From Perth: Wave Rock, York and Aboriginal Culture Tour

Spend a full day crossing Western Australia's wheatbelt to reach Wave Rock, with an expert driver-guide handling the 700km round trip.

Getting started

Leave from a central Perth pickup point at 8am. If you're staying at a selected city centre hotel, complimentary transfers run from 7am to the departure point (must be pre-booked, subject to availability). Your driver-guide begins commentary as you head inland toward the Wheatbelt.

What to expect at Wave Rock

Wave Rock is a naturally curved granite cliff face, shaped by weathering over roughly 60 million years, on Country the Noongar people continue to care for.

Features

• York stop (morning tea, own expense): Your first break is in York, the oldest town in the Avon Valley, with heritage buildings dating back to WA's early colonial period. Morning tea here isn't included in your ticket, so bring some cash, but it's a genuinely pretty stop, not just a bathroom break.

• Lunch at Hyden (included): By the time you reach Hyden, you'll have been on the road a few hours, and lunch is a proper country-style Aussie meal at the Wildflower Shoppe Cafe, not a boxed sandwich. If you have dietary requirements, flag them when you book, since this meal is pre-arranged with the venue.

• Wave Rock itself: This is the reason for the trip, a 15-meter-high granite cliff face curved like a breaking wave, shaped by water erosion over roughly 60 million years. Photos genuinely don't do the scale justice, standing at the base, the curve towers over you. Walking up and around it is on natural granite, sloped and uneven in places, so wear proper shoes, sandals or thin soles won't cut it here.

• Free time to explore: After Wave Rock, you're not rushed back onto the coach. Use this time for the Toy Soldier Museum, Wildlife Park, or Antique Lace Collection (the latter houses lace connected to Princess Diana's wedding dress, a genuinely unexpected find in rural WA), all three are included, so there's no added cost pressure to pick just one.

• Mulka's Cave: A short stop from Wave Rock, this cave holds rock art and oral histories tied to the Noongar people, who continue to care for this Country. Your guide shares the story of Mulka here, this isn't ancient history behind glass, it's a living cultural connection your guide has permission to share with visitors.

• Hippo's Yawn: On the way back, you'll stop at this rock formation, named for its uncanny resemblance to a yawning hippo. It's a quick photo stop, a lighter note before the long drive home.

The return drive includes a comfort stop, so you can stretch and relax before the final stretch back into Perth. You'll arrive at approximately 8:30pm, with a full day of wheatbelt landscapes, history, and Wave Rock behind you. Your driver-guide keeps the commentary going on the way back too, so there's plenty to take in right up until you're dropped off.