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| Wave Rock, Hyden, WA, Australia |
The drive from Esperance to Perth is long. It takes nine
hours driving and longer if you stop for lunch. We like a roadtrip and the few different routes between Perth and Esperance seem to offer
little difference by way of the time the drive takes, so we vary it and last
time drove via Hyden.
Hyden
is a small town of about 300 people 350 kilometres east of Perth. The area was
first inhabited by aborigines and then settled by white men in the early
nineteenth century. The town lies firmly in the middle of Western Australia’s
wheatbelt region and the area has been farmed since 1922.
The
star attraction for most visitors to Hyden is Wave Rock, which is an outcrop of
rock near town, one face of which resembles an enormous wave. It stands in the
middle of bush land and is 15 metres tall and 110 metres long. The shape is the
result of years of weathering and erosion. The stripey colouring is caused by
water runoff. Wave Rock is impressive, especially up close; I challenge you not
to strike a surfing pose!
Across
the road from the Wave Rock car park is the Hyden visitor centre / shop / café
/ pioneer museum. This building is also the access point to Wave Rock Wildlife
Park, The Lace Place and the Toy Soldier Fort.
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| A weird collection of stuffed birds greets you inside the entrance to Hyden Visitor Centre |
Another
interesting local feature is the State Barrier Fence (previously known as the
Rabbit Proof Fence) that passes to the east of Hyden. It was erected between
1901 and 1907 to protect agricultural areas of Western Australia from an
invasion of rabbits from the eastern states. The fence runs over 1,800 kilometres
from Starvation Bay, west of Esperance all the way up to Ninety Mile Beach,
east of Port Hedland.
The
Wheatbelt comes alive with wildflowers in November – December, so to see the
area at its best that would be a great time to visit.
