Wave Rock, Western Australia 2023

Date: 18th April 2023

Travelled: 0 kms from Wave Rock in Western Australia

Visited: Wave Rock

Stayed: Wave Rock CP, $43, S32.44171, E118.89799

Budget: days @ $ per day

Wave Rock is part of the NP and more a tourist operation than a town or village itself. Two kms away is the village of Hyden, two very small supermarkets, a bakery and a roadhouse. As much as anything, probably to support the people who work at Wave Rock.

Having arrived at Wave Rock CP late yesterday we make an early start on the first of the three walks that start from the adjoining car-park. The first is Wave Rock Walk which is a little obvious from the pictures below.

It’s less than a hundred metres from the car-park and what most people come to see. Wave Rock is at ground level at the base of Hyden Rock a huge granite monolith and not the first of these we’ve explored as you will note from our previous post.

The wave shaped rock the result of wind and water erosion over thousands of years. The colours change as we walk its 110 metre length, it’s apparently 15 metres high.

That done we set of to explore Hyden Rock Walk, it’s less than a two kilometre loop but there’s steps and a steep walk required to get to the top.

The views are spectacular in our opinion. It’s a slow walk because you feel inclined to keep on stopping and taking in the views which seem to change as the trail turns.

We spend about an hour up here and only see two or three people.

Hyden Rock supplies the town of Hyden and Wave Rock CP with a source of potable water. These concrete panels form diversions that channel the water into a reservoir.

On our way down down from Hyden Rock we find more interesting formations such as these boulders.

After lunch Pam’s keen for another walk so back to the car-park to start the Wave Rock Walking Circuit (which goes nowhere near Wave Rock itself). The 4 km loop crosses the wetlands and salt flats away from Hyden Rock around Wave Rock Resort and airport which seems to be in a state of hibernation.

This is a much more interesting walk across raised walkways, passing remains of old fences that disappear into the distance and long ago abandoned machinery and vehicles.

I learnt to drive in my Mum’s Standard Vanguard

Our last Wave Rock walk is in the late afternoon when sensible people are having a beer. The Hippo’s Yawn Loop is less than 2 kms long and we spend the first 1.5 kms wondering why it’s called what it is.

Then suddenly it becomes obvious.