152 Paton, The Buffalo Plateau in January. [v(^"^xxxiv 



Leaving Porcpunkah and the Ovens Valley, the road makes 

 for the Plateau. The latter, which is not visible from Bright, 

 comes into view, and all eyes are turned in that direction. 

 The huge grey mass rears itself into the sky ; great areas of rock, 

 bare or scantily clothed with vegetation, indicate steep 

 precipices and unscalable rocks. A mighty cleft in the midst 

 — the famed Gorge — is already \'isiblc. Meanwhile, we have 

 left the fields and entered timbered country. Our road runs 

 parallel with the Eurobin Creek, passing Manfield's, and then, 

 gradually ascending, leaves the creek far below, though we 

 get frequent glimpses through the trees of its restless waters, 

 brawling over the granite boulders in its bed. It forms a 

 beautiful picture, bordered with ferns, the Fishbone Fern, 

 Loinaria discolor, being very luxuriant here, whilst beside the 

 road grow graceful shrubs of the Fern Heath-Myrtle, Baeckea 

 crenatifoUa, in full bloom. Descending slightly, we cross the 

 creek by the Eurobin Bridge, after pausing to gaze at the 

 Gorge, which is here in full view. Here we can make out the 

 Fall itself — a distant silver ribbon wavering in the sunlight. 

 This is a scene of which description fails to give any adequate 

 idea. Here we leave the coach and proceed to the Ladies' 

 Bath Falls, a few minutes' walk upstream by a winding track. 

 The creek here falls over a ledge into a large, rocky, granite 

 basin. The water is almost perfectly smooth, and the rocky 

 bottom is clearly visible. In October the vicinity of the falls 

 is gorgeous with Tecoma aitstralis, Billardicra scandens, 

 Prostanthcra rotund if olia, Eriostemon correifoliiis, and the 

 splendid Grevillea victorice. In January their glory had 

 departed. Hdichrysmu ferrtigineiim and Trachymene Billardieri 

 were the most notable flowers. 



Leaving the Falls and rejoining the coach, we commence the 

 real ascent of the Plateau. Soon the Gorge recedes from view, 

 and we leave the granite, not entering it again till we approach 

 " Mackey's Look-out." The road winds slowly round the 

 mountain-side, ascending higher and higher, often doubling 

 upon itself. An idea of the sinuous nature of the road is gained 

 from the fact that it is just si.x miles as the crow flies, but 

 seventeen and a half miles as the coach crawls, from Pore- 

 punkah to The Chalet. As the road is not wide enough for 

 two vehicles to pass safely, except at certain points, traffic is 

 regulated, vehicles being permitted to enter the, reserve only 

 at specified times. During the climb, which first takes us 

 away from our objective, we note the following plants in 

 bloom : — Veronica Derwentia, the orchid Dipodium puiictatmn 

 (fine specimens), and Stylidium grammifoltiiin. At intervals 

 there are splendid views of valley and mountain ranges. Small 

 gullies cross our road, and far below we get glimpses of tree- 



