Seven Courses, One Island: A Luxe Seafood Cruise to Rottnest

The boat carves a clean path through turquoise that looks painted rather than real. On deck, plates arrive like small revelations: scallops threaded with herbs, a barely-warmed octopus that folds like a hand around a wedge of charred lemon, a smooth spoonful of something briny and bright that tastes fully of the ocean it came from. All the while, land slides away—sandy humps and limestone shelves that catch the sun, the squat silhouette of Rottnest Island rising like a private promise. For four hours you are both audience and participant: a privileged arrival on an island that has long existed at the edge of things, served to you by a private chef and an attentive crew.