THE NOT SO MAGIC LAKE, THE RESORT AND THE INEVITABLE TOURIST TRAPS OF WAVE ROCK (29 MARCH 2015)

Lake Magic. The very name promises something special. Unfortunately, for us, the promise and the reality were quite different.

Only a couple of kilometres north of Wave Rock, the highly saline waters of this lake lie over a bed of gypsum surrounded by a sandy shoreline. To quote directly from one of the brochures...."Perfectly reflecting the sunset clouds, this picturesque salt lake provides an ideal spot for relaxing. This is also the site of several idyllic swimming holes and the Wave Rock Resort where 14 self contained cottages are near the lake." 

As you saw in my last missive, we had see the surface of the lake shimmering in the distance from our vantage point atop Hyden Rock

but when we arrived lakeside we discovered that the remaining water was covering but half of the normal surface area of this pond, and the 'sandy beaches' were brown, muddy flats. The forlorn looking canoe at the water's edge did not hold any appeal as an aquatic plaything given that just reaching it would involve wading across metres of mud.

I am sure that had we been here a week or so later, after the area was inundated with something in the order of 100 mils of rain, the lake may well have presented a completely different picture, but as it was we did not bother to attempt to watch a sunset reflected in what was left of its waters.

But there is no doubt the Wave Rock Resort is nearby as told. Its buildings can just be seen here at the far right of the shot (look closely!)

As we drove into the resort complex, we gained the distinct impression that this is very much a 'work in progress'.

Some of its fourteen cabins which line the bare dirt roadways have grass laid at the front, many others are yet to be so graced.

And, looking at the rear of the group, there is no doubt that this is a place 'to get away from it all', preferably in a 4WD if the weather was wet.

But, at the risk of having sounded perhaps just a touch sniffy, I should point out that, in typical Hyden style, this project is being driven by three local farmers who have pooled their funds and are developing this resort to complement the existing Wave Rock infrastructure. Good on them! 

And then, another real surprise.....an amphitheatre and covered stage area behind the cottages.  We were even more surprised to discover later that this is already the venue for karaoke evenings in the bush. Now that's enterprising and something really different!

We had read earlier about the construction of the local airport to cater for those with the wherewithal to fly in to visit The Rock. This too is obviously undergoing a make-over, with impressive results. The new airport terminal building would not look out of place in a much larger country town.

But there are still the reminders of the more than humble beginnings of the Wave Rock tourist venture to be seen, even in the new terminal building. The faded sign over the windscreen of this dated Dodge announces 'Waverock Tours'.  What fun it must have been banging across the tracks of the area in this old box of a bus. This was a fascinating reminder of just how far the development of the local tourist infrastructure has come since 1964.

The landscape between The Rock and The Resort is nothing if not stark. 

Like so much of Western Australia, the widespread removal of trees as part of the farm based land clearance schemes has resulted in a dramatic rise in the water table and resultant salt damage to the soil. These vast and dreary salt plains, devoid of all but the hardiest of vegetation, might have a bleak beauty of their own, but they are a testament to the foolishness of much of the earlier farming practices.  In fact at the moment salt degradation covers over 11% of the WA wheat belt lands. This is expected to rise to a staggering 30% before the natural equilibrium can be restored. The potential cost of the resultant lost production is mind-boggling.

As a part of the overall efforts to redress this stupidity, an intensive restoration programme is currently underway to redirect water flows and revegetate the Camm River area around Hyden Rock.  Part from the commonsense in doing so, this is actually the outer edge of the Avon River catchment, the river which eventually becomes The Swan.

After our venture out to The Resort, it was time to see what was on offer much closer to home.

Opposite the entrance to the Wave Rock caravan park, is the large sign announcing The Resort (with appropriate directional arrows) The Wave Rock Cafe and other 'tourist attractions', all of which, oddly enough, require the payment of an entrance fee.

This row of buildings along the small roadway which runs parallel to the main entrance road, 

houses the Tourist Information Centre with its fascinatingly cluttered interior

and the tables and chairs of the Wave Rock Cafe.

From what we could see on offer at the sharp end of the cafe area, its reputation as a purveyor of fine food at reasonable prices seemed reasonable, but we did not need to avail ourselves of their services. Our larder was well stocked and the treasury was not overflowing. Can anyone put in a word to the Reserve Bank Board about interest rates?

It is from this building that those so inclined may access the adjacent Wildlife Park.

From what we had seen from the perimeter fence, this did not hold much appeal for us despite the claims that it had been recently upgraded and that the newly installed "special animal homes allow visitors to interact with wombats, white kangaroos and see native animals in their native environment". Mind you, we had no difficulty imagining the draw card  this would be for those visiting from foreign shores, particularly those suffering from the disappointment of not having seen kangaroos in the main streets!

Similarly we were disinclined to visit the limited collection of 'old stuff' in Pioneer Town, nor were we particularly interested in the "largest collection of lace in Australia" to be viewed in the Jarrah cabinets of the Lace Place.

Nor did we feel the need to part with our coin of the realm to ogle at the "over 10,000 pieces that have been collected over the past 80 years" in the Toy Soldier Collection which is housed in this Military Display building alongside a toy train and doll collection, an early classroom and the Rabbit Proof Fence display.

We are great believers in the concept of value adding, but could not help finding it odd that folk who come to see Wave Rock are obviously inclined to then toddle off and spend time and money looking at displays which are available in so many other parts of the country. I guess for those with limited disposable holiday time, this does mean that they can leave The Rock informed and entertained in more than one way.

Again, I have no intention of being be harshly critical of this endeavour. It is yet another demonstration of the enterprise of the local tourist development group, folk who clearly know how to 'get off their butts' and get things done, but it all seemed just a touch incongruous located as it is alongside one of the great natural phenomena of this country.

We had enjoyed our time at Wave Rock. The excellent caravan park, the magnificence of the nearby granite outcrops, The Wave, and Hippos Yawn had all more than met our expectations. And we had been able to watch the Aussies winning the World Cup...on a big screen no less!  

What a weekend it had been, but it was now time to think about our return to the 'big smoke' before retracing our steps north along the coast to reach Cararvon for Anzac Day.