Rottnest Island, 12 miles away from the city of Perth and usually visible from the coast, is the typical summer holiday destination for locals. It's a relaxing island with no cars and not too much to do other than swim, sunbathe, snorkel or cycle - sounds perfect, right?

If you don't have time to stay, that's not really a problem, because apparently 70% of the people who visit Rottnest are there on a day trip. You can take a ferry from the port of Fremantle or from the northern harbour at Hillarys, and it's also possible to catch a ferry in central Perth which then picks up more passengers in Fremantle.

There are several ferry companies that will take you to Rottnest, including Rottnest Express, Oceanic Cruises and Rottnest Fast Ferries. For day trips you can usually leave sometime between 8am and 10am, and get on a return boat at Rottnest between 4pm and 5pm - the trip over takes about an hour.

While you're on "Rotto", as the locals call it, you can hire a bicycle and tour the island - for fit cyclists it'll take only an hour or two - longer if you stop off at lots of gorgeous beaches. You can also do some short tours of the fort and cannons left on Rottnest for wartime, and see the local quokkas - small marsupials only found there. Swimming and snorkelling are also a great way to pass the time. There are several places to eat and drink before you get the ferry home.

Or if you drink too much why not spend the night? The perfect side trip from a stay in Perth is to spend a night or a week relaxing on Rottnest Island, just off the coast. While there are lots of budget bungalow housing options available, the top-end place to stay is the Rottnest Lodge.

You'll find the Rottnest Lodge on Kitson Street just behind the shops and settlement buildings, and some of the rooms overlook the large salt lakes behind it. The rooms vary in size and price so it's not necessarily an overly expensive option, and a buffet breakfast is included - you can eat it sitting around the landscaped swimming pool area if you want. The rooms are not what you'd find in a luxury hotel - they're more beach-like with wide doors and no carpet so all that beach sand doesn't get trapped there. And you can lock up your bicycle (a must for staying on Rottnest) right outside.

Locals might think it's rather extravagant to spend a night at the Rottnest Lodge instead of staying in a regular house on Rottnest Island, but if you've got the budget (average rate around A$200 a night) then it's certainly a decent place to stay.