Hanging Rock: Australia’s Iconic Literary Landmark

Victoria’s Macedon Ranges hide tiny gold-rush towns brimming with old-world charm, 40-odd wineries and one mystery-shrouded rock.

There’s something about Hanging Rock. The fractured and eroded remains of a volcano that erupted about 7 million years ago aren’t big, rising a modest 105 metres above surrounding plains. But there’s an energy here. A stillness. The Wurundjeri people have revered it for 40,000 years, but it was Peter Weir’s iconic 1975 movie Picnic at Hanging Rock that put this little corner of the Macedon Ranges, one hour north-west of Melbourne, in the spotlight.

Trails lead to a moss-smeared forest.

Whether the story of Miranda and her pals disappearing amid Hanging Rock’s maze of trachyte pillars and boulders during a school excursion in 1900 is fictional or not remains a mystery, but its impact has endured. Many who visit find it hard to resist channelling the characters as they explore. At the very least, they’ll picnic here (with a wink).

My explorations start on a well-defined path climbing through moss-smeared forest and bracken fern; past rock spires, passageways and features with evocative names such as Vampire Cliff and Lovers Leap. When the trail dissolves into jumbled rock, painted arrows guide the way, though it’s easy to be lured into unmarked narrows.

Hanging Rock was made famous by the classic Australian novel and film, Picnic at Hanging Rock. (Image: Rob Blackburn)

Like a jewel, Hanging Rock sits on a chain of quaint towns that sprang up en route to the goldfields in the mid-1800s. Nowadays, Woodend, Macedon and Kyneton’s historic streetscapes are peppered with vintage stores, art galleries, bookshops and clothing boutiques. Its irresistible food scene encompasses everything from wine bars and providores to country pubs and hatted restaurants. Monsieur Pierre’s flaky pies and cassoulet are to die for; the gin at Big Tree Distillery wins awards.

people outside Fox in the Chamber eatery, Woodend

Fox in the Chamber is one of many cool eateries in surrounding towns such as Woodend. (Image: Rob Blackburn)

These towns are tempting, but the rock keeps me close. About a kilometre away, as the crow flies, is aptly named Hanging Rock Views. I’m not the only one who appreciates the outlook. On the lawn beyond my room’s sliding doors, a dozen-odd kangaroos turn their heads in half-interest when I venture onto the patio.

Aptly named Hanging Rock Views. (Image: Tiffany Warner)

Kangaroos frequent the property. (Image: Rob Blackburn)

My suite is one of four, featuring plush bedding, heated polished concrete floors and floor-to-ceiling windows that welcome in streams of sunlight. Even from bed, the landscape magnetises.

Though my kitchenette is bountiful with breakfast provisions, there are other ‘supplies’ that need gathering. Thankfully, I don’t need to wander far. This is Australia’s epicentre of cool-climate wines – renowned for award-winning pinot noir, chardonnay, riesling and a sprinkling of shiraz.

a close-up of the bed with a lamp at Hanging Rock Views

Simple yet cosy rooms at Hanging Rock Views. (Image: Tiffany Warner)

Closest is Hesket Estate, whose claim of producing premium small-batch wines is supported from the first sip of my pinot noir on a sun-drenched deck facing the vines. Hanging Rock Winery’s tastings come with views of the rock, and the expansive grounds play gallery to an Art in the Vines sculpture exhibition every spring to autumn.

Hanging Rock Winery sits in the shadow of the rock. (Image: Tourism Australia)

Art and wine pair well, and perhaps nowhere takes it more seriously than Mount Monument. Owned by Nonda Katsalidis (architect of Mona), the winery, cellar door and restaurant are works of art in themselves. There’s no missing the sculpture of a giant human head by Richard Stringer – it’s so big it almost brushes the restaurant ceiling inside – but outside, scattered across the grounds and wrapping the hillside, are about 30 more sculptures that Nonda adds to when inspiration strikes.

Inside Mount Monument winery. (Image: Griffin Simm)

Gardens have long been popular in the Macedon Ranges, though less for modern art and more for fountains and European-inspired landscapes. Since the late 1800s, Melbourne’s wealthy elite have retreated to its cool climes during summer, building grand homes and gardens, of which some are occasionally open to the public.

Open year-round is Forest Glade Gardens, a privately-owned botanic wonderland dating to 1941. Hours are needed to explore its six hectares of delightful trees and nooks. Maples turn crimson in autumn; rhododendrons and azaleas bloom in spring; winter brings the occasional dusting of snow. There are gazebos, fountains, topiary, bonsai and even a fern gully.

It’s Eden-like, but another Eden awaits. By the time I return to Hanging Rock Views at sunset, a pea soup-thick fog is rolling across the lawn and I can see the silhouettes of kangaroos in the mist. When I stir in the middle of the night they’re still there, grazing in the moonlight.

Kangaroos graze at the base of Hanging Rock. (Image: Rob Blackburn)

A traveller’s checklist

Getting there

Hanging Rock and the Macedon Ranges are an hour’s drive north-west of Melbourne/Naarm.

Staying there

Tranquillity is assured at Hanging Rock Views with its country views sprinkled with roos. Walking tracks and cascades are also onsite.

Playing there

Hanging Rock Reserve’s three walking trails range from 30 to 60 minutes long.

Forest Glade Gardens

The six hectares of historic private grounds at Forest Glade Gardens are recognised as some of Victoria’s finest.

Hanging Rock Winery

Wine tastings at Hanging Rock Winery come with views of Hanging Rock and Mt Macedon.

Say yes to a tasting at Hanging Rock Winery. (Image: Tourism Australia)

Eating there

Mount Monument

Art and wine combine at Mount Monument winery, cellar door and restaurant.

Kuzu Izakaya

Woodend’s Kuzu Izakaya is a local favourite for authentic Japanese ‘pub food’.

Enjoy Japanese cuisine at Kuzu Izakaya in Woodend.

Custom ‘apothecary’ experience

Each guest who opts for a private ‘Alchemist Mineral Bath’ at Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa is invited to make their own custom concoction. As my bath is drawn, I laze in the adjacent sunken timber lounge, sipping on an organic, herbal house-made tea that features some of the very same botanicals as the essential oils on the table (calendula, licorice root and spearmint, to name a few). Snug in slippers and a white waffle robe, I unfurl one of the curled blankets across my lap as melodic spa music echoes, and succumb to the serenity that permeates the spa’s every corner.

Private mineral baths updated

This hands-on ‘apothecary’ experience is one of the newest additions to Australia’s oldest spa (est. 1895), which reopened in August 2025 after a multimillion-dollar facelift. The entire space has undergone a refresh, from new tiling and lighting to refurbished changing rooms. But chief among the updates are the private mineral baths themselves, five of which were overhauled by contestants from the 21st season of The Block, each offering a wholly different vibe. One is vibrant and uplifting, plastered with pink subway tiles; another is awash with slate and captures a meditative minimalism; while a third is a riot of patterns, decked in veined marble, chevron-tiled floors, and an embossed copper-look ceiling.

A woman bathes in the new Hepburn Bathhouse and Spa private bathing room with slate tiled walls

A soothing soak in the mineral waters of Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa. (Image: Supplied)

The therapeutic powers of mineral bathing

A 45-minute soak in a private bath might feel like an eternity of solitude in an age defined by overscheduling, digital addiction, restlessness and hustle culture, yet the time slips by surprisingly quickly and proves unexpectedly restorative. There’s a sudden rosy glow on my long anaemic-looking cheeks, a softness to my skin, and, just maybe, a slower pace to my thoughts. The therapeutic powers of mineral bathing have, of course, been lauded for centuries: even the ancient Greeks and Egyptians extolled the virtues of mineral bathing for its relaxation properties and supposed ability to treat ailments. The warm, spring-fed waters here at Hepburn Bathhouse are rich in magnesium, calcium, silica and sulphur, helping to ease muscle tension and support skin health. But there’s a mindfulness element too.

Communal bathing at Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa

The benefits of bathing have long been praised. (Image: Supplied)

In the main bathhouse, couples, friends, and mums and daughters all take to the waters, chatting, relaxing and generally enjoying each other’s company. Across history and cultures, bathhouses have acted as social hubs and anchors for local communities, and it feels profoundly refreshing to see people carve out time together, not a screen in sight; almost as if stepping into a time warp. Solo bathers find serenity here, too. Some resting their cheek on the pool’s edge and closing their eyes as their bodies float, others gazing straight out through the floor-to-ceiling windows to gorge on the abundant greenery beyond, and the occasional swamp wallaby.

From bathing to dining

With only a small cafe onsite, those coming to (rightly) make a weekend of it must venture beyond the bathhouse for dinner. Lucky then that noteworthy cafes and restaurants are in strong supply in Australia’s Spa Capital, with Lake House Restaurant, Bar Merenda and The Surly Goat among the region’s frontrunners. Few local restaurants promise a dining experience as mindful and holistically considered as Kadota, however.

A kaiseki-style restaurant, Kadota invites diners to slow down and savour each elaborately plated morsel by honouring seasonality and exalting the provenance of every ingredient, all with typical Japanese modesty. Come winter, that might mean a pair of small, sweet mousse-like ‘pies’ made of slippery jack mushrooms, white chocolate and pine nuts, and moulded to resemble pumpkins that sit atop a dried oak leaf. Or a fermented kohlrabi and chive sauce that’s poured by teapot, tableside, onto local brassicas — the dish brightened by a cluster of cured salmon roe pearls and butterflies fashioned from daikon. Equal thought and care has been showered upon the dining room, which is a talking point in itself: light shades crafted by a local artist to mimic a lotus root; a feature wall of Daylesford pinewood, blackened using the traditional Japanese wood preservation method of yaki-matsu; hand-scribed scrolls made by co-owner Risa Kadota’s grandfather; and lemon balm stalks strung up along the wall to air-dry for tea.

Like Hepburn Bathhouse, Kadota possesses a special kind of alchemy that’s greater than the sum of its parts, affording guests a deeper connection with the present. Somehow, even the drive from Melbourne to Hepburn feels like part of the experience, as if the spa’s founders dreamed it up that way. The city’s grit, grey and congestion gradually recedes in the rearview mirror, giving way to bucolic scenes and quiet roads: woolly sheep grazing on golden fields, gently rolling hills, winding roads flanked by forest, horses in paddocks, and family-run farmgate stalls. The drive itself becomes part of the ritual, nudging visitors into a more mindful state before they’ve even dipped their toes in the town’s magical waters.

A weekend exploring the hidden gems surrounding Hanging Rock