Hop to Happiness
Quokkas call stunning Rottnest Island home, so it’s no wonder they’re always smiling. But we couldn’t help but ask: “How do quokkas stack up against the World Happiness Report?”
WORDS Zoe Macfarlane
PHOTOGRAPHY Tourism Western Australia
With a perpetual grin, inquisitive gaze, and seemingly whimsical spirit, Australia’s most endearing marsupial, the quokka (kwoka), has garnered the title 'World’s Happiest Animal’. The fact that it calls Rottnest Island (Wadjemup) home, a pristine happiness-inducing sanctuary off Western Australia’s coast, adds to a sense of the quokka’s carefree spirit. But is its permanent smile anthropomorphism – the habit of attributing human characteristics to animals – or its genuine state of being?
The World Happiness Report, split into six categories – healthy life expectancy, trust, social connections, altruism, freedom to make life choices, and income – gathers subjective feedback on wellbeing and happiness from 100,000 global participants. A United Nations initiative, the report illustrates how happiness contributes to a thriving, sustainable society. So, how does the ‘World’s Happiest Animal’ measures against the World Happiness Report metrics?
HEALTHY LIFE EXPECTANCY
The thrill of a quokka encounter typically happens minutes after stepping off the Rottnest Express ferry. The small strip of shops in Thomson Bay, known as the Settlement, is only minutes from the Rottnest Express dock. It’s home to the island’s largest ‘Shaka' (group of quokkas), eagerly waiting to greet you. Whereas other Australian wildlife encounters rely on patience, silence, and luck, the soulful gaze of this diminutive wallaby bestows an unspoken invitation to share in the blessings and secrets of its home.
Annually, 750,000 visitors savour their time exploring Rottnest Island’s 63 sun-drenched beaches, coral-fringed waters, and spectacular Wadjemup Bidi walking trails. It’s not presumptuous, therefore, to consider the same being true for the resident marsupials, who enjoy a high quality of life on this protected Class A Reserve.
The World Happiness Report’s Healthy Life Expectancy metric evaluates the average years of healthy living, emphasising wellbeing and quality of life. With a life span of around 10 years, quokkas enjoy a far less perilous life than their mainland wallaby relatives. Every endearing hop across the island’s car-free paths to reach food and shelter, or into an unsuspecting visitor’s bag, highlights the lack of danger these pocket-sized macropods face. During joey season (June to September), nursing mums raise their babies openly, unbothered by the hubbub of tourism around them. Rottnest’s near-perfect environment for quokkas equates to a high Healthy Life Expectancy score by the World Happiness Report’s standards.
TRUST
In the World Happiness Report, the trust category reflects how citizens view their government, businesses, and fellow individuals. If quokkas could fill out surveys, they’d excel in this category. The 40,000 #quokkaselfie hashtags on Instagram demonstrate how trusting these pint-sized marsupials are in the presence of strangers. Tennis legend Roger Federer inadvertently launched this trend in 2018 when his iconic quokka selfie reached five million fans. The global attention boosted tourism and conservation funds for Rottnest Island.
For quokkas, the Rottnest Island Rangers are their government. It’s not uncommon to see these trusty advocates gently educating tourists on proper quokka etiquette. Rottnest depends on the good faith of visitors to refrain from feeding and petting these loveable macropods.
ALTRUISM
The World Happiness Reports rate generosity an important measure of happiness, asking participants about their charitable donations, volunteerism, and acts of kindness. Top-ranking countries, like Finland and Denmark, value generosity of spirit for its impact on gratitude, satisfaction, and optimism.
While quokkas may be unintentionally altruistic, they elevate your happiness and joy when they ‘volunteer’ their time with you, lending their adorable smiles to your many photos. Consider their affable nature a donation of sorts. Tourists return the favour, championing quokka causes. Their irresistible charm and rising stardom have attracted record numbers to Wadjemup, affording the Rottnest Island Authority greater reach and funding to continue protecting the island and it’s inhabitants.
SOCIAL CONNECTIONS
In the World Happiness Report’s Social Connection category, participants grade their ability to rely on others when in need. Quokkas are naturally social. As Rottnest Island’s most hospitable hosts, they effortlessly seduce you with their expressive eyes and comical head tilts. The deep connection you feel during a brief interaction means you arrive a fan and leave as an advocate. Despite their carefree demeanour, quokka life isn’t devoid of discord. Take a closer look to see the telltale scars from in-group fighting. Unlike their solitary wallaby cousins, quokkas form territories, mirroring Australia. The Settlement is Rottnest’s New South Wales; the remaining Shakas reside close to the island’s shrubs, lakeside vegetation, and ecologically rich wetlands.
FREEDOM TO MAKE LIFE CHOICES
The Freedom to Make Life Choices measures the free will citizens can exact in their daily lives. That only one quokka has ever made the headlines for stowing away to Perth (Boorloo) seems a fair indication these happy hoppers are content to call Rottnest Island home. It doesn’t long ashore to see why – it’s a 19-square-kilometre buffet filled with herbivore treats.
For holidaymakers and day trippers, the opportunities to explore Rottnest freely are ample, too. Take an informative Discover Rottnest bus tour or join a guided walk along the Wadjemup Bidi trails with The Hike Collective to uncover what makes this Mediterranean-like haven so special. Wadjemup’s significance to the Noongar people, its historic sites, and sustainability initiatives impress.
INCOME PER CAPITA
While money can’t buy happiness, there are correlations between higher income and quality of life. Disposable wealth affords greater access to education, healthcare, and self-care practices. As a quokka demonstrates, however, what someone earns is not indicative of wealth, especially if the high cost of living leaves little residual income like so many experience.
What happens when you remove rent, bills and expenses from the equation? You guessed it, happiness! Just look at the quokkas enjoying life rent-free on a mesmerising Indian Pacific Island. With abundant resources, zero expenses, and medical care on tap, do quokkas hold the key to happiness with their unencumbered lifestyle? No surprises, quite simply it’s a 10/10 way to live.
9.7/10
THE WORLD’S HAPPIEST ANIMAL TOTAL SCORE
The World Happiness Report illuminates the collective desire for interconnectedness, the opportunity to flourish, and for life to transcend mere existence. When accessible, nations thrive. Rottnest Island’s carefree rhythms elevate levels of joy, prosperity, and optimism for quokkas and humans alike. The tempo of every aquamarine wave creates a sound barrier to life’s stressors, and every undulating dune, secluded cove, and bird-filled lake commands your attention to the here and now. It’s happiness personified.
With a final tally of 9.17/10, naming the quokka the World’s Happiest Animal is more than anthropomorphism. They outshine six-time consecutive winner Finland (7.80/10) with their ease of being, high levels of safety, and freedom to enjoy the spoils of island life. And the quokkas happy-go-lucky outlook? Embrace it, and it’ll be your most beloved Rottnest Island souvenir.
The Details
Reach paradise daily aboard the Rottnest Express from Perth (a 90-minute journey) or Fremantle (Walyalup) (30 minutes) year-round. It’s the island’s most spacious ferry offering complimentary luggage delivery direct to your accommodation. Enhance your stay with Rottnest Express’ bike rentals, snorkel hire, and activities, including the enriching Discover Rottnest bus tour.