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Wave Rock views: 3336

14 metres high, and 110m long, the face of Wave Rock appears ready to crash onto a pre-historic surf, now frozen in time. Wave Rock is a huge tourist destination located several hours drive east of Perth. It is a huge rock which has been shaped into a wave, and looks very impressive. It can be found in Hyden, a small Western Australian town in the country. A large slice of WA is farm land, and the areas surrounding Hyden are no exception. The drive to Hyden is quite enjoyable, with a huge variety of bush land and nature. Many tourists visit Wave Rock each year, as it is really an icon for WA.

Believed to have formed over 2700 million years ago, Wave Rock is part of the northern face of Hyden Rock. The shape of the wave is formed by gradual erosion of the softer rock beneath the upper edge, over many centuries. There are actually several examples of such "waves" in the Hyden area, and if you have the time, it is well worth the effort to see some of the other smaller, but equally spectacular, ones.

The Wave Rock is without doubt one of the most awesome and beautiful rock formations of the world. This real nature wonder is located in the region known as Australia’s Golden Outback. The Wave Rock is 15 meters high and almost 100 metres long. The face of the Wave Rock appears ready to crash onto a pre-historic surf, which was frozen in the time.

Wave Rock is part of the northern face of Hyden Rock located in western Australia.

The colours of the Wave are caused by the rain washing chemical deposits (carbonates and iron hydroxide) down the face, forming vertical stripes of greys reds and yellows. If you can stay a little longer, it is also worth seeing the Rock at different times of the day, as the changing sunlight alters its colours and appearance.

In addition to being an impressive tourist attraction, the rock has been converted in to a catchment for the town's water supplies, with a foot-high concrete wall around the upper edge of Hyden Rock directing rainfall into a storage dam.

Where is Wave Rock?
Sign for Hyden where is located Wave Rock.

Wave Rock is located in Hyden. The best way to get to Hyden is along the Brookton Hwy, which will take you through Bulyee, Corrigin, Kondinin and then finally Hyden. The drive can be done in less than four hours, but it depends on how much you want to stop. Most of the towns are slightly similar, but they all have something that is worth taking a look at. Wave Rock is a small drive out of Hyden, but there is accommodation close to the rock.

The Humps located in Hyden, Australia,

The area’s other natural rock formations include The Humps, Hippo’s Yawn and Mulka’s Cave, home to a rich collection of Aboriginal rock art. The region is a haven for native birds, and visitors can see rare white kangaroos in the local wildlife park. The scenic 18-hole golf course is open from June to October, and colourful wildflowers cloak the golden plains between September and December. Hyden also has a pioneer museum, observatory and a large collection of lace.

Rock formation shape of Hippo’s Yawn.

All these places are amazing natural wonders and have a great importance to the aborigine culture; since, they are associated to ancestral stories that native people have conserved during many generations; therefore, the Wave Rock is also the site of beautiful Indigenous rock art.

History of the area

While the Aborigines were the first to inhabit the area, it is believed that they gave the district a wide berth during the past century and a half for fear of the spirit of Mulka. Many stones used by the aborigines have been found on their campsites throughout the area. Painted handmarks can still be seen on rocks at the Humps and Wave Rock. Both of these rocks have water catchments to serve the local community and tourist trade.

The Sandalwood cutters were believed to be the first white men in the area from the 1860s to feed the incense trade in China. Grazing leases were taken out in the Narembeen area into the 1890s. The earliest recorded farming was in 1922 and descendants of these pioneer settlers still live in Hyden. Wheat production started in 1927 and it was carted to Kondinin until the railway link from Lake Grace reached Hyden in 1932.

There are a number of recent additions to the Wave Rock Area, including a coffee shop, a wildlife park, a replica Pioneer Town and a Wildflower Shop. The shop serves great food and is a testament to the abundance of exotic and rare wildflowers that adorn the Wave Rock Area during springtime.

Some of the amazing flowers that decorate the Wave Rock Area include beautiful Donkey, Spider, Clown, Spotted and Purple Enamel Orchids; Blue and the extremely rare Wreath Leschenaultia; orange grevilleas, yellows cassia and purple-blue damperia; intricate pea flowers, red clawfoots and rock paper heath. This area is a wildflower enthusiasts dream!

Image sources:

- http://www.jally.de/pages/wallpaper/bilder/landschaften/wallpaper-australien-wave-rock.JPG
- http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Wave_Rock_WA.JPG
- http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/37779592.jpg
- http://lh5.ggpht.com/-XeUzRTPmOeA/R0VquAivz4I/AAAAAAAAERs/AFgw847Tea0/PB104966.JPG
- http://www.grumpysgetawayguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/075a.jpg