Wave Rock: Everything you need to know
Western Australia may be littered with some of the world’s best surfing waves, but one of its biggest (and easily most consistent) actually lies hours away from the ocean.
Forever breaking at a whopping 15m tall, Wave Rock just out of Hyden is one of the world’s most stunning rock formations, and it’s a must-visit when it comes to iconic Australian landmarks.
What is it?
An imposing, multi-colour granite cliff that stretches 110m long and 15m high, Wave Rock is a 2700 million-years-old rock formation that deserves to be experienced in the flesh. It’s also an historic area for Indigenous Australians, who’ve inhabited the region for hundreds of years, and there are several ancient rock-painting sites in nearby Mulka’s Cave.
Where is it?
Head there straight from Perth, it’s just under four hours east along the Brookton Highway before diverting onto Brookton-Corrigin, Corrigin-Kondinin and Kondinin-Hyden Roads. The small wheatbelt town of Hyden is your gateway to Wave Rock, just a few kilometres west of the site.
You can also get there by plane, taking just over an hour and landing at Wave Rock Airport.
What to do:
Besides getting seriously pitted in the formation itself, there are a variety of walking trails around the area that also take you up to the top of the “wave”.
The nearby Mulka’s Cave and The Humps are filled with incredible Indigenous rock art, telling stories of Aboriginal legends – the local Ballardong people believe Wave Rock is a creation of the Rainbow Serpent. Hippos Yawn and Lake Magic are other stunning photo opportunities, particularly at sunrise/sunset.
Wildflower enthusiasts would do best to head there in Spring after winter rains, when the terrain is covered in a huge array of native flora. There’s plenty of native fauna to go with it, including some 40-odd species of native birds to the area, and just outside of Hyden is the Wave Rock Wild Life Park.
There’s also a Miniature Soldier Museum and a huge antique Lace Collection, and only a few minutes away you’ll find magnificent Lake Magic, a naturally occurring salt lake with gypsum minerals at its base and a sandy, circular beach surrounding.
What not to do:
Come unprepared! Hyden does have a large shopping centre to help you stock up, and you’d be wise to make sure you’ve got plenty of water, sunscreen and sunsmart clothing.
Anything else?
The park costs $12 to enter, and you can also stay out there at the lovely Wave Rock Caravan Park. However long your visit, make sure you’re prepared for flies – particularly in the warmer months.
If you want to make a real weekend of it, head to Wave Rock Weekender, one of Australia’s truly special and unique music festivals.