About Us

Hyden WA
 
Since 2011
 
The Cottage, The Bungalow, The Silos, The Camp
Starting @20/night
 History

Our Story

 

In early 2008 a little cottage with an interesting history became available in Hyden. Much to Craig’s horror, I looked into purchasing this little-neglected beauty! Craig firmly stated from day one, you bought it, you fix it… And so it began!

The cottage itself was originally located in Koolyanobbing and was brought over to Hyden in the early 90s by former local man, Byron Collard. The cottage also had a prettier twin sister who also made the move and was established as a Bed and Breakfast, which is sadly no longer operating!

With Hyden being famously known for Wave Rock, my original thoughts when I purchased the cottage was to open up a bed and breakfast, a service which wasn’t available in Hyden at the time. While I came up with a business plan I decided to rent the cottage out.

After renting the cottage out privately for two years I decided to take the plunge and commence renovating the cottage. The first step was to paint all the ceilings and walls! What a difference this already made! The carpet, which was in every room apart from the bathroom and kitchen had definitely seen better days and judging by the beautifully worn floorboards in the kitchen we were going to be pleasantly surprised with what was underneath. After days of scrapping the underlay and glue off the floors, with Craig’s Mum’s help, we were so happy to see that the original Jarrah floorboards were in fantastic condition! We had a professional come in and sand and polish the floorboards and replace the carpets in each bedroom, the cottage was coming along nicely!

Now, it was time to beg for Craig’s help! After removing the original kitchen and laundry, with the help of Craig’s Dad and Granddad, the new kitchen was ready to be installed. This final step in the interior renovation was finally completed late March 2011 and the cottage was ready to receive guests!

We made the decision to start welcoming guests in April 2011 while we completed the exterior makeover! The inside of the cottage was beautiful and the beds were comfortable, what else could a tired traveler need?

In 2017, and pregnant with our 3rd child,  it was my turn to be horrified! A conversation about opening a second cottage turned into buying the old Hyden Abattoir and 16ha of surrounding bush land! By January 2019 we had opened, The Silos! The Silos rapidly grew from the original 8 en-suite rooms to a further 4 rooms in 2020, just in time for our harvest workers to stay in November! We now have a further 4 rooms bringing the total to 16 rooms and are registered for tourism!

Fast forward ten years, a new home for Craig and I, three children and FINALLY married and we have completed most of the outdoor makeover at The Cottage and have had the inside professionally painted! We spent 2020 reassessing our business and opened up another self contained accommodation, The Bungalow in February followed by an 15 site unpowered campground in November!

Thank you to all our wonderful guests we have welcomed over the last ten years! Those who we have met personally have always been so kind and supportive of our business while we have been in the developing stages and we hope to be able to greet many more guests for many more years to come!

Chloe x

Accommodations & About Your Stay

Wave Rock Short Stay has four accommodation types to suit your needs, including The Cottage,  The Bungalow, The Silos, The Camp and The Chalet  (Coming Soon).

Locations

Bedrooms @ The Silos

Bedrooms at The Cottage & The Bungalow

Your Host

Chloe Whitwell

Chloe is a dedicated mother of 3 and has been working on this project with her partner Craig since 2011. Contact Chloe and her team today for all your accommodation needs in Hyden!

What you Get

Amenities, Services, & Travel Guide

Free WiFi
 
Air Conditioner
 
Bedroom Comforts
 
Outdoor seating
Washer & Dryer
 
Outdoor BBQ
 
Grill
 
Cooking and Dining Accessories
 
Heater
 
Local Attractions & Events
There is always something to see and do and plenty happening in Hyden. Here at the Wave Rock Country Cottage we provide you with the latest information to help you get the most out of your stay.

See our list of the local attractions and events that are well worth a look.

The Humps & Mulka's Cave
A 15 minute drive north of Wave Rock you will see a “giant” lurching out of the bushland. This massive granite rock formation is known as the Humps – grab your hat, sun screen and water bottle and explore!

Walk Trails

Gnamma Trail (1,220 metres) On this trail are ten interpretive panels to help you understand this landscape using the words and illustrations of local Noongar elders and artists. It features two Gnamma (rock holes) and a lizard trap, all believed to have been used by Noongar people for centuries.

Kalari Trail (1,670 metres) The trail climbs steadily (but not steeply) to the summit, which affords outstanding panoramic views of the outlying farming land. Interpretive signs focus on the fascinating geology of the rock and the plants that grow on it.

Mulka’s Cave

The name “Mulka” comes from an Aboriginal Legend associated with the cave. As you enter the cave (take a few moments for your eyes to adjust) and look at the walls and note the many hand stencils believed to representing adults and children.

Salt Pond
Close to Lake Magic, a large local salt lake, Denis Collins constructed a 20m round, 6m deep swimming pool-like gypsum pond whose buoyancy and therapeutic properties are greater than those of the Dead Sea. You must try to understand the special euphoria created by floating around in the middle of this dramatically beautiful landscape with the sounds of the festival off in the distance. It is about an 800m walk from the site.
The Widlife Park
Three hectares of natural bushland creates a beautiful haven for the native and exotic animals and birds that live at the Wave Rock Wildlife Park. Don’t miss the white, grey or silver kangaroos and wallabies, koalas, golden possums, deers, donkeys, alpacas, camels, exotic poultry, water birds, swans, owls, betongs, wombats and many more.

Many other native animals and birds like the area so much that they have moved in, so keep an eye out for native birds and lizards that roam freely throughout the park.

Tables and seating are provided throughout the park for your convenience. Please feel welcome to bring your own picnic lunch or alternatively you can purchase lunch, snacks and drinks at the Wildflower Shoppe Cafe.

This wildlife park is solely cared for by a founder of the tourism industry in Hyden Valerie Mouritz, who has dedicated her life to these animals. Her love for elephants is a theme evident throughout the park.

Wave Rock & Hippos Yawn
Wave Rock is a granite cliff 15 metres high and 110 metres long. It’s rounded-like shape has been caused by weathering and water erosion which has undercut the base and left a rounded overhang. Water from the springs running down the rock during wetter months dissolves minerals adding to the colouring of the wave. In 1960, crystals from Hyden Rock were dated at being 2700 million years old, which are amongst the oldest in Australia.
Wave Rock Weekender
The Wave Rock Weekender is on again this year over the September Long weekend. The weekender is an intimate boutique festival experience with a soul bigger than the 270 million-year-old Wave Rock itself, where various artists come together with people from all over the world to camp out at the Wave Rock Caravan Park and enjoy great booze and food, films. High-quality caravan park camping with full park facilities and a huge salt pool for swimming and most of all – the amazing Wave Rock!
Wildflowers & Orchids
During spring the bushland comes alive with an explosion of colour. Every way you turn, there will be a different colour and variety of amazing flowers to see. It is a photographer’s delight and you will spend hours searching for the rare orchids that grow in the area. Some of the more common plants growing in the district include; Verticordias, Cricket Ball Hakea, Pigface, Bottlebrush Grevillea, Blue-eyed Smoke Bush, Granite Bottlebrush, Tinsel Flower and Flame Grevillea. Some of the orchids that you will find include; Spider, Donkey, Bee, Cowslip, Ant, Dragon, and different Sun Orchids.
The Lace Place
Check out the new Lace Place website at www.waverocklaceplace.com.au

The Lace Place Museum was built in 1990 to house the Blackburn Collection. Mrs Margaret Blackburn OAM JP of Perth (1920 -1990) had a keen interest in history and lace. To her own inherited family collection, she added pieces from Australia and overseas and was able to incorporate several smaller collections. Her Order of Australia Medal was awarded for service to Commercial Education.

The Blackburn Collection, offered as a bequest to the Western Australian Museum, was later purchased by the Mouritz family in Hyden. The Lace Place was officially opened on June 29, 1993 by his Excellency the Governor General of Western Australia, Sir Francis Burt.

The cabinets designed by Mrs Blackburn and Russel Mouritz are made from Western Australian Jarrah by Mr Haddad from Hadded Fine Furniture. Information folios are provided.

The original collection is complimented by antique gowns and wedding dresses from the Valerie Mouritz Collection. Additions by gift and purchase are frequently made to both collections.

The display was arranged by lace maker / curator Olwyn Scott, Valerie Mouritz and Sheenagh Collins.

short stay accommodation in hyden

We Have Vacancy!

Check out our range of accommodation types and book us for your next trip to Hyden!

0400 488 821
Hyden WA 6359
reservations@waverockshortstay.com.au