Hyden WA

We’ve officially started our homeward journey, heading east for the first time as we rolled over the hills out of Perth.

A few quirky finds along the way including some fancy paddock art sculptures, giant Wedge-tail Eagles, a dog cemetery and part of one of the Rabbit Proof Fences - apparently there’s three! Who knew?

But our main adventure today was at Hyden, a small wheatbelt town which has become a tourism magnet as a result of the remarkable Wave Rock.

After finding the Wave Rock Caravan Park we set off to explore the Rock itself, arguably one of WA’s most recognisable landforms. Rising 15 metres from the ground and more than 100m long, the rock looks like a giant surf wave of multicoloured granite about to crash onto the bush below. It’s believed this amazing formation was more than 2,700 million years in the making. Of course, we posed for the obligatory ‘surfing’ photos before heading off to explore the nearby Hippo’s Yawn, a 12m high rock formation aptly named for its resemblance to a yawning hippo.

On the way back to the caravan we ventured out to the Lake Magic Swimming Pond, a 20m round, 6m deep swimming pool-like gypsum pond with buoyancy and therapeutic properties greater than those of the Dead Sea. Anthony and the boys all braved the chilly afternoon, plunging in for the unique experience, bobbing and floating like corks in the super salty water.

Tonight was the coldest we’ve experienced yet on the trip and a stark contrast to the warm northwest where we’ve spent the past few weeks. We’ll definitely be pulling out the doonas for tomorrow.

Fun Fact: The Rabbit Proof Fence was once the longest continual barrier on the planet and was built at a stupendous cost for the time. All because an English settler by the name of Thomas Austin released twenty-four wild rabbits on his property in Victoria so that his guests could entertain themselves by hunting. He nearly destroyed the continent!Read more