Presidential Ponderings
President Kelly reminded everyone that today was Valentines Day - amidst groans from the non-romantics and sighs from the ladies!
Guest Speaker Ros Kruger - The Joys of Volunteering
Retired School Psychologist (30 years) and High School Science/ Biology/ Human Biology teacher (10 years).
Mother of Christopher (Computer Scientist/programmer) and Melissa (Mathematician/Mechanical Engineer), Grandmother to Ava, Odin and Orla.
Exchange student with American Field Service in Pennsylvania USA 1965-1966.
Lived in Taipei, Taiwan 1975-1980 and Singapore 1980-1985.
Her hobbies are travel, languages, cooking, Mahjong teaching, convening and competing.
Ros thanked Host Howard Nelson for his introduction and the club for inviting her. She has been a Rottnest Volunteer Guide for 15 years and since November 2024 their inaugural Recruitment Officer, so “prepare to be recruited…..”
The Rottnest Voluntary Guides Association would like to acknowledge the Wadjuk Noongar people who are the traditional custodians of this land and pay respect to their Elders past and present.
Who here has been to Rottnest?.....Who here hasn’t been to Rottnest?....Excellent.
There are over 350 “Yellow Shirts” on active roster. Our aim is to improve the visitor experience on Rottnest. Every day, except Christmas Day, sixteen guides will travel to the island by ferry (free) to fulfil nine scheduled duties.
Ros showed maps as distributed on the tables. On one side they have bus stops, salt lakes and so on. On the other side is for “boaties”, showing the rules and shipwrecks around the island. She highlighted the ferry arrival area at Thomson Bay and the “Settlement” buildings around it.
The duties, shown on their website, change pretty regularly. Guides need to check each day before they go. The sixteen guides will fulfil nine duties each day.
There are five duties in the Settlement:
- Duty Guide (solve any problems, you’re it if anything goes wrong….)
- Visitor Centre (visitors off the ferry, can’t sell tickets but point them in the right direction)
- Meet & Greet (booth beside Salt Store, have Q&A booklet, toilets?)
- Reefs, Wrecks & Daring Sailors (also look after the Boathouse in the afternoon)
- Museum (been completely revamped)
Duties farther afield are:
- The Wadjemup Lighthouse (155 stairs where you take three groups up during the day with two other buddies to help you)
- Olivers Hill guns and tunnels (war history)
- Westend Wanderers (chatting with tourists and pointing out whales)
- Whitecaps and Wilderness (walk from Parker Point to Little Salmon Bay, that’s about the ecology)
We also offer Holiday Guiding for those with special interest in astronomy, quiz nights, storytelling & acting. Also assist the Rottnest Island Authority (RIA) with events such as Anzac Day, Channel swim, Quokka Birthday and New Years Eve.
Training is mentally and physically rigorous, requiring commitment from trainees. Why do we love it? This flower is commonly called the ”Rottnest Daisy” and it’s also found on the mainland. It is more accurately called the “Blue Lace Flower”. You will see a carpet of these in September.
There is much loved fauna, such as the famous Quokka. There is no fresh water on the island, so the quokka has adapted over thousands of years to extract enough liquid from plants to survive.
They mate in September and the life cycle is such that the mother is pregnant and has a ”spare”. The baby Quokka leaves the pouch in September. Are you seeing a pattern on the best time to go to Rottnest?
After eighteen months the young quokka is able to mate.
Other interesting fauna is the long-nosed fur seals (also known as New Zealand fur seals). They can be seen “jug handling”, or lying in the water with their fins up to thermoregulate.
Westend has a special viewing platform to view these seals.
On the Boardwalk, you may see a King Skink or Bobtail slipping into a Wedgetail Sheerwater’s tunnel to steal an egg or two. There will be Ospreys diving into the water to grab a fish in its claws. You can see pelicans and stingrays in the water. Inland you may see the Sacred Kingfisher or even a rare Golden Whistler.
Rottnest is a pristine environment. There are twelve salt lakes, including “Pink Lake” (very popular with the Chinese tourists) which attracts migratory birds.
Thomson Bay is named after early settlers Carolyn and Robert Thomson in 1831. They cleared land, built structures as well as collecting and bagging salt from the lakes. In 1839 the colonial government took back all the land and built a prison for aboriginal men, that lasted until 1903.
Rottnest is also all about sustainability. There is a 600 Kw wind turbine, built in 2004 to power the desalination plant. In 2015 a 600 Kw solar farm was installed near the airport by Hydro TAS. Diesel generators are still available to supplement the renewable energy sources during times of peak usage..
There is “Glamping” as well as luxury accommodation.
We are now recruiting for 2026. People come from Bridgetown and Bunbury to be guides. Pamphlets are available if you are interested.
Ros’s presentation can be viewed at:
millpointrotaryclub.org.au>members only (password)> this link>Guest Speaker Presentations>KRUGER Ros – The Joys of Rottnest Volunteering
Directors' Reports and Member Announcements
Lew Thomas :
- Reminded those involved that there would be a Membership Committee meeting after breakfast.
Ian Kremmer :
- Advised that we would be having a sundowner at the Como Croquet Club on Friday 28th February with a 5pm start. It is BYO drinks and food will be provided. Cost is $20 pp. There are flyers on tables for those interested. Please add your name to the list if you wish to attend.
Kelly Gillen:
- Advised that on Tuesday 18th February the Soroptimists of South Perth are having a meet the Candidates event, a copy of their flyer is in the Events page. It is a free event but you must register if you wish to attend.
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Also, if we
wish to attend the Professor Ian Constable lecture at UWA on 26th
February we need to RSVP via Kelly. (Professor
Constable is an ophthalmologist and founder and director of the Lions Eye
Institute in Perth.)
Bill Boekman thanked the Club for supporting the Rotary Club of Wongan Hills recent event. Six months ago the club was in dire straits, however thanks to the BulldustNBack there has been surge in members and 4 new members were inducted at the recent event.
Fines - Pocket rocket Jenny McLean
- Pres Kelly for introducing Fines Master….again and for “two step dance” on his bung knee.
- Valentines Day Romantics – anyone with a heartthrob.
- “Newsgazers” who listen to 7PM and 7AM news for latest “star realignments” by Trump.
- Bad, if you like eggs for brekky there are empty shelves due to a shortage.
- Good, for winos, Premier Cook will introduce a 10c refund on recycled bottles.
- “Queen” Astrid for having an opulent hotel and chauffer post Eye Camp in Sri Lanka.
Winner of Heads and Tails
Attendance
35 attendees in all, including guest speaker Ros Kruger and Rotarians Bill Boekman and Mark Jones.
