Australia Day's Hanging Rock

The Hanging Rock is a unique formation of rocks described as “mamelon” (French word for nipple). It is an extinct volcano with steep sides, which is situated near Mt. Macedon in Victoria. I went there during the Australia Day Horse Racing meeting, and it was quite different from my normal Melbourne Cup hangabout. There were no ladies with flare flowery dresses, well... there were some, but there were more country folks wearing shorts and tank tops with a token Australian Flag as the ladies’ cape.

It was a good feeling to be out bush and enjoyed the fresh air of the mountain. Situated about 1 hour from Melbourne, I was able to enjoy the green trees of the mysterious “Miranda’s last resting place” (see Peter Weir’s film “Picnic at the Hanging Rock”).

This was my second visit at the place, and I do believe that the place has a mystery quality in it. Despite my partner’s saying that the whole “Picnic at the Hanging Rock” was fictious. It is just like a spooked feeling I have whenever I visited abandoned prisons, just like the time I visited Fremantle Prison in Perth a few years ago.

Spooked or not spooked, I think you should visit the Hanging Rock for the fresh air, the green bushes, and the walking tracks. Just be prepared to bring water and take a lot of rest before you reach the top of the rock.

*Picture taken from:
http://www.sydney-australia.biz/victoria/macedon/picnic_rock_macedon.jpg