Everyone knows Rottnest Island in summer, but almost nobody knows Rottnest Island in spring.

Everyone knows the Rottnest of summer: packed ferries, full beaches, crowds jostling for the perfect quokka selfie. It’s a brilliant way to spend a summer’s day, and there’s good reason it’s the island’s most popular season. But go in spring instead, and you’ll find a completely different island.

Same limestone coastline, same turquoise bays, same resident quokkas going about their business, just quieter, greener, and running to an entirely different rhythm. Vivid wildflowers pushing up through the scrub, humpback whales moving past the coastline and hiking trails at their most alive. This is Rottnest in spring, and after experiencing a weekend of it, it’s my pick for WA’s best-kept travel secret.

Whale-watching and seal-spotting at the West End

Here’s the part you genuinely can’t get in summer: humpback whales migrating past Rottnest’s west end.

We based ourselves in the island’s main settlement for a few nights, and from there, a hop-on hop-off bus runs straight out to the West End; the best place on Rottnest to see spring’s whale migration for yourself.

The whales travel up and down the WA coast annually, but it’s their return journey south from July to October that brings them closest to the island’s shores – the mothers keep their calves near the coastline to build up a layer of blubber before the colder, plankton-rich waters of the Antarctic. By summer, they’re long gone.

At Cape Vlamingh, signs tell you exactly what to look for. We stood at the lookout, eyeing the water intently. Binoculars aren’t necessarily needed; you can definitely spot the humpbacks without them – but a pair would make the experience all the more thrilling.

A short walk away at Cathedral Rocks, a viewing platform overlooks a colony of long-nosed fur seals hauled out on the rocks below (visitors are asked to keep a 50-metre distance, as the seals are wild and easily disturbed). We watched a handful frolicking in the shallows, seemingly fishing for lunch, utterly unbothered by anything except each other.

Hiking the wildflower-laden trails

Rottnest Island has five signposted walking trails collectively known as the Wadjemup Bidi, and the hop-on hop-off bus runs from the main settlement out to the various trailheads. We tackled the Ngank Wen Bidi and a stretch of the Karlinyah Bidi along the island’s northern beaches, and in spring, both are transformed.

The scrub either side of the trails is studded with wildflowers, mostly ‘coastal pigface’ (Carpobrotus virescens), a daisy-like flower of vivid fuchsia – the kind of colour that stops you mid-stride. They bloom for a few short weeks each spring before the heat arrives and the colour is gone until next year. It’s not a nicer version of the summer trail; it’s a completely different one.

Sunset at Samphire’s Beach Club bar to yourself

The island isn’t short on great places to stay, but our first pick was Samphire, located right in the main Thompson Bay settlement. It’s a sleek, low-key luxury stay with a decidedly grown-up feel, even though it’s not officially adults-only. It’s the kind of place that makes the case for a slower Rottnest all on its own.

We stayed in one of the Poolside rooms, looking out over Samphire’s lagoon-style pools, with interiors that lean into the island’s raw, rugged landscape: natural textures, muted tones, timber panelling and jute soft furnishings.

The Samphire Club, the guests-only lounge stocked with coffee, baked treats and board games, is the perfect way to spend a slow spring afternoon. And the sand-between-your-toes Beach Club bar, usually the busiest spot at sunset come summertime, is all yours to settle into with a drink after a long day of hiking.

Rottnest Island dining without the wait

Dinner on night one was at the Samphire’s neighbouring Hotel Rottnest, arguably the most picturesque pub in the state, with every table offering a view of Thompson Bay. The next was at Lontara, Samphire’s in-house restaurant, for confident Asian-fusion cooking with five-star service.

However, if you only eat one meal on Rottnest, make it at Isola, home to some of the best Italian food in WA. For lunch, we got the Taglierini, a traditional long, thin ribbon pasta from northern Italy, tossed with blue swimmer crab, fresh tomato, a hint of chilli, garlic and basil, finished with cream and Great Southern EVOO. Paired with a glass of Italian Vermentino, it’s reason enough to book the ferry. In peak season, it’s the kind of lunch you’d book months in advance. In spring, there’s a real chance you can just walk in.

Why spring, not summer

The case for Rottnest Island in spring: Whales passing the coastline that won’t be there by January. Wildflowers blooming for a few short weeks and then gone. Fewer people jostling for a spot at the bar or a table at dinner. Temperate weather that actually invites you onto the trails rather than off them.

The case against Rottnest Island in summer: Rottnest in summer is exactly as good as everyone says it is, but the drawbacks can’t be overlooked. Rottnest in spring, however, is a version of the island most people have never even thought to visit – and it deserves its moment, too.