Hyden is a small Wheatbelt town whose fame rests on one extraordinary piece of granite. Wave Rock looks exactly like its name: a 15-metre-high stone wall curling over the plain like surf frozen in mid-break. It is strange, photogenic, and good enough to justify the long drive from Perth if you like landscapes with a little theatre.
The mistake is to stop only for the photo. Hyden Rock has walking trails, Hippo's Yawn sits nearby, and the drive north to The Humps and Mulka's Cave adds Aboriginal rock art, granite domes, and a better sense of the country around the headline sight.
Hyden is not lush, and summer heat can be brutal. Come prepared, carry water, and time walks for the cooler parts of the day. In wildflower season, usually around September and October when the rains have been kind, the dry-looking country briefly becomes much more generous.