Wurdi Youang, Aboriginal stone arrangement in Mount Rothwell, Australia.
Wurdi Youang is a stone arrangement at Mount Rothwell made from around 100 basalt stones set in an egg-shaped pattern. The formation spans approximately 50 meters with an east-west alignment, and three prominent stones rise at its western end.
The stone arrangement was created by the Wadawurrung people hundreds of years ago as part of their way of life. Control of the site passed to the Indigenous Land Corporation in 2000 and then to the Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative in 2006 for ongoing protection.
The Wadawurrung people have maintained this place as part of their customs for generations, and the name comes from their language meaning big hill.
The site is accessible and located in an open area where you can view the stones from different angles. It helps to visit early in the day for better light and a chance to explore the ground in a calm setting.
The stones mark where the sun sets on specific days of the year, acting as a kind of calendar. This arrangement reveals how the Wadawurrung understood the movements of the sky and tracked the seasons.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
