One of the best hikes I’ve done so far in Australia is the one I did up on Hanging Rock.
Hanging Rock is located in the middle of the state of Victoria and is a mamelon. A mamelon is a rock formation created by the eruption of thick lava through a narrow opening in the bedrock. This happened many years ago and, over time, erosion has led to what Hanging Rock is today.
From the road that leads to the base of Hanging Rock, it doesn’t seem like much. You see a big hill with trees and stuff—not really a big deal. It is only when you start hiking and find yourself amongst the rocks and the trees, that you encounter some really beautiful sights.
As a hike, this one is really easy to do. I was even able to do the hike in normal sneakers after I forgot to bring my hiking shoes with me (I was staying at a friend’s house and we went to Hanging Rock spontaneously; no I didn’t intend to go on a hike and then forget to bring hiking shoes).
There are two ways to get to the top of Hanging Rock. The first is much easier but longer. The second one is slightly more difficult and requires climbing stairs, but it is much quicker and much prettier.
It’s interesting to me to see how these rock formations were created over time. There are a bunch of little crevices that you can squeeze into and beautiful views that you can see if you go around the right boulder. Also, in the forest right below the rock formations, there are supposedly koalas (we didn’t see any) as well as bunnies, colorful parrots, and other little creatures. I personally saw a little bunny that looked like thumper from Bambi, just so incredibly cute.
Also, there is an interesting piece of history associated with Hanging Rock. In 1900, a group of girls from an all-girls school, along with a couple teachers, went to Hanging Rock for a picnic. Four of the girls separated from the group. When it was time to go, a teacher went looking for them. A couple days later, one of the girls was found, but with no memory of what happened to her or the others. The teacher and the other three girls were never found again. Not even their bodies.
Just a sprinkle of mystery.
Overall, my hike at Hanging Rock was awesome and worth going.
xx