Wave Rock

Wave Rock is the northern face of Hyden Rock, a granite inselberg whose base has been undercut by water and chemical weathering below ground level over many thousands of years; when the surrounding soil eroded away, the curved overhang was exposed, around fifteen metres high and a hundred metres long, with vertical streaks of grey, red and ochre left by water and algae running down it. The resemblance to a breaking wave is genuine and not exaggerated by photographs. A low stone wall built along the top in 1928 channels runoff to a reservoir, still in use. Nearby are Hippo's Yawn, another weathered formation, and Mulka's Cave with its Aboriginal hand stencils.

What you actually see

• The wave - the curved granite overhang with its vertical colour streaks.
• The summit walk - the path onto the rock top past the 1928 water wall.
• Hippo's Yawn - a second weathered formation a short walk away.
• Mulka's Cave - Aboriginal hand stencils in a granite shelter nearby.

When to go

April to October for tolerable heat; summer regularly exceeds forty degrees with no shade. Wildflowers appear in the surrounding heath from August to October. Morning light suits photography of the wave face.

Honest expectations

The drive is around four hours from Perth each way for a site seen in an hour or two, which many find a long way for one rock. Entry is charged per vehicle. Hyden has limited services, and summer heat is punishing.

Nearby

Hyden is four kilometres west; the wheatbelt and Dryandra lie northwest.