And even though it has access to some of the best seafood the state has to offer, the options available to tourists are limited. Not only do local menus slap you in the face with their exhorbitant costs, but the meal itself usually ends up being okay. Not amazing, not fantastic — just okay. And if a tourist is paying $40 for one main they have every right to expect it to be amazing. They should expect it to blow their bloody socks off. Of course, Frankies and Thomsons have upped the gourmet stakes, but it's always been difficult to reconcile the fact that while WA is known for its killer seafood industry, Rotto's dining options remain remarkably sparse. Enter Rottnest Cruises.

It's an extension of its slightly-less-bourgeois cousin on the Mandurah estuary, and is the brainchild of Myrianthe Riddy and Peter Johnson. With a premise of "ocean-to-plate" eating, it caters to those who go to Rottnest looking for an experience, so if you're on the island for a bike ride, a Subway and a dip at the Basin, the trip might not be for you. Because when you arrive on board the Reel Affair II, it feels like you've stepped into another world. Tourists are tasked with hauling the pot, and transferring them to a bucket. Credit:Rottnest Cruises This is what overseas tourists expect when they hear about Rottnest Island. They're forking out hundreds of dollars and in their country that tends to actually get you somewhere.

So for the overseas passengers on this day, it wasn't a surprise to be greeted with champagne, wine or beer. But for us Perth folk along for the ride, it was a nice touch that it was already built into the $175 ticket price and in the scheme of things, probably cheaper than an arvo at Hotel Rottnest. We were greeted on the dock by the captain, an experienced cray fisher who would undoubtedly be doing most of the work, and a chef — who would be doing even more of the work. The day was explained to us: we'd pull some pots, have a swim, drink unlimited alcohol, and be fed. Can you show me a single harassed parent on Rottnest Island who wouldn't want to swap with us in that moment? It was a healthy mix of interactivity and doing absolutely nothing, and when we rounded a bobbing marker to pull up our first pot, it was one in all in.

Everyone — whether they were an overseas tourists, an experienced Perth fisherman, Scherri Lee Biggs herself — was hauling pots, picking up the crayfish, taking photos with the mini monsters and tossing the females with eggs back into the water. And let me tell you, watching a gorgeous turned-out, tucked-in woman with pristine pants scream as an overzealous cray flapped its tail when she picked it up was a definite highlight. The champagne continued to flow as we pulled into Parakeet Bay, and the rolling of the ocean finally stopped as the wind dropped off. While it's rare to get a bad day on Rotto, the wind made things a little rolly and a few of those on the boat were looking a tad green by the time we pulled into the bay. Those who were feeling a bit wonky took the opportunity to jump off and get their bearings, while others floated over to watch the chef and fishermen break apart their crays.

Crays cooking on the barbeque. Credit:Rottnest Cruises Sitting down for lunch, we were spoiled with prawns, octopus, sashimi, Mandurah crab, fish tacos, fresh bread, noodles, rice, seafood sauce and then of course, the main event. We caught about 18 crayfish throughout the trip — 10 of which we got to keep. That meant everyone got half a cray each, and some even got a whole if their appetite was up to the challenge. I never, ever thought I'd say no to more crayfish, but this day was full of firsts. Dessert came and went and by the time we rolled back into dock — about two-and-a-half hours after the cruise began — it was time to go home.

One of the platters on offer. Credit:Molly McHugh It was a special experience, and it has definitely plugged a gaping hole in Rottnest's offerings. Speaking to the overseas visitors on board, it was clear the day's events were what they expected when Rottnest Island was plugged at Perth Airport. It's an island, so it's naturally supposed to be luxurious, and it's supposed to involve the things that make WA shine — namely, the seafood. For an adult ticket, it may be a bit steep for WA locals who believe they've seen everything Rottnest has to offer but I found it was a nice peek into our own backyard.