HANGING ROCK Shane Caruana Ever heard of Hanging Rock? Something about a picnic? Sure, it shot to fame following the release of a book…and a film… and a TV series, but there’s a lot more to ‘The Rock’ than some girls getting lost (or did they?).
O
kay, first, let’s get the obligatory facts and figures out of the way. ‘Hanging Rock’ is technically named Mt Diogenes, but yes, within the formation there is a ‘hanging’ rock, and yes you have to make sure you walk under it. Europeans first sighted it in 1844, and that particular European was Robert Hoddle, the same fella that designed Melbourne CBD’s ‘Hoddle Grid’. Robert visited 26,000 years after the local indigenous tribes are
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believed to have first moved in, and they came about 6 million years after Mt Diogenes was formed. Now, ‘The Rock’: it’s a volcanic mamelon formed when thick lava pushed through a vent in the earth. Because this lava had high soda content, when it mixed with rainwater, it created magnificent conical-shaped rock formations. The type of rock is called soda trachyte, and it’s super rare. This rock formation rises 718m above
sea level – around 100m above the fertile plains below. Wildlife love it here too – around 40 bird species, as well as koalas, wallabies and kangaroos. Now, let’s walk the trails. There are a few walks, but today we’re takin’ it to the summit. This trail is absolute gold because it zig-zags up the hill, and by the time you get to the top, you’ve taken in a 360-degree view of the surrounding plains.
