We had an early breakfast and then drove to another lookout very near the motel. Although still cloudy it was not as hazy and the views over Albany were much clearer.
We left Albany at 8:35 and headed towards Hyden making sure we had a full tank of petrol! We passed through Tambellup, Katanning, Dumbleyung, Lake Grace and other tiny places with interesting names. Apart from Katanning which is a bit bigger these country town have little more than a Main Street and possibly a shop and petrol station but very little else. This is wheat belt country and the land is flat with huge wheat fields and sheep occasionally. We also passed lots of dry salt lakes. When it does rain many of the roads are flood ways but in summer everything is bone dry.
We arrived at Wave Rock about 2:00, parked the car and set off exploring. We came here in 1992 and then I though Joe magnificent it was and it still is. The Hyden Rocks are granite outcrops and Wave Rock is part of these. It was formed by rain and wind millions of years ago and the stripy effect is caused by salts and minerals. It stands 15 m high and extends quite a way back when you stand on the top. Needless to say it was very hot on the top about 40C.
Having climbed down again we then walked along the edge of the outcrop to Hippo's Yawn which is a cave formed by erosion under the top of the rock so that the underneath has gone. It really looks like a hippo's mouth!
18km further along the road was Mulka's Cave which was an Aboriginal site. There is a story about Mulka's but I won't tell you that. Inside the cave are 142 Aboriginal paintings of handprints. The Aborigines used their hand as a stencil and blew coloured pigments over them to leave a print. They are many thousands of years old.
We checked into the one motel and are now sitting having a drink in the bar. If we were to drive another 40km we drop off the end of the world as there is nothing there except the rabbit proof fence!
Tomorrow we set off back to Busselton.