154 Excursion to Loch Valley. [vd'xxxvi 



late in making a start. Tt was decided that the highest country 

 would probably be the driest and cleanest, so we made our 

 way up the hill at the back of the house towards the Ridge 

 road — a road that keeps along the summit of the range 

 separating the Loch from the Tooronga valley. The hillside 

 in spring would doubtless be gay with Tetratheca, Epacris, 

 and other flowers ; now the most prominent flower was the 

 creamy Holly-leaved Lomatia, Lomatia ilicifolia, with here 

 and there the deep blue of Lobelia simplicaulis. The Cork- 

 screw Fern, Lindsaya linearis, was growing well in many 

 places. Getting on to the road, we came across a shrubby 

 plant, apparently- an Eriostemon. The road, as we expected, 

 was fairly dry, and bordered with vegetation of all kinds. 

 The grade was not excessive, so we wandered on, forgetting 

 that we had not brought hmch with us. At last the time 

 came that we must either turn back or go without lunch. 

 Four decided that the way was too interesting to turn back, 

 and continued on for another three miles till the valley of 

 Camp Creek, leading to the Tooronga, came in sight. Beeches, 

 Sassafras, and Acacia penninervis occurred in quantity. We 

 had had many glimpses of homesteads in the Tooronga valley, 

 several hundred feet below us, and could hear the distant roar 

 of the waters of the falls on the other side of the valley. Just 

 here the timber greatly improved, but to get to the really fine 

 timber we should have gone three or four miles further, to 

 where paling-splitting is going on. We left that for the next 

 visit. Returning for about three miles, we met a settler, who 

 offered to show us a bridle-track over the ridge down into the 

 Loch valley, and, as this would be new country and save us 

 several miles, we gladly accepted his offer, after partaking of 

 a cup of tea at his bush home. Many attractive pictures of 

 trees, ferns, &c., met our eyes as we made our way down the 

 steep hillside, and by six o'clock we were once more under 

 the hospitable roof of " Braeside." For Boxing Day arrange- 

 ments had been made for a vehicle and pair to take provisions 

 and bedding up to the top of the Yarra di\dde, so that we could 

 devote two days to the main object of the excursion — the 

 visit to the magnificent trees on Mount Horsfall. After about 

 five miles up the Loch valley the road takes to a spur and 

 winds round the basin of Skerr3/'s Creek, affording fine views 

 across the Neerim country to the Strezleckies in the distance. 

 The usual vegetation bordered the road, while below were 

 many beautiful fern gullies. At about 2,000 feet some fine 

 timber was passed, and we reached an undulating table-land. 

 Here a Flame-breasted Robin was good enough to allow us 

 to examine him through the field-glass. A solitary Papilio 

 macleayanus flitted from flower to flower of the golden-hued 

 Senecios. Soon we crossed the head of Skerry's Creek, and 

 were welcomed at the homestead of the Messrs. Litazc, the 



