A 2,700 million year old wave frozen in time

Wave Rock is located about 3 km (2 mi) east of the small town of Hyden in Western Australia and 296 km (184 mi) east-southeast of Perth, the capital of the state of Western Australia.  It is a natural rock formation that is shaped like a tall breaking ocean wave and is believed to be 2,700 million years old.

The "wave" is about 14 m (46 ft) high and around 110 m (360 ft) long. It forms the north side of a solitary hill, which is known as "Hyden Rock." This hill is a granite inselberg. The colours of the Wave are caused by the rain washing chemical deposits (carbonates and iron hydroxide) down the face, forming vertical stripes of greys reds and yellows.

Wave Rock is a spectacular example of what geomorphologists call a "flared slope". A flared slope is a concave-upward or -inward bedrock surface that is typically found around the base of inselbergs, bornhardts, and granitic boulders.

More than 140,000 tourists visit Wave Rock every year.

Personal note:  We were there some years back on our drive around the Wheatbelt of Western Australia.