Day 64. 7th July 2024. Hyden - Wave Rock. Surf's up.

Overnight, the Fremantle Doctor tried to pay a home visit by constantly battering on our front door, the rain came down and provided us a warning that the trip home may have some interesting weather to deal with. Managing to dodge rain storms in the morning, we were able to pack up the van, pack up the boys, hitch up and take them off to the airport for their trip home.

While the wind was battering us on the road, it gave the boys a tail wind in the plane and they made it back to Melbourne in record time. We were delayed by an hour at York, as it was unexpectedly delightful, had lots of different things to look at and a decent cup of coffee and a sausage roll. It was like Perth’s Dandenong ranges with antique shops, arts and crafts and what looked to be great B&B’s. While the record digging still provided zero results, it was a pleasant way to stretch the legs.

The town of Hyden is home to Wave Rock, and it turned into a surprising highlight. You can go and see a “sight” and it may take 15-30 minutes to see it – sometimes longer. Especially if the view or site is a static one with no movement. i.e. Looking at a rock doesn’t take long, but watching the waves or dolphins playing can keep you amused for quite a while longer. So looking at a static wave I thought would be nice, but 15 minutes, done. But after checking it out, we did the Hippo’s Yawn loop walk which in itself was uneventful but pleasant, and the rock formation did indeed look like a yawning hippo. Walking the even more non-descript track on the way back had a couple of kangaroos bounce across our path, birds flying and singing around us which made it more pleasant. And then you can climb to the crest of the wave and this provides a view of the landscape that hammers home the size of the Australian landscape. All in all, it provided a surprisingly nice stop on our way to Esperance.

Facilities: Functional, modern and passable. Too bloody cold to get into the shower and we have an ensuite coming later in the day. 6/10.