NB: This review is of Dog Rocks at Batesford and not of the Dogs Rocks Flora and Fauna Sanctuary.
If you're in Geelong for a while and feel like a change from idyllic seascapes and postcard beach photography on the Great Ocean Road or Barwon Heads, head inland for an interesting tad of exploration.
A lone tree at Dog Rocks
A mere fifteen minutes drive west from Geelong lies Dog Rocks in Batesford, a popular photography destination in Victoria. Like most "popular" photography destinations, the few times I've headed up here while in Geelong the area has been deserted apart from the usual small groups of sheep.
Interesting Granite Forms
Take Aberdeen Street/Hamilton Highway inland before turning right on Fyansford-Gheringhap road and there's a turnoff to the right to Dog Rocks Road, where the site is located. Alternatively take the Midland Highway inland and Dog Rocks Road is to the left.
The Palaeozoic era ranged from 541 to 252 million years ago and was itself divided into six geologic periods, one of which is the Devonian period between 419 to 359 million years ago which marks the start of extensive land colonisation by plant life and so named due to investigation into the geology of the period in Devon.
The Dog Rocks are an interesting outcrop of Devonian Granite with the highest point around 100 metres above sea level where 15 million years ago it was an island in a sea; excavations in the area now revealing fossils of prehistoric marine life.
Dog Rocks
The area itself is more interesting during stormy and cloudy weather, particularly in the golden hour as the millennia old rocks provide an interesting foreground against the sky. A single gnarled tree is present in the area and can be framed against the rocks for some interesting compositions.
A Fallen Tree in the Composition
If you're interested in some inland exploration while in Geelong as a break from the seaside, the Dog Rocks is an interesting destination for an hour or two of prehistoric fun.
A panorama of Dog Rocks on a stormy day
