers.

One of my retail connections on the island said business had been strong for months, with different waves of overseas visitors coming through as various barriers to entry were removed.

That is good news.

There is also a lot of positive change taking place in terms of infrastructure. Much of it is little things or changes that may not be obvious to the average visitor, but there seemed to be a feeling of progressive updating across the island.

Perhaps something visitors will notice only indirectly is the fact that Rottnest has been designated ‘remote/very remote’, and therefore an accepted location for tourism and hospitality work for those making a second or third working holiday visa application.

I understand this was very recent, but it has been hard to find out exactly when it happened, why, and whether it applies only to Rotto or is part of some broader initiative.

Nevertheless, it is significant and very strategic. You need only look at the Western Australian postcodes that have this designation (remote/very remote), the first being 6335, as an indication of distance from Perth.

Although that postcode, which has Gnowangerup at its centre, is not the furthest from Perth in terms of travel when it comes to remote/very remote areas for the visas, there would not be anything much inside 200 kilometres.

Except Rottnest.

Of course, it’s not that simple. Sure, you can see Rotto from the top a most CBD high rises but even though it is barely 20km away you do need a boat or aircraft to reach this magical tourist getaway.

If we assume a starting point of Perth’s GPO, it is around 30km away. A regular ferry from Elizabeth Quay will get you there in a leisurely 90 minutes. The journey’s even quicker if you leave from Fremantle.

The point is, Rottnest is close at hand for most of us. People actually swim there, occasionally.

And for working holiday makers, it is easy to see many might prefer a three-month stint working on the island, not to mention that you can be back on the mainland within half an hour on a day off.

Rottnest needs this.

There is more high-quality accommodation available and more to come. Such service providers, as well as the bars and other hospitality venues seeking to attract higher spending guests, need skilled workers.

Who knows, they may find that three months is not enough.

I know a few people in fields such as policing and other parts of the bureaucracy that governs the island who have found their posting to Rottnest was one the best times of their lives.

I look forward to my next visit to see if more workers wanting to be on the island will make a difference.

I can only hope it improves the baggage handling. I had to laugh that a bag I nurtured on two plane flights to get me from Queensland to the B Shed for a 4pm ferry went missing between Fremantle and my Rottnest cabin.

Apparently, it sat on the wharf uncollected, even though its destination was printed on the tag and my phone number was there, too. I got it the next day.

Seems it’s not just Qantas that has a few staff issues.