Stone wave rock in Australia. Stone waves in the USA Mountain stone wave

Stone waves (The Wave), USA (Arizona).
A stunning spectacle consisting of huge “licked” massifs of red stone, located in the United States of America on the border of Arizona and Utah on the slopes of Coyote Buttes in the desert rocks of the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, on the plateau Colorado. The rock is actually sand that has compacted over 190 million years into a rock-like monolith.The "wave" consists of intersecting U-shaped depressions that were eroded into the Navajo Sandstone during the Jurassic period. The two main troughs that make up this rock measure 19 meters wide by 36 meters long and 2 meters wide by 16 meters long respectively. At first, infrequent runoff eroded these troughs along the joints within the Navajo Sandstone. Once formed, the drainage basin that provided rainwater to these gutters shrank to the point that runoff no longer contributed to cutting these depressions. As a result, gutters are currently only deformed by wind.This place is not very well known among tourists, because you can only get there on foot, you have to walk more than 5 kilometers, and access is strictly regulated so as not to be smashed into pieces. The soft sandstone that includes the ridges and ribs of the "Wave" is brittle. As a result, it is necessary to walk along the “Wave” carefully so as not to destroy small ridges.This fairy world swirling colors and psychedelic patterns.
The wave looks like a huge Olympic-sized swimming pool with wavy walls lined with burnt sienna (the term comes from the name of the city “Sienna”, in the province of Tuscany in northern Italy. Yellow-brown pigments have been mined here since ancient times), pink, gray, turquoise and pale green.
The best time to photograph The Wave is a few hours around midday when there is no shadow in the center, although early morning and late evening shadows can also make the landscape impressive. After a rain storm, numerous pool shapes may contain hundreds of tadpoles and fairy shrimp. These pools can last for several days.Above and slightly west of the Wave is the Second Wave, which has weaker colors but is still of interest to most visitors and photographers.
In the Navajo Sandstone in the Wilderness Area within the North Coyote Buttes Wilderness Area, fossil remains and tracks of dinosaurs and arthropods inhabiting this desert were found.
Access to nature reserve limited and only 20 permits are issued per day. Ten permits are available in advance through an online lottery held four months prior to the month for which the permit is requested. The remaining ten permits become available to lottery winners the day before the hike. The lottery is held all year round. For the walking tour, the lottery starts at 9:00 am. Spring (April-May) and autumn (October) are the most popular times of year to visit, but the popularity of the Wave is such that the chances of getting a permit either through a lottery or the day before the lottery are much less than 50% than from March to November . The most undesirable time to visit is August. "The Wave" is particularly well known among European tourists, partly because it appeared in Fascination Nature – Seven Seasons, a German documentary film made in 1990."Wave" is hard to find. As a result of maintaining the natural integrity of the region, there is no official route to Volna. Most hikers find their way to The Wave using GPS, or by using a prominent landmark known as the BlackCrack, which is clearly visible in the Coyote Buttes region.
The route starts from Wire Pass Trailhead, approximately 8.3 miles (13.4 km) south of US 89, along the House Rock Valley Road dirt road, approximately 35.4 miles (57.0 km) west of Page, Arizona, or 38.6 miles (62.1 km) east of Kanab, Utah, i.e. accessible to most Vehicle V good weather. During and after a storm, the road may become impassable, even for a four-wheel drive vehicle. Wire Pass Trailhead has a wide parking area with restrooms. Starting from the Wire Pass Trailhead, The Wave can be reached on foot.The closest store is at Willow Canyon Outdoor in Kanab, Utah.
About 3 miles (4.8 km) of open desert, resulting in a round trip of about 6 miles (9.7 km) from the Wave, a climb of about 350 feet (110 meters) in height. Temperatures in this area typically rise above 100°F (38°C) in summer time, so it’s better to start your hike early. It makes sense for anyone attempting to visit this stunning location to be prepared for harsh desert conditions, including strong winds, sandstorms and lack of shade.In recent years, there have been a significant number of search and rescue efforts conducted by both the Arizona County Sheriff's Department and the Utah County Sheriff's Office to find people who were lost while hiking in the Wave. Visitors are advised to pay special attention to the use of navigation, navigate topographic reference to the area, use a compass and GPS during the excursion. Change appearance terrain, such as lighting direction, is an important factor in some cases. It is also advisable to take with you drinking water, dehydration can become a real health threat.Guided tours are also available for tourists, especially suitable for first-time visitors. Guides often share knowledge and lead groups, most of them have satellite communications and use it in emergency situations.

Perhaps everyone knows that Australia is famous for its magnificent waves, thanks to which it attracts thousands of divers from all over the world. However, there is another unusual wave in Australia that you can conquer without a surfboard or the ability to swim. We are talking about the Australian Stone Wave - an unusually shaped rock.

This natural phenomenon is called "Rock Wave" or "Rock Wave", and it got its name because the rock looks like someone froze the rock or turned it into stone statue. This famous landmark is located in Western Australia, close to small town Hayden. Every year more than 140 thousand tourists come to see this wonder of the world.

The total length of the rock is 110 meters and the height is 15 meters. Scientists debate the age of this rock, and the most daring predictions claim that the Stone Wave is more than two and a half billion years old. The distinctive feature of this natural phenomenon The fact is that the rock does not have sharp corners, it has a smooth surface and a uniform structure. The appearance of the Stone Wave in Australia is legendary. The natives believe that this trail was left by the Rainbow Serpent. In ancient times, this mythical character drank all the water in the nearby territory and crawled across the ground, leaving behind such an incredible mark. That is why legends are made about the Stone Wave, and indigenous Australians consider these territories a sacred place. For example, in the rock there is the Mulka cave, named after the cannibal boy. There are human handprints on the walls of this cave, but they are located so high that an ordinary person cannot reach them. Similar legends are very frightening to the indigenous people, so Australians avoid the Stone Wave.

Scientists are suspicious of these stories and are looking for a scientific explanation. So, according to one version, the rock was formed as a result of the washing out and weathering of rocks, but why this happened so beautifully and smoothly is unclear. According to another version, on the contrary, it was not the rock that was washed away, but the earth in contact with the rock, which led to the appearance of smooth transitions on the rock. A reliable answer to this moment unknown, but the beauty of this phenomenon amazes one and all. Depending on the change in lighting, the color of the rock changes - it shimmers, changing shades to more red and brown, then, on the contrary, it becomes gray. Thus, from afar it really seems as if it is a real wave that has emerged from the ground and suddenly froze. By the way, a similar phenomenon can be observed in another part of the planet - the Arizona wave is located in the USA. However, while the Arizona Wave in America is based on sandstone, the Stone Wave in Australia is composed of granite.

In 1928, a small wall was erected on the crest of the wave. This was created to allow rainwater to flow into a small reservoir, creating a water supply for the early European settlers. The paradox is that in numerous photographs from this place the wall is almost invisible.

Since 2005, every year the Stone Wave hosts music Festival“Wave Rock Weekender”, which brings together thousands of music lovers. In general, about 140,000 tourists visit this attraction every year. Each of them considers it their duty to take a memorable photograph in the pose of a surfer storming the next Wave. By the way, not far from the Stone Wave there is another unusual rock formation– after 1 kilometer to the east you can find the Hippos Yawn cave. The smooth walls of the cave make it look like the mouth of a hippopotamus.

1. Stone wave

"Wave" is part northern slope Hayden rocks. It owes its shape to the gradual erosion over many centuries of the softer rock beneath the upper edge of the rock. The rock is 14 meters high and 110 meters long. The exposed slope of a rock wave frozen in time seems ready to crash loudly onto the prehistoric surf. Rainwater washed away chemical deposits (iron carbonates and hydroxide) from the face of the rock, creating vertical gray, red and yellow streaks. If you can give extra time to your visit, it is worth looking at the rock at different times of the day. Changing sunlight changes its color and appearance.

2. Stone wave on the map

Wave Rock or Wavy Rock is a natural rock formation located 399 km east of Perth and the small town of Hyden in Western Australia.

3. I wish I could conquer this wave!

The Wave rock has cultural significance for the natives.

4. View from the Wave rock

The unique shape of the rock is not caused by a "wave" phenomenon. Rather, its rounded wave-like shape was achieved by deep chemical processes, accompanied by the washing out of soft granite by long-term river erosion. The washing out took place below ground level, and only then did the rock appear on the surface. As a result, the base was cut, but the top remained rounded.

5. View from the Wave rock

The location of this rock was chosen for filming of Japan's Next Top Model in 2008.

6. Rock “Wave”

Once a year, Wave Rock hosts the nearby Wave Rock Weekender, a local rock music festival. The last festival was held on September 26-28, 2010.

7. Tourists at the “Wavy” Rock

More than 140 thousand tourists flock to the rock every year.

8. Photos by the cliff

Favorite pose for photographs on a stone wave.

9. Hydraulic canal at the top of the “Volna” rock

In addition to being a tourist attraction, the rock has been converted into a reservoir to collect water that is supplied to the city. A concrete wall about 30cm high surrounds the top of Hayden Rock, collecting rainfall into the reservoir.

10. The Wave rock makes a great impression.

11. Rock formation “Hippopotamus Yawn”

The resemblance of the rock to a yawning hippopotamus led to this name. Its height is about 12.6 meters.

The Australian coast is famous for its waves. They usually originate in the ocean and are constantly conquered by surfers. But there is another interesting wave here that you can “ride” without having a surfboard, or even having the skills of a surfer. Moreover, you don’t even have to get into the water.

In the southwestern part of the country in the state of Western Australia there is a natural phenomenon called “Stone Wave” or “Wave Rock” (originally Wave Rock). This natural formation looks as if someone cast a spell and turned an ordinary wave into stone.

Stone wave on the map

• Geographic coordinates (-32.443791, 118.897522)
• The distance from the capital of Australia, Canberra, is about 2800 km in a straight line.
• The nearest airport, Wave Rock Airport, is approximately 1.5 km to the north. But this is a very small airport for light aircraft
• Ravensthorpe Airport 200 km south
• Major Perth airport 300 km to the west
• Nearest locality— the town of Hayden 3.5 kilometers to the west

Stone Wave is located 300 meters off Wave Rock Road and is a semicircular outcrop of granite rock that runs east to west. A smooth, even structure, smooth transitions and the absence of sharp edges are the distinctive features of this ancient formation.
The total length of the rock is about 110 meters. Its height reaches 15 meters. Looking at this grandiose monument, no other name other than stone wave simply came to mind. Perhaps various variations on the theme “frozen wave” or “stopped wave”. Locals and the whole world calls this attraction simply The Wave Rock (literally Wave Rock).

Local tribes believed that the stone wave was made by the Rainbow Serpent. Once upon a time, the Serpent drank all the water on earth and crawled through these places, leaving behind such an amazing trail. The Aborigines naturally considered Stone Wave a sacred place where nature spirits existed.

Scientists suggest that Stone Wave began to form more than 2.5 billion years ago through weathering and erosion of rocks. But why this happened so delicately and is definitely not entirely clear. According to some data, over millions of years, it was not the granite rock itself that was washed away, but part of the surface layer of the earth, exposing harder rock.
It is worth noting that the Wave “plays” in the sun. That is, it changes its color depending on the angle of incidence of sunlight. The vertical stripes of the Rock become reddish, yellow, or gray, thereby even more reminiscent of a real wave.

Stone Wave photo

• Address: lot 6359, LOT 4 Lovering Rd, Hyden WA 6359, Australia
• Website: http://www.waverock.com.au/
• Height: about 14 m
• Width: 110 m

When traveling through this amazing region, be sure to include in your route a visit to a unique natural formation - the Wave Rock. It is shaped like a giant wave crest. This is the result of deep processes during the washing out of soft granite by rainwater. Moisture, seeping into the soil, accumulated and flowed down the rock, thereby undermining the foundation. Interesting fact is that the block of stone bent above the surface even before it was born.

This process lasted several thousand centuries. Over time, the top layer was carried away by the wind, revealing its unusual shape. The rock looks like a wave with a cut base and ends in a round plumb line. Scientists suggest that Wave Rock was formed more than 2,700 million years ago. The Stone Wave rock is located near Western Australia, in the town of Hayden.

The rock wave in Australia is part of one of the slopes of the collapsed Hayden Rock. It is 110 meters long and about 14 meters high and covers an area of ​​several hectares. The rock has a unique property - it changes its color throughout the day: vertical stripes turn yellow, gray, or red depending on the lighting. This is a truly amazing sight that attracts hundreds of tourists. The striped color was formed due to rains, which gradually washed away iron hydroxide and carbonates.

Locals are very fond of the Stone Wave rock in Perth. It occupies a fairly important place in their culture. The natives noticed that Wave Rock was very similar to real water, so they believed that the mysterious forces of nature and spirits were intertwined here. Today, Australians are making a lot of efforts to preserve the natural attraction.

In 1951, to protect the Stone Wave in Australia from the destructive effects of rain and natural disasters, a dam was built here. Before this, storm water flowed in large streams over the surface of the rock, falling from its edges in a stormy waterfall. Since water in this area is of great value, a limiter was invented to preserve it. It was installed along top edge, in order to retain and direct water into a reservoir located at the foot of the cliff.

Events

Every autumn, a music festival called Wave Rock Weekender is held near Stone Wave in Perth. This is a local celebration of rock music. World and Australian stars perform here. The most convenient way to visit the rock is with a tour, which is organized in the cities of Perth and Hayden. About 140 thousand tourists visit this attraction every year.

When heading to Stone Wave in Australia, don't forget to take your camera with you. All visitors usually take photos in a surfer pose, this is business card that you visited Wave Rock. You can also climb to the top of the cliff, where you can enjoy stunning views.

Nearest international Airport is located in Perth. From there, buses run regularly to the Stone Wave rock (travel time takes approximately 4 hours). The town of Hayden can be reached in 15 minutes by car; follow the signs.