As you head south east from Perth along the Brookton Highway, you are climbing up onto the oldest plateau on earth: a huge slab of granite, part of ancient Gondawana land, sitting in the sun, wind and rain for more than a thousand million years. It has eroded down into the soils of the valleys and the chains of lakes, and the old blind volcanos like Hyden Rock have been exposed.

You’ll travel into the Wheatbelt and see the country change along the journey: from the fossil temperate rainforest strip of Grey Jarrah along the plateau edge, to the ghostly York Gums inland, going inland to shiny Salmon Gums and stumpy Mallee near Corrigin, then the rolling, low sand plain heath near Hyden and beyond.

The Town

Hyden is situated 340km east of Perth, Western Australia, via the Brookton Highway. The best way there is through Brookton, Corrigin, then Kondinin. The route is signposted, and you can download a route map here. The Wave Rock Weekender camp ground is 2km from Hyden, here is a Site Map showing the layout of the event site.

A genuine outback community, Hyden is the end of the line for a railway from the city that now runs only seasonally, transporting wheat. There are two supermarkets, specialty shops, a bakery, a chemist, a pub, restaurant and motel, a roadhouse, a swimming pool, a primary school, a Telecentre, a Bush Nursing Service, churches, a golf course and other sporting grounds and clubs. Click here for local services information.

More information on essential facilities you may need during the Wave Rock Weekender, and their trading hours, can be found on the Facilities page.

The Nyaki-Nyaki Nyungar people lived in the region around Hyden.  Many stones used by these people have been found on their campsites throughout the area. Painted handmarks can still be seen on rocks at The Humps and Mulka’s Cave.  The area was first explored by Wajellas (white people) in 1848, and sandlewood was harvested there from the 1870s until the early part of the 20th century. The Rabbit Proof Fence was installed through the area in 1901 and Hyden was first settled for wheat farming in 1922.  Many of the original settler’s families still live in the district.  A railway line to Hyden was opened in 1933, and an airfield, the Hyden Memorial Hall, churches and other community facilities followed in subsequent years. There are many volunteer community organisations and sporting clubs contributing to the social life of the people of Hyden, which now has a population of around 800 in the local area.

Attractions

Wave Rock
15 metres high, and 110m long, the face of Wave Rock appears ready to crash onto pre-historic surf, now frozen in time.  Wave Rock is just one face of Hyden Rock, a 100 hectare rock formation with some great bush walk trails around it.

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.  Click here for a geological explanation.

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.  It is worth seeing the Rock at different times of the day, as the changing sunlight alters its colours and appearance.

Other Geological Formations There are many other exciting geological formations in the area. You can find out more from the Wave Rock Visitors Centre on (08) 98805812, in the same building as the Wave Rock Weekender Cafe.  You may want to check out Hippo’s Yawn, which resembles a cavernous mouth, The Humps, a 100m high monolith, and Mulka’s Cave, which has an indigenous legend associated with it.

Wildflowers

One of the main attractions of Hyden is the spectacular wildflowers, with particularly stunning displays throughout the spring months. Click here to see some of the varieties you may encounter on the way to Wave Rock.

Wildlife Kangaroos, emus, wallabies, lizards, echidnas and many kinds of bush bird can be found around Hyden. The birds of the Hyden area are particularly colourful and noisy.  As many as 40 different species can be seen and heard in the wild. The smallest are the wrens, and the largest are the emus and wedgetail eagles. Six species can be seen almost every day along the roadsides, in the paddocks or in the trees.

Night Sky

On a cloudless night, look up. Far from the lights of the city, the Wave Rock Weekender will give you a rare opportunity to see constellations not visible in Perth.  Click here for more information on what to look out for.