Dog Rocks Reserve

On the flat volcanic plains near Batesford, just outside Geelong, a cluster of ancient granite boulders breaks the landscape — Devonian outcrops said to resemble sleeping dogs, which give the reserve its name. The fifteen-hectare Trust for Nature property protects remnant native grassland and provides habitat for the prickly Cunningham's skink, with eastern grey kangaroos and nankeen kestrels often about. A carpark and pedestrian gate off Tolloora Way give access; the reserve closes on days of extreme fire danger.