A granite wall 15 metres high and 110 long, curved over at the top like a breaking wave about to fall on you, 3 km east of Hyden. It is a flared slope, and the shape was made underground: granite rotting in place through the Cretaceous, 100 to 130 million years ago, hollowed the base while the surrounding weathered rock still covered it, and when that softer material eroded away the solid dome underneath was left standing with an undercut curve already carved into it. The red, orange and black streaks running down the face are more recent, and a local guide points to the reason: a low wall was built across the rock above it in December 1928, renovated in 1951, to funnel rainwater into a dam, and the water it channels has been staining the stone ever since. The Ballardong people call it Katter Kich and connect it to the Rainbow Serpent. Over 100,000 visitors a year, 296 km from Perth.
Hyden, Western Australia
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