If you’re looking for the most unique way to see Rottnest Island, then skydiving has to be up there!
Nestled off the coast of Perth, Western Australia, Rottnest Island is one of the most popular day trips from Perth, and is renowned for its pristine beaches, diverse marine life, and the ever-smiling quokkas.
While Rottnest Island offers so many activities, none can quite match the adrenaline-pumping experience provided by Skydive Geronimo, of free-falling through the air, enjoying the fantastic views, and landing on the sandy beach.
If you’re an adventurous adrenaline junkie, this once-in-a-lifetime experience should definitely be added to your Australia bucket list!
We recently got back from our Rottnest Island skydive and had an epic time- here’s how our experience went!
Why Skydiving At Rottnest Island:
So first, why did we decide to skydive over Rottnest Island, as opposed to skydiving anywhere else in Australia?
- You get to skydive over a beautiful island and the ocean, and then have a beach landing – that’s so unique! This really is the most amazing skydiving location in the whole of Australia!
- We loved that Skydive Geronimo does tandem skydives (where you’re strapped onto an experienced instructor), as it means it’s perfect for beginners and first-timers as well as seasoned skydivers. For tandem skydives, you don’t need all the training and responsibility that comes with jumping solo as the skydiving instructor does it all, so you can just soak up the views and enjoy!
- Skydive Geronimo has hundreds of 5-star happy reviews which filled us with a lot of confidence.
- Rottnest Island is so easy to get to from Perth or Fremantle. It’s just a short ferry ride away, yet it feels like a different world.
- Skydive Geronimo takes really great photos and videos so you can relive the fun over and over again and show it to your friends!
When is the Best Time to Skydive At Rottnest Island?
Skydive Geronimo runs daily (weather-dependent).
As Rottnest Island often experiences high afternoon winds in the summer, it is advised to select a morning skydiving slot so there’s less chance your skydive will get postponed due to strong winds!
Also, as the skydive at Rottnest lands on a thin strip of beach, it is really important the skydivers can see the beach from the drop zone. Therefore if it is too cloudy, the skydive won’t go ahead.
Skydiving is completely weather-dependent, so if the wind is too strong, or it is cloudy, your skydive will need to be postponed for your safety.
If you’re visiting Perth therefore, it’s best to book your skydive nearer the beginning of your trip, so if your skydive needs to be postponed you still have time to reschedule!
How Much Does Skydiving On Rottnest Island Cost With Skydive Geronimo?
The cost of tandem skydiving with Skydive Geronimo varies based on the jump height and additional options. The 10,000ft jump costs $399, the 14,000ft jump costs $499, and the 15,000ft jump costs $549.
Whilst you might be tempted to go with the cheaper 10,000ft one to save some money, the free-fall for the 10,000ft jump is only 30 seconds.
Whilst that does sound like long enough, we knew from past experience when we did a 10,000ft jump elsewhere that this time goes by way too quickly!
For only $100 more, the 14,000ft jump has double the amount of freefall time at 60 seconds, so we felt it was definitely worth it. And seeing as this is the most popular skydive on the website, I guess everyone else feels the same!
Photo and video packages are available for an additional price for those looking to capture every moment of their freefall (highly recommended as you can’t capture any content yourself).
Skydiving of course isn’t cheap, so you may choose to gift it to a loved one for their birthday or another special occasion instead of buying a physical present.
It sure will make their day even more memorable, and it’s certainly something they won’t forget!
What Is Included In The Skydiving Price?
If you just book the skydive with no add-ons, the price will cover the jump experience (safety briefing, flight to altitude, and the skydive).
As is standard with any tandem skydiving company, the cost of photos or videos from your skydive is additional.
You aren’t allowed to bring your own camera/phone/go-pro for safety: it is against all Australian regulations for tandem skydivers to wear their own cameras on the dive.
So if you want photos or videos of the experience you will need to purchase them. There are three different photo/video packages to choose from – the prices are reasonable and totally worth it to remember the experience!
The price of the ferry across to Rottnest Island from the mainland isn’t included.
A return ferry from Fremantle to Rottnest Island for the day costs around $80 return per adult, so remember to add this to your budget. You’ll also need to pay for parking in Fremantle or Perth.
You can book your ferry tickets in advance with Skydive Geronimo, in the skydive and ferry package, or you can buy them independently on the day.
Booking your ferry tickets with the skydive in the package is a good idea if you’ll just be visiting Rottnest Island for the day, because if your skydive gets cancelled, you will automatically get your ferry tickets refunded or changed.
For those of you who are more boujie, and would prefer to fly across to Rottnest Island instead of taking the ferry, then Skydive and Fly packages are available.
Skydive Geronimo Photo & Video Packages
The handcam photos package is $129, the handcam videos & photos package is $159, and the ‘Get Social’ videos & photos package is $229. We went for the most popular one – the $159 videos and photos package.
We love photography, so having good photos and videos of the experience was important to us. What’s great is that you’ll receive all the photos on the same day of your skydive via your email address.
We were so impressed that within an hour of the skydive finishing, the photos of our skydive were already in our email inbox! Talk about that for fast service!
The Skydive Geronimo website states you get between 30 and 60 photographs of you skydiving, but we actually got 67 photos – including some fantastic aerial views of Rottnest Island!
Check out the pink lake in the middle of the island in the picture below!
All the photos were of really good quality as they use the latest equipment, and we loved how the instructor got so many photos from different angles! The photos were really great and we had a hard time picking our favourite ones!
Then within 7 days, you’ll get the professionally edited video by email! Skydive Geronimo professionally edit all their videos – they don’t just send you a standard set of video clips like other companies do!
We absolutely loved our video – and our friends and family loved watching it too!
It’s great to bring a spectator with you, as they will be able to get photos or videos on their phone/camera of you preparing for the skydive, as well as when you take off in the airplane, and when you land your parachute on the beach!
Booking Your Skydive:
We found the Skydive Geronimo website super easy to use. There’s a calendar and a drop-down menu with available times for each select day.
Just click on the day and time you want to do your skydive, and then reserve your spot with a $100 deposit. You’ll pay the rest of the fee once you get to Rottnest Island for your skydive.
Remember to allow around 2 hours for the skydive, and if you’ll be coming to Rottnest Island on a day trip, double-check check ferry times will align so you have plenty of time for the skydive!
Especially on summer weekends, it is advisable to reserve your ferry tickets online beforehand as they do sell out!
Before The Skydive:
Fill out the form they will email you – where you’ll be asked your weight, as well as to sign the waiver form (personal accident insurance is included in your dive cost).
If you’ll be visiting Rottnest Island just for the day, always make sure to ring up Skydive Geronimo in the morning before you get on the ferry if they haven’t touched base with you already.
This is really important as the skydiving staff are NOT based on Rottnest Island – they are based on the mainland, so if the skydives get cancelled, there will not be any skydiving staff on the island!
If the staff have confirmed your skydive will go ahead, once you’ve got off the ferry at Rottnest, make your way to the Rottnest Island Airport. It’s an easy 15-minute walk from the jetty, or a 5-minute bike ride if you’ll be hiring bikes.
All the staff at Skydive Geronimo are really kind and upbeat and will go through everything to help you prepare for your dive, as well as finalise your payment.
You’ll then watch the safety video, get strapped up, meet your instructor, and then head to the aircraft!
Your spectators will be taken to your beach landing point by minibus (there’s a choice of different beaches they land on – either Salmon Bay, Thompson Bay or Bickley Bay, depending on the wind that day).
I have been to all of the beaches before, and they are all stunning so it really doesn’t make a difference which one you land on!
If you’ll be bringing more than two spectators, let the staff know as there may not be enough space in the minibus to transport your spectators to the beach to see you land!
Enjoy the scenic flight in the aircraft, then when you’re at the right altitude, it’s time to jump!
The instructors are incredibly experienced and patient, and ensure a safe and exciting adventure for all, whether it’s your first time jumping out of a plane, or your 100th time!
During The Skydive:
Enjoy! The experience will be over so quickly so just be in the moment! The views of Rottnest Island, the sandy beaches and the turquoise water from above are absolutely incredible.
After your freefall, you’ll then have a 5-minute parachute ride.
Soak up the panoramic views of Rottnest and the WA coastline – you may even see some whales breaching if you visit Rottnest during winter or spring, which makes it even more unforgettable!
After The Skydive:
If you need to catch the ferry back to the mainland quite soon after the skydive, the staff can transport you back to the jetty. Otherwise, they will take you back to Rottnest Island Airport.
You are also free to stay on the beach and enjoy the island as you wish!
If you’ve purchased the photo/video package, Skydive Geronimo will email your photos over that same day, and then email your videos within the next 7 business days.
Our Experience With Skydive Geronimo:
Our first skydive we had booked with Skydive Geronimo had to be postponed as it was a really cloudy day.
Nevertheless, the staff were so great at communicating the changes on the phone with me, and every time I spoke with them to rearrange the skydive they were so kind, happy and upbeat.
Honestly, good customer service can be hard to find these days, but the team at Skydive Geronimo were always top-class and had great energy!
When we did get around to doing the skydive, we had an absolutely incredible time and it was definitely worth the wait!
It really was a once-in-a-lifetime experience to skydive in such a beautiful location, the instructors were amazing, and we 100% recommend it!
What Happens If Your Skydive Gets Postponed?
On the website, Skydive Geronimo makes it really clear to always phone them on the morning of your skydive to check the weather is okay!
If your skydive does get cancelled because of the weather, you can postpone your dive to another day, or you will get a refund for your deposit if you can’t do another day.
How to Get to Rottnest Island:
Getting to Rottnest Island is part of the adventure. You can take a ferry from Fremantle, Elizabeth Quay in Perth CBD, or Hillarys Boat Harbour in Perth’s northern suburbs.
The ferry from Fremantle and Hillary’s takes just over 30 minutes, whereas the ferry from Perth takes around 90 minutes.
Other Fun Things To Do on Rottnest Island After Your Skydive:
Relax on The Beach
Your skydive will end on the beach, so what better way to relax afterwards than on the beach!
Rottnest Island has 63 stunning beaches, so relax on the beach for a while and dip your toes in the water whilst the adrenaline wears off!
Quokka Selfies
Rottnest Island is famous for its quokkas, and taking a selfie with these friendly creatures is a must. Remember to approach them gently and respectfully and don’t touch them.
There are so many places on Rottnest Island to spot quokkas, the most popular ones being by The Settlement and the entrance to the Rottnest Island Golf Club.
Hiring A Bike
Renting a bike and cycling around Rottnest is the most popular way to explore the island. Rottnest Island is car-free, as well as being fairly flat, making cycling a breeze and an enjoyable way to see the island.
Hiring a bike for the day is fairly cheap, plus it allows you to explore the island at your own pace and not be tied to bus schedules.
You’ll also cover a lot more ground on a bike than if you were walking around, so you’ll be able to see more of the island.
It’s not really recommended to explore Rottnest completely on foot as you won’t be able to see all the best bits in a day!
My favourite places to cycle to are Parker Point, Little Salmon Bay and Little Parakeet Bay! End your bike ride with a nice drink and a meal at one of the many beach bars near Thomson Bay.
Snorkelling
Rottnest offers fantastic snorkelling opportunities with its crystal-clear waters and variety of marine life. You may even be able to see some seals!
You can hire or bring your own snorkelling gear (just be very careful as there are no lifeguards, and be sure to tell someone if you’re going in the water), or you can join a snorkelling boat trip, which runs during the summer months.
In conclusion, skydiving over Rottnest Island is a fantastic experience that we recommend to any adventure-seeker!
Seeing the beauty of Rottnest and WA from an entirely new perspective is incredible, and a skydive over Rottnest Island is definitely worth it.
So gear up for an adrenaline rush, breathtaking views, and an unforgettable experience on one of Australia’s most iconic islands!
Whether it’s your first or hundredth time skydiving, you’re bound to have a great experience with Skydive Geronimo like we did!
The photos in this article were gifted to us from Skydive Geronimo.