Perth to Wave Rock drive

How far is Wave Rock from Perth?

About 340 km by road, roughly four hours. The Shire of Kondinin gives 340 km east of Perth via the Brookton Highway.

Straight-line figures of under 300 km show up online, but you will drive about 340 km. Wave Rock Management puts the drive at about 3 hours 15 minutes from the southern suburbs and 3 hours 30 minutes from the northern suburbs. Add breaks and the odd photo stop and four hours is the honest figure. Wave Rock itself is just east of Hyden and signposted from town.

Which is the best route from Perth to Wave Rock?

The Brookton Highway is the quickest from most of Perth. The York route is better if you want a proper break in a heritage town.

From the south and east of the city, take Albany Highway out to the Brookton Highway, then run east through Brookton to Corrigin and on through Kondinin to Hyden. It is the route the Shire of Kondinin gives and the one most drivers use.

From the northern suburbs, the Great Eastern Highway climbs the Darling Range to York, then heads south-east through Quairading to Corrigin. Many people go out one way and come back the other, which turns the return into a new drive. The coach day tour does something similar, starting in York and continuing through Corrigin and Kondinin.

Where should you stop between Perth and Wave Rock?

York for coffee and heritage, the Corrigin Dog Cemetery for something quirky, and Kondinin or Corrigin for fuel and a stretch.

• York, about 97 km east of Perth, is the oldest inland town in Western Australia, settled in 1831. Avon Terrace is lined with old buildings, the Town Hall dates from 1911, and there are more than 200 heritage-listed places, a suspension bridge and a motor museum.
• The Corrigin Dog Cemetery, just west of Corrigin on the Brookton Highway, began in 1974 when local man Paddy Wright buried his dog Strike. The Shire of Corrigin now looks after it. The graves are colourful and personal, and it is a short, oddly moving stop.
• Brookton, Quairading and Kondinin are small farming towns, good for a break every two hours, as Wave Rock Management advises.

The Shire of Kondinin's "Pathways to Wave Rock" self-drive trail links seven Wheatbelt shires if you want to make a road trip of it.

What should you know about driving to Wave Rock?

Drive by country rules: 110 km/h on the open road, 50 km/h in towns, breaks every two hours, and extra care at dawn and dusk.

Wave Rock Management's travel advice gives 110 km/h on the open road and 50 km/h in towns, a break at least every two hours, and a warning about kangaroos and emus at dawn and dusk. If an animal jumps out, brake in a straight line and don't swerve: their advice is that swerving onto the gravel edge at speed can roll a car. Meet road trains with patience and give them room.

Check the car before a long country drive: tyres, water and oil, and carry drinks, a first aid kit and a torch. The real danger time is the drive home at dusk after a full day, which is exactly when a driver's attention is lowest.

Skip the dusk drive home: a private air-conditioned car from your Perth hotel, BBQ lunch in Hyden, Wave Rock, Hippo's Yawn and Mulka's Cave, one price for up to nine.

★ 5.0 · 12 hours · from $867

Explore the private Wave Rock day tour → Tour details

Is there fuel and phone signal on the way to Wave Rock?

Yes, in the towns. Roadhouses keep limited hours, so fill up when you can, and expect Telstra coverage only in Hyden.

Fill up in the bigger towns on the way and don't run the tank low on a Sunday evening, when small-town opening hours are short. Hyden has a supermarket, and nearly all its businesses take cards. ATMs are at the Hyden Travel Stop, the Wave Rock Motel and the IGA.

For phones, Hyden has Telstra coverage only and no Optus. Download offline maps before you leave Perth, and tell someone your plans if you go beyond Hyden. In an emergency, dial 000.

Can you drive from Wave Rock to Esperance?

Yes. Many people fold Wave Rock into a trip to Esperance, and Visit Esperance advises an overnight stop rather than one marathon day.

Perth to Esperance is about eight hours by sealed road on its own, and Visit Esperance suggests no more than 8 to 10 hours of driving a day. Wave Rock is a natural overnight on the way. If you would rather not drive back, REX flies between Esperance and Perth daily in about 90 minutes, and Transwa runs coaches.

The other way to see both is the 6-day tour from Perth, which visits Wave Rock on day one and reaches Lucky Bay on day two, with camping, meals and park fees included.

What is the Hyden-Norseman Road like?

It is about 300 km of unsealed gravel between Hyden and Norseman, signed as the Granite and Woodlands Discovery Trail.

The Shire of Dundas says the road suits all vehicle types if driven to conditions, and it has 16 interpretive sites along the way, with walks and picnic areas, and free camping with toilets at The Breakaways. From Norseman, the sealed highway runs south to Esperance or north towards Kalgoorlie.

Treat it as a remote drive. Check the Shire of Dundas road report before you set off, as gravel can close after rain, fill up in Hyden, and carry water, food and a spare tyre. It is a superb way to see the Great Western Woodlands, but it is not a road for a tight schedule.

When is a tour better than driving to Wave Rock?

When you would be doing the round trip in one day, travelling without a confident driver, or short on time.

Eight hours of driving in a day leaves little energy for the rock. On a tour, the guide drives, the entry fees are handled and the stops are planned. The coach day tour is the budget pick from US$188. The private tour makes most sense for families and groups, at US$867 for up to nine. The scenic flight turns four hours of road into an hour in the air.

Drive yourself if you will stay overnight, want sunrise at Lake Magic, or carry on to Esperance. Then the road becomes part of the trip. For the tours side by side, see our Wave Rock tours guide.

Frequently asked questions