by L Hurley

Created on: November 04, 2010

Rising out of the Werribee Plains between Melbourne and Geelong are the granite hills of the You Yangs. These hills take their name from the Aboriginal “Wurdi Youang” that translates as “big mountain in the middle of a plain”. At only 352 metres they are not actually mountains but despite this they dominate the skyline and can easily be seen from both Melbourne and Geelong.

Contrary to popular belief the You Yangs were not a volcano. According to Museum Victoria the granite was originally a mass of magma that worked its way up into the sedimentary rocks when the land surface was much higher than it is today. Erosion over millions of years has exposed the harder granite rock forming the You Yangs.

Just 40 minutes from Melbourne, via the Westgate and Princes Freeways, and 20 minutes from Geelong, the You Yangs provide the setting for an abundance of activities to suit everyone.

Walking

There are five walking tracks. You can walk to Big Rock and view the Aboriginal rock wells. The indigenous inhabitants of the area formed these wells by enlarging natural hollows in the rock. In a hot, dry country they provided permanent access to water. Big Rock Walk departing from the Park Office car park takes around one hour. Alternatively, it is only a 100 metre walk from the Big Rock car park.

A one hour walk to Flinders Peak, named after the first European to reach the top, takes you to the highest point of the You Yangs and provides spectacular views of Geelong, Melbourne, Corio Bay and surrounding areas. It is not a difficult walk if you are relatively fit however it does have sections with steep gradients and there are 450 steps to negotiate to reach the top.

For a gentler walking experience the two hour East-West Walk starts and finishes at the Turntable car park. The Branding Yard Trail is a five kilometre walk that you can start from either the Turntable car park or via Branding Yard Road. A permanent orienteering course has also been established and maps can be obtained from the Park Office.

Driving

If you prefer sightseeing from the comfort of your car there are two drives that take you through the park. Turntable Drive is fully sealed and takes you about one third of the way to Flinders Peak. It ends at the Turntable car park from which you can access most of the main picnic areas. Great Circle Drive will take you on a 12 kilometre scenic drive around the park. The road is gravel but is accessible by two wheel drive vehicles. Vehicles

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