Vol. XXVIII. 

 1911 



] ^^DoDD, A Collecting Trip to Herberton District, N.Q. 131 



A COLLECTING TRIP TO THE HERBERTON DISTRICT, 

 NORTH QUEENSLAND. 



By F. p. Dodd, Kuranda. 



(Read before the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria, 14th August, 191 1.) 

 For several years I had desired to undertake a collecting trip 

 to the Herberton district and the great Evelyn Scrub, but the 

 difficulties and inconveniences of travelling by coach, or other 

 vehicle, over part of the way, with my necessarily large number 

 of boxes and entomological requisites, prevented the carrying 

 out of my desire. However, in January, igio, I sent my son, 

 who has been assisting me in the field for several years, to 

 examine the country and report upon its possibilities, in con- 

 sequence of which, and the recent completion of the railway 

 to Herberton, I determined to spend several months in the 

 vicinity of the scrub, some 12 miles south from Herberton. 

 Accordingly, late in November last I left Kuranda, fully pre- 

 pared for the work, my son preceding me by several weeks. 



From Kuranda the line runs south-westerly for about 20 

 miles, and then turns due south, Atherton (2,466 feet) being 

 reached at 47 miles from Kuranda. The line continues south 

 for several miles further before the foot of the Herberton 

 Range is reached. As the train ascends the granite hills, a 

 pretty view opens out across a wide and deep valley to the 

 right, some of the hills opposite being densely clothed with 

 scrub. At the bottom of the valley the old coach road may 

 be perceived. The hills, up which the train slowly climbs, are 

 fairly thickly covered with tall forest trees, generally Stringy and 

 Iron-barks, Bloodwood, and Scented Gum, Eucalyptus citriodora. 

 A cascade waterfall, known as the Carrington Falls, is passed 

 close by the line on the left, one tunnel is negotiated, and soon 

 after we are on top of the range, perhaps not quite 4,000 feet 

 anywhere, then a downward run of a few miles brings us 

 to Herberton (2,800 feet), 13 miles from Atherton. The 

 township is spread along the slopes of the hills, with the 

 here unimposing Wild River cutting it in two, the greater and 

 business portion being on the eastern side. The river, a little 

 further down, after junctioning with several important water- 

 courses, becomes the Herbert, which drains all the country 

 about here. A mile or two westward across the hills the waters 

 run to tributaries of the great Mitchell River, flowing to the 

 Gulf of Carpentaria, which must become a mighty stream 

 during the phenomenal rainfalls of the North Queensland wet 

 season. 



I had left Kuranda at 9 a.m., and arrived at Herberton at 

 1.40. The day was hot, but pleasant to a dweller of the lower 

 districts. Though wearing a warm tweed suit, I experienced 



