Photo of the Week: Quokka Quokka

A Quokka investigating the nice smells near the bakery on Rottnest Island.

This little guy is a quokka, a marsupial that can only be found on Western Australia’s Rottnest Island (and in very small areas of the Western Australian mainland). I personally think he looks a little bit like a combination of a wombat and a wallaby — he’s got the body of a wallaby and the chubbier face of a wombat.

You’ll find these guys as soon as you get off the ferry on Rottnest. They like to hang out around the food shops in the little shopping village near the ferry’s wharf, and if you’re not careful, you might find them peeking into your bag like in one of my photos below (don’t worry, I didn’t let him near my fish & chips in the bag). They’re pretty fearless, especially because the roads on the island have no vehicles (except for the occasional one operated by the resorts). The standard mode of transportation is the bicycle, and I had to swerve on a few occasions to avoid quokkas merrily hopping across the road without any concern about being run over. When I stopped for one of them, he hopped over to my bike, put his paws on the top of my front wheel, and started stretching!

And if you’re wondering, the title is very much a reference to Fozzie Bear’s catchphrase, “Waka waka!”

Here are some more pictures of the adorable quokka and the island where he lives:

About Kristin
I'm Kristin, a Texan born to an American father and English mother. I've been living in Australia since 2008. My first plane flight was when I was three weeks old and I've been hooked ever since. I never feel quite right unless I have a plane ticket (to anywhere, whether it's Sydney or Sweden) booked in my name. You can also find me on Twitter and Facebook.
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