Lindy and Lee Sutherland have been decorating rocks for local people to find, near Lake Benalla, since moving to the Rose City in 2024.
Photo by
Simon Ruppert
When Lindy and Leigh Sutherland moved to Benalla they wanted to do something fun for the community.
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Lindy had experimented with mandala rock painting in Bali, where the couple was living, and thought of sharing some of their fun, and quirky painted rocks with the community.
So they created a Facebook page and started to do regular ‘rock drops’.
“We created the Facebook group for fun and to share our rock paintings with others,” Lindy said.
“We place them around the community, and also on our travels, hoping that someone else may get some enjoyment from them.”
Lindy and Lee Sutherland decorate the rocks, and place them in different locations along the Lake Benalla walking track.
Photo by
Simon Ruppert
Lindy said that she had attempted mandala painting in the past and wanted to do more when she moved back to Australia.
“It's called dot mandala, painting onto rocks.”
Dot mandala is an art form where intricate patterns are created using dots of different sizes, radiating from a central point.
This beautiful art not only serves as a creative outlet but also holds deep spiritual meaning for those who practice it.
“We’re not artists, but I joined a few rock painting pages for ideas and thought ‘What a nice way to spread a bit of joy and immerse ourselves in the community’, Lindy said.
“I paint whatever pops in my head. Just something quirky or things that kids might like.”
Lindy and Lee took a trip to some local hardware stores and selected some suitable rocks, and got painting.
They now take regular trips around Lake Benalla dropping rocks for locals to find and enjoy.
Leigh said there are some rules they follow when it comes to finding suitable locations.
“We don’t want them to be too hard to find,” Leigh said.
“We don’t drop them on grass, because they could be mowed over and hidden.
“And we won’t put them anywhere that might be dangerous for someone to get to.
“We don’t put them on the path, and not too close to water.
“We don’t want any kids falling into the lake, trying to get to a rock.”
More often than not the rocks are dropped between the skate park and splash park, but they could be further afield.
“And we take a picture to post on Facebook, with a hint about the location,” Lindy said.
“We've got new members on the Facebook page, and a couple of mums have commented on there that they've been out with their kids and they found them.
“It’s great. It’s a good hobby for us to to together, and It makes us happy to see it making others happy.”
You can follow the Sutherland’s rock drops by visiting @Linleigh Rocks on Facebook.
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