\''\'''^ AvDAS, The Victorian Grampians. 147 



shaded fern valleys, splashing waterfalls, swift-flowing" 

 streams, and green, smooth mountain slopes. Serried rocks 

 and bold escarpments there were indeed in plenty, but all 

 essentially different from anything one could imagine without 

 seeing — towering i)innacles that seemed to pierce the sky, 

 showing glorious panoramic views of entrancing loveliness 

 to those who have sufiticient agility and daring to scale their 

 heights. (3ver and above all prevailed a beautiful natural 

 colouration of the rocks, varying from pale lemon-yellow, 

 rosy pink, and gorgeous chrome to russet red, which were 

 often embowered by, and in complementary contrast to, the 

 native foliage. The sightseer, even when equipped with 

 travelling facilities, could spend a month among the Gram- 

 pians and yet not see all their beauties; but I endeavoured, 

 in the short tune at my disposal, to visit most of the better 

 known parts, and will mention a few of the trips which would 

 be attractive to the tourist. 



By starting out from " Bellheld," about three miles south 

 of Hall's Gap, the usual way of approach to the Grampians, 

 and following a line zig-zag track, recently constructed by 

 the Public Works Department, under the supervision of 

 Mr. M'Cormack, one is led through the "Devil's Gap," and, 

 by a short divergence, to a recently discovered rock of curious 

 formation, which has been appropriately named " Mushroom 

 Kock," foi". though weighing about 50 tons, it is supported 

 solely by a small stalk-like pedestal. Thence upwards the 

 path leads to the famous " Sundial Rock," a ponderous mass 

 of sandstone, of flat formation, which is advantageously 

 situated for viewing liall's Gap and Mount I'iosea, whose 

 cliffs, towering hundreds of feet in height, seemed, when 

 \iewed from this i:)oint, to be absolutely inaccessible: but 1 

 was to fmd on the following day that Nature had provided a 

 remarkable stairway to ease their ascent. 



A few miles further up Hall's (iap a well-constructed wind- 

 ing track has been cut on the mountain side, which leads to 

 Mount Rosea, passing en route the beautiful, smooth-flowing 

 l.'ills. solitary and peaceful, and which have been appropriately 

 named "Silver Band," thence through long glades of tree- 

 Icrns and mountain gums to the foot of the Grand Stairway, 

 i'his peak, which was formerly called the " Goat Rock," has 

 Iteen named Mount Kosea in admiration of the beautiful 

 native shrub, Pidtencea rosea, " Rosy Bush-pea," which is 

 found nowhere else in 'Xustrilia but here and upon Mount 

 William. This stairway is a natural formation of steps, of 

 which 1 was previously unaware. It runs perpendicularly 

 800 feet up the face of the sandstone cliffs and seems more 

 difficult of ascent before being negotiated ; but were the cliiub 

 ever so strenuous it would be amply rewarded by the views 

 to be obtained at the sunnnit. Une seemed to be elevated 



