72 Williamson, A Cycle Trip through East Gippsland. [^Aug^sf 



directions, but rode on past the spot, and, as it was too late 

 to do any exploring, I turned back. Being very keen on 

 reaching the place that has attracted so many botanists since 

 Baron von Mueller's first trip there, I rode out again on New 

 Year's morning, starting at 5 o'clock, and taking more explicit 

 instructions from my host. In case anyone interested may 

 have a chance to visit the locality, I may as well go into details 

 with regard to the track to be followed. From Mario the 

 Bemm River road has to be followed for about 3 miles. This 

 is a well-beaten track, in part sandy, within a few hundred 

 yards of the edge of the coast cliffs, running now and then 

 through forests of Banksia serrata, messmate, and mahogany. 

 Occasionally the forest gives place to open plains with low 

 scrub, which, at an earlier season, must be a lovely sight with 

 Hibbertias, Styphelias, Patersonias, Scaevolas, and other plants 

 peculiar to the elevated coast plains. The Banksias were 

 alive with Blue Mountain Parrots, Trichoglossus novcB- 

 hollandicB, and Brush Wattle-birds, Anellobia chrysoptera — both 

 honey-eating birds, the latter one of the noisiest of honey- 

 eaters. Looking down from the cliff, one sees the sandy ridge 

 thrown up by the south-west current, and forming a lagoon, 

 along the coast about 20 chains wide. Probably in time this 

 sand ridge will be really the true coast-line, and will be a high 

 ridge of scrub-covered hummocks. At present the Snowy 

 River has to run along this lagoon to reach the opening in the 

 bar through which it can empty into the sea. The same 

 process is going on here that, in Western Victoria, diverted the 

 Eumerella River, which now flows into the sea near Yambuk, 

 g miles further east than it once flowed out. The Merri River, 

 near Warrnambool, is another similar example. 



After going down a sandy hill three miles from Mario, a white, 

 sandy track — the Club Terrace road — is seen running off to the 

 north. This turns east directly, and is followed for about 

 four miles through a forest of tall eucalypts, among which 

 Gang-gang Cockatoos, Callocephalum galeatiim, appear rather 

 numerous. After crossing three culverts, an unobtrusive 

 notice, " To the Palms," is seen on a tree about 30 yards up 

 from the third culvert. The track then leads to the left over 

 a rise, and then down through a depression till a piece of 

 corduroy, crossing a creek, is reached. After passing this, the 

 track winds round to the right, and about a quarter of a mile 

 on a small open plain is seen to the right. Before this plain 

 is reached we must strike off to the left (no track visible). When 

 a hundred yards are traversed the dark foliage of the lilli- 

 pillies and blackwoods can be seen in Cabbage-tree Creek, 

 which here runs parallel to the track. The road, on the whole, 

 is fair for cycling. There is scarcely a mile that cannot be 



