We arrived at the Hanging Rock Trail car park at 10.45am, noticing the adjacent Ashbrook Trail. The Hanging Rock Trail is one of the shortest (at just 500 metres circuit) but definitely more interesting trails in Tidbinbilla. Hanging Rock is a huge boulder on a hilltop that was utilised as a shelter and gathering place for the aborigines for hundreds of years. Stone cutting tools have been found here and it is thought that this may have been a site for the manufacturing of stone tools.

A modern boardwalk takes us through the forest and across Ashbrook Creek. We ignore the trail coming in on the right as we will return along this in about 20 minutes time. The track now ascends the hill in a large arc, though a forest that still bears the scars of the devastating 2003 bushfires. As we look to our right through the scrub a series of rocks appear and the track soon bends round to meet them.

Instead of following the track uphill to reach the overhang, Craig and I take a more interesting off track excursion to reach the outer rocks and make our way between them to reach the main gargantuan boulder that dominates this hill. In a way we have circumnavigated the entire rock field before stepping into the main overhang that gives Hanging Rock its name. The rock appears to be tilting over, creating the rock shelter we now stand in. A smaller overhang on the other side of some rocks reveals the track coming up the hill.

Craig and I spend a little time exploring this area, taking photographs and checking out the passageways between the smaller rock tors before rejoining the track as it descends the hillside and returns us to Ashbrook Creek crossing and the car park. Back at the car park we decide on a quick 10 minute morning tea break and make use of the picnic table here.

Minutes later we head off through the gate and along the Ashbrook Trail. This trail is nothing more than an old fire trail that links the Tidbinbilla ring road with the Mountain Creek road. The trail takes us beside Ashbrook Creek before crossing the creek to ascend a ridge before it drops to Mountain Creek and then ascends to meet Mountain Creek Road. For most bushwalkers (who prefer narrow walking tracks through the countryside) this would be considered a boring trail, revealing nothing other than a few Tidbinbilla Range views, some isolated rocks and a forested ridge, though it can be considered an interesting walk and we found this so.

The entire return walk is just 6.5km long and guidebooks state it takes about 2 hours to complete. Craig and I set a steady walking pace discussing my upcoming Hume and Hovell Track hike (where Craig will be support crew) and this weekend's full pack walk in nearby Namadgi National Park. The track descends gradually for a short way before we cross Ashbrook Creek via some stepping stones. Now we find ourselves ascending the ridge. It's not a very steep climb, but enough to get the cardio going and raise a sweat. We also notice that the air is quite humid so drink stops are taken when required.

The top of the ascent is marked by several interesting looking rocks just off the road. The peace and quiet of the forest is interrupted with the 'Voicemail' tone on my iPhone. We have just stepped into an area where we can receive mobile phone signals. The call is from work who require me to start work today earlier than originally planned. It looks like the Cascades and Lyrebird walks will have to wait for another day. I still have time to complete this walk though.

The trail now descends and steeply to eventually meet and cross Mountain Creek. One other thing we have noticed this morning is the lack of animal and bird sightings in the forest, not even a bird call. Very strange. After crossing Mountain Creek we have a short easy ascent to the gate at Mountain Creek Road. Halfway up we notice that it has started to rain very lightly, and only for less than a minute, not even worth the effort of getting our raincoats out of our packs.

We stepped out onto the bitumen Road and now quite thankful we don't have to walk the one kilometre or so of hard surface to the other two walks trackheads. We take the opportunity to sit on a fallen log for a quick snack before we put the rucksacks back on for the walk back. During this we had the steep walk back up to the ridge top and then the easy descent to Ashbrook Creek crossing where the air temperature noticeably dropped.

One hour and twenty minutes after starting the walk we arrived back at the car. It is probably one of those walks we would not return to, save, as I put it, that it may perform the duty of being the perfect trail to check out long distance walking equipment.