Type

Lookouts

Where

The Rock Nature Reserve - Kengal Aboriginal Place in Murray-Riverina

What to
bring

Hat, drinking water, sunscreen

Please note

• The weather in the area can be extreme and unpredictable, so please ensure you’re well-prepared for your visit.
• Remember to take your  binoculars if you want to go birdwatching

The Rock lookout offers spectacular views, comprises the remains of an old trig point and is a rewarding way to end your hike along Yerong walking track. On a clear day you can see to Galore Hills in the west, and the snow-capped peak of Mount Kosciuszko far in the distance, as well as the Bogong Range and Victorian Alps.

The Rock lookout is a great place for birdwatching, as native peregrine falcons nest at and around The Towers. Artistically inclined travellers might like to bring a sketchbook, or perhaps a camera to capture scenery.

Keep your eyes peeled for wildflowers like bluebells and yellow wattle bloom. Near the bare cliff tops, Dwyer’s mallee gum and drooping sheoak have taken root. After admiring the view, head for The Rock picnic area down below and enjoy a leisurely, well earned lunch. 

For directions, safety and practical information, see visitor info

Visitor info

Maps and downloads

Learn more

Geological significance

The reserve sits on the boundary between two major biophysical regions: the Riverine Plains and the western slopes of the Eastern Highlands. This geographic mix gives the area a terrific diversity of landscapes and animal habitats. The Rock itself, unique in the district, is the result of a pressure uplift of sedimentary materials, and is the highest point of a hogback ridge running north to south (The Rock is at the northern end). The summit stands 364m above the surrounding plains.

Living Aboriginal culture: Kengal

The dual name of the nature reserve (since 2005) acknowledges a Wiradjuri cultural presence that stretches back many generations. The Rock is also known as Kengal (meaning ‘sloping hill’), a Dreaming place, lookout, and ceremonial site for the Wiradjuri People and their descendants. It was once used for male initiation rituals. Traditional lore has it that Kengal was created by Baiame, the creator who also taught the Wiradjuri People how to make fire and spears. When settlers arrived in the area, stories go, Baiame left his male and female dingo (Mirrigan) companions, who lay in wait for Baiame’s return, forming The Rock.

'The Hanging Rock’

Charles Sturt first saw The Rock in 1829, though the area wasn’t settled further by Europeans until 1874. They called the remarkable geological feature ‘The Hanging Rock’ because of an overhang on its eastern face. This collapsed in 1874, however, leading to the adoption of its current name – simply, ‘The Rock’. For much of its modern life, the feature has sat on Crown land, and from 1891 its lower slopes were quarried for road base material to provide ballast on a Sydney-Melbourne rail line.