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| Wave Rock Tourism South West Region Western Australia |
Western Australia |
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Wave Rock is 27 million years old and made up of grey and red granite strips, is quite a formation. Wave Rock hangs over like an incredible 15m high wave, about to break. Aboriginal rock paintings can also be seen at nearby Bates Cave.
One of Western Australias most treasured natural attractions, Wave Rock lays 340km south east of Perth in the eastern wheat belt. Just 3km from the town of Hyden and a comfortable day trip from Perth, the Wave Rock Area with its neighbouring outcrops and blankets of colourful wildflowers attract thousands of visitors each year.
Wave Rock stands 15m high, 100m long and looks like a tall wave just about to break. Its formation has fascinated geologists and the public for years and is one of many interestingly shaped rocky outcrops in the area. Wave Rock is a granite inselberg that has been weathered over millions of years by wind and rainwater. These forces of erosion have slowly swept the rock into the deep grey, red, ochre and sandy-striped wave you see today. The colours of the rock are amazing and are caused by minerals being washed down the rock.
The curved shape of Wave Rock is emphasized by the vertical streaks of algae that run along its surface. The algae turns the stone a black colour that turns to brown during the dry season. At different times of the day Wave Rock changes colour; many a photographer has enjoyed its ability to play with light and perspective.
There are a number of recent additions to the Wave Rock Area, including a coffee shop, a wildlife park, a replica Pioneer Town and a Wildflower Shop. The shop serves great food and is a testament to the abundance of exotic and rare wildflowers that adorn the Wave Rock Area during springtime.
Some of the amazing flowers that decorate the Wave Rock Area include beautiful Donkey, Spider, Clown, Spotted and Purple Enamel Orchids; Blue and the extremely rare Wreath Leschenaultia; orange grevilleas, yellows cassia and purple-blue damperia; intricate pea flowers, red clawfoots and rock paper heath. This area is a wildflower enthusiasts dream!
Also, in the Wave Rock Area are other unusual rocky outcrops such as Hippos Yawn, The Humps, Camel Peaks, King Rocks. These are the largest and most well known and are but a few of hundreds that are scattered around this central wheat belt area.
Nearby at Bats Cave, some very interesting Aboriginal works of art are painted on the rocks. The cave is also the site of a rather morbid and fascinating Dreamtime story of Mulka the Terrible who lived in the cave. The site was declared as taboo for local Aboriginals due to the terrifying nature of events that occurred in the cave.
Central Wave Rock South West WA - Western Australia
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Western Australia - Map of Wave Rock Australia
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