hands on rock

This site is a short walk from the carpark, though not accessible if you are not reasonably fit. The hands and other aboriginal paintings are fading but well worth a look, The site has terrific views of the surrounding countryside and there is a place to light a campfire and cook up a few sausages.

We found out about this short walk purely by accident as another group of people mentioned it to us as we were doing the nearby walk at the Drip Gorge. The place is not clearly signed so it can be difficult to find - we drove past it the first time and only just managed to see a small sign directing us to the walk which enabled us to turn back to find it.The walk itself is a nice leisurely walk which can be done at a comfortable pace. Most of the way to the rock is reasonable flat with only a mild incline at the end.The rock itself is quite nice and the history behind it adds to the experience. The hand paintings on the rock are quite faded but it is nice to see - not many of them but still quite good. The place is very tranquil so it allows you to take in the surrounds.

Beautiful bushland leads you to a pristine rock over hang where Aboriginal people sheltered for centuries and left their hand print stencils from red ochre.

Amazing to see. So easy to get to. The signage isn't great but it's well worth the stop. So lucky that the traditional owners allow us to see this place.

We visited this interesting and haunting site during the school holidays and were completely alone. Easily accessible (our four year old enjoyed the bush walk past scribbly gums to get there) but totally serene and beautiful I didn't find this sacred place disappointing at all. Coming from overseas and living in the City, this type of sight has a magical, mystical quality that was well worth the mild effort to see. Furthermore it is very near to the modestly named Drip, where the scenery is stunning and we enjoyed a picnic by the river.

ten or more years ago they were very impressive,but time and the constant touching by human hands have greatly faded the hand prints

The Hands On Rock site is an ancient Aboriginal meeting place lying within the former Wiradjuri land, currently in the eastern part of the Curryall State Forest, where ceremonies were performed & corroborees of many surrounding tribes were held.The area is noticeable for its sandstone rock formations, the most dramatic of these is the sandstone overhang which serves as an ancient canvas for these examples of fading Aboriginal stencil art. The age of the rock art is unknown as is the particular artist but it is fascinating to ponder that whoever the artist was, he/she most likely belonged to a nomadic hunter-gatherer tribe who belonged to the worlds oldest culture whose rapid decline started less than 250 years ago.The site is mostly undisturbed by modernity with the viewing platform & hand railing the exception to protect the site from its rapid deterioration & fading. The ancient cultural site is surrounded by undisturbed bush typical of what the area was like before European settlement & is completely free to visitor’s. A 5 min walk from the public car park is required through light bush on a marked dirt path. This path is not necessarily wheel chair accessible but is possible for the elderly.The site lies off Ulan-Casslis road at the Bobadeen road sign about 15 mins from Ulan village, there is a small road sign citing ‘Hands On Rock’ to identify the site. It makes for a good detour if in the Mudgee or Gulgong areas & is a family friendly place. This site is similar to that at Blackfellows Hand Cave near Lithgow but is more faded & lacks other identifiable stencil’s of axe’s & boomerangs. Camping is possible nearby at the Goulburn River National Park at the Spring Creek and Big River camping areas. More information & basic map can be found at the Mudgee Visitor Information Centre on Market St.