When we mentioned to people we were staying in Hyden, we noticed quite a few surprised looks. Horrified! Really. I had found us a hotel here where we could spend the night because it was too far to get all the way to Perth.

The drive today took us past more wheat paddocks, many still needing to be harvested, road trains, huge silos and a few very empty looking, salty-white lakes.

We made our destination of Wave Rock around 1.30pm, after four long hours of driving. This is the spectacular site we had come to see.

We found a pretty derelict-looking camping ground and caravan park alongside the tourist attraction. As per usual in Western Australia, there are meters where you pay an entrance fee. Here there was no discount for being elderly. It was $12 per car. We duly paid and displayed out ticket, and headed off to explore.

The sun was incredible at this time of day, and the flies were delighted to see us.

We walked less than 200m before we got our first glimpse of Wave Rock – a 15m high concave wall of granite streaked with black and orange algal remains. Wave Rock is really part of a much larger rock – Hyden Rock.

You can get a sense of its size with Mick and another tourist wandering along its base.

Mick pretending to surf!

We climbed the stairs that took us to the top of Wave Rock where we could see a dam, which was constructed in 1928. A small stone wall has been built around the edge of the rock to guide the water into the dam. This water supplements the drinking water for the small community of Hyden (approx. 500 people) – where we will spend the night before heading to Perth.

There were lots of signs explaining the history of this area and really how it has been changed significantly by human intervention.

The rain that used to fall on Hyden Rock would run off and seep through the ground. This seepage helped to feed a large lake system in this part of WA, that used to flow from west to east. Along with geological changes that titled the earth’s surface to reverse the rivers’ flow, now from east to west (towards Fremantle), the now-collected water for the dam has effectively helped to dry up these lakes and ancient river systems. They reportedly run in times of very heavy winter rainfall. The salt has been blown here over many thousands of years.

The information boards stated the dam was established to allow farmers to collect water for their stock, and to supply water for the steam engines that supplied power on the railway. It was also used as a swimming hole for the local children.

Looking back, I wonder if they still think it is a good idea?

After we had seen all we thought we needed to see, we tried to exit the Wave Rock site. I followed signs pointing to Wave Rock Resort.

I had told Mick that despite this place being very isolated, I had booked what looked like a very nice hotel motel with a swimming pool, and not one restaurant, but three restaurants. This must be the “Resort”.

We eventually arrived at Wave Rock Resort and drove around in horror, looking at small cabins with artificial grass, some finished and others still under construction, or perhaps demolition, dirt roads, nothing that looked like a pool, let alone a restaurant or reception.

We had no phone signal, and I could not check the name and the address of where we were to stay. We never thought a place this small could have a range of accommodation on offer. After about 10 minutes of driving in a moon-like landscape, the navigation on the car helped us to find the road we had come into the site on. Once on that, we headed for the township of Hyden, where we found the Hotel-Motel. It does have a pool, but it is out of action until tomorrow (and today is the first day we have had heat wave temperatures), it does have three restaurants – and one is open for us tonight. And the room is beautifully air-conditioned. We will be very comfortable.

The small township of Hyden boasts a nice-looking swimming pool, community centre, two small supermarkets, newsagent, post office and hair dresser. Everything you need really.

I asked our receptionist about the “Resort”, wondering if it had been someone’s good idea once that went very wrong. But she assured me it was very much still under construction by the owners of the motel we are staying in. I wish them the very best of luck!! But I can’t see a residential area being established in the area. She also told us we could go out there to swim in the salt lake, since the motel pool was closed. We smiled and thanked her, but passed on that suggestion.

Tomorrow we will make our way back to Perth where we will return the hire car and make our way to a hotel in the CBD for our last two nights before heading home. Chalk and Cheese I’d say.

We thought three and a half weeks would give us plenty of time to explore this section of WA, and it was.

It confirmed our knowledge that Australia is H.U.G.E!