🇦🇺 Ever since seeing photos of cyclists taking selfies with smiling quokka's on a beautiful car-free island, cycling Rottnest Island had been on our bucket list, a place on the other side of the world we doubted we'd ever get to. Quokka's are marsupials about the size of a beaver, nicknamed "happiest animal on earth" because of their congenial facial expressions that are seen in photographs, and their friendly demeanors. They are mainly endemic to Rottnest Island plus a couple of other nearby places. An e-bike tour was available with Paul’s Eco-ebikes, but it ended at 3:30 and we'd need to catch the 4:00 Sealink ferry to comfortably make the departure time for our ship. The 5:00 ferry would be iffy. So, there was a risk involved, especially since the ship was next headed out across the Indian Ocean for 7 days. But, bucket list experience won out over risk. We enjoyed the bike tour on this beautiful sunny day with shipmates Claire & Bill and Bob & Steve K. It was indeed a cyclist’s paradise with panoramic views of the turquoise waters from the car-free roads, and the hilly terrain made us glad to have e-bikes. The 30-minute Sealink Ferry ride to and from the port at Fremantle was well managed and we appreciated the refreshing popsicles they handed out. But it turns out "Cycling with the Quokkas" is usually a misnomer, since they are nocturnal and are rarely seen in the "bush" along the bike route in daylight. Paul did point out a den along the way where we saw a couple of sleeping ones. However, in the village where the cafes and shops are located near the ferry dock, they have learned to hang out during the day, so that is where the quokka experiences typically take place, and we had some delightful up close quokka time there before and after the ride. We bought our lunch at a delicious deli there, and ate it at a scenic viewpoint along the ride. All in all a wonderful experience, a highlight of the cruise.