Hyden is situated four hours' drive south east of Perth, via the Brookton Highway. It is in the heart of the central wheat belt area of WA.
More than 100,000 tourists visit the town every year on their way to the famous Wave Rock, which is where I was heading. Wave Rock is just four kilometres east of Hyden. The Rock is a granite cliff, 15 metres high and 110 long, shaped remarkably like a huge wave. a giant surf wave of multicoloured granite about to crash onto the bush below and truly impressive. Its rounded shape has been caused by weathering and water erosion which has undercut the base and left a rounded overhang. This happened about 60,000,000 years ago when it was exposed. Water from the springs running down the rock during wetter months dissolve minerals adding to the colouring of the wave. In 1960, some crystals from Hyden Rock were dated as being 2700 million years old, amongst the oldest in Australia.
Other natural attractions in the area include Hippo's Yawn and Mulka's Cave, both of which I visited. The Aboriginal art in Mulka's Cave is some of the best found in the southwest of Western Australia.
The area is rich in Aboriginal history: Many stone tools used by the Aborigines have been found and painted hand marks can still be seen in Mulka's cave. Sandalwood cutters are believed to have been the first white men in the area. The earliest farming was in 1922 and the descendants of these settlers still live in Hyden today. Wheat production started in 1927 and grain was carted to Kondinin until the railway from Lake Grace reached Hyden in 1932. The end of the line is now signified by a pile of earth.
Hyden also features the largest collection of lace in the southern hemisphere, which I went to see and it was actually crotchet, tatting and lace, most of which had been brought over from England by early immigrants.
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