Guide to Rockingham Western Australia Australia

Just a 40 minute drive south of Perth, the seaside town of Rockingham offers many memorable experiences.

Go swimming with wild dolphins when you take a tour out to the dolphin pods offshore, relax in the clear, sheltered water of Cockburn Sound or head to nearby Point Peron for some scuba diving.

Take the ferry out to nearby Penguin Island to see the gorgeous fairy penguins close up; then visit the interpretive centre to gain an understanding of the diminutive birds.

Rockingham’s slogan is ‘Your Aquatic Playground’, and it certainly lives up to this claim. Go snorkeling, sailing, or surfing at the beautiful beaches, or try the jetties for fishing and crabbing. Rockingham has a number of beaches safe for children.

Rockingham is closely linked to the first settlement of Western Australia, when Captain James Stirling brought the first settlers to Garden Island, just near Rockingham, in 1829.

Today Garden Island is home to the West Australian Naval Support facility known as HMAS Stirling. From 1872 to 1903 Rockingham was a major exporter of jarrah timber to many parts of the world.

Today Rockingham has ample shops for shopping enthusiasts, plenty of restaurants, cafes and pubs, and a selection of accommodation from resorts to caravan parks.