144 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. [Vol. XXVI. 



EXCURSION TO TOOLANGI. 



Fine weather favoured those members who took part in the first 

 Club excursion to Toolangi. Five members greeted the leader on 

 the Yarra Glen platform at 10.15 ^•™- O" Saturday, 13th Novem- 

 ber. Here we found a waggonette and pair waiting to take us to 

 our destination up in the ranges some 14 miles away. The road 

 for the first six miles was fairly level, but very dusty, and kept 

 in the valley of Dixon's Creek. Then turning to the right, the 

 creek was crossed. In about a mile we turned to the north 

 once more, and began to ascend a ridge which separates Dixon's 

 Creek valley from that of View Hill Creek. We quickly rose 

 above the surrounding valleys, and at about 85^ miles rounded 

 " Cape Horn," as it is locally styled. From this vantage point, 

 about 850 feet above sea-level, a magnificent expanse of tree- 

 covered hillsides presented itself, especially of the ridge separating 

 View Hill Creek from the Chum Creek. As we gradually 

 ascended a few wild flowers appeared along the roadsides, such 

 as Billardiera, Comesperma, Veronica, Goodenia, &c. We were 

 now in interesting country from a physiographical point of view, 

 for far down below us on our left was the broad valley occupied 

 by Dixon's and Steel's Creeks, which Professor Gregory in his 

 " Geography of Victoria," terms the " old valley of the middle 

 Yarra,"andwere approaching that part of the Dividing Range which 

 he styles the "Kinglake Gap," which is only about 1,250 feet, above 

 sea-level. At about 12^ miles we reached the main divide, and 

 turned eastwards towards Toolangi, still about a mile and a half 

 distant. Here the trees were much larger ; huge specimens of the 

 mountain ash, Uucalyptus amygdalina, up to 250 feet, were 

 frequent, while in places a dense growth of smaller trees, say 

 6 inches through and 50 to 60 feet high, prevailed. A little 

 colour was given to the scene by the wealth of the clear yellow 

 flowers of Goodenia ovata, which all through the outing was 

 exceptionally fine. Eutaxia empetrijolia and Pultencea Gunnii 

 added other shades, while smaller plants, such as Candollea 

 serrulata and Wahlenbergia gracilis were conspicuous by 

 their pink and blue flowers among the wayside vegetation. Here 

 we were about 1,600 feet above sea-level, the road continuing 

 along the crest of the divide. On our left were some selections 

 sloping down to the Muddy Creek, or Yea River, and presently a 

 turning led to the little township of Toolangi, consisting of the 

 State school and a few houses, the inhabitants of which depend 

 principally on the timber industry for their means of support. 

 The track wound through the forest, and presently, in a slight 

 hollow, Toolangi House came into view, backed up by the high 

 cone of Mt. St. Leonard (3,304 feet), a few miles further on. 

 Before going inside it was necessary to get rid of some of the dust 

 gathered on the way up, and we found bracken fern a very useful 

 means, and it was quickly taken advantage of. Toolangi House 



