?9^i6'] Nethercote and Johnson, Trip to Talbot Peak-. 83 



NOTES ON A TRIP FROM WALHALLA TO TALBOT 

 PEAK, BAW BAW. 



By (Miss) G. M. L. Nethercote and (Miss) M. T. Johnson. 



{Read before the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria, 12th June, 1916.) 



Good Friday dawned a wet, cold day, and only two out of a 

 party of five ladies who had arranged to venture on a walking 

 tour to the Baw Baw plateau took their seats in the Gipps- 

 land train. Arriving at Moe (80 miles) shortly before 11 a.m., 

 we were informed that the Walhalla train, due to leave at 

 noon, would most likely be a couple of hours late, as three 

 more trains were expected from Melbourne ; so, leaving our 

 packs at the station, we ventured out into the town. But 

 things were wet, gloomy, and cold, consequently we soon 

 retreated to the station, there to await the narrow-gauge train 

 which was to convey us the remaining twenty-six miles of our 

 journey. 



Shortly after leaving Moe, the Latrobe River is crossed, and 

 some miles of swamp country passed through. Leaving this 

 behind, we came to heath country, quantities of Epacris 

 impressa being in flower, varying from light pink to deep red, 

 bringing exclamations of delight from window-holders, while 

 patches of Sunshine Wattles, Acacia discolor, in flower caused 

 wonderment to those who believed the flowering of wattles to 

 be confined to spring. Just beyond Moondarra the train drew 

 up, as a couple of kangaroos were on the line, but the shrill 

 whistle of the engine soon sent them seeking for shelter. The 

 station at Erica (formerly known as Harris) is the highest on 

 the railway (1,320 feet), and the nearest point to Baw Baw ; 

 but the extra train journey from here is alone worth the trip 

 — the scenery more than repays for the three miles walk from 

 Walhalla. The train winds in and out among the hills ; the 

 engine and guard's van almost touch on some of the bends. 

 On one side rocky cliffs block out the view ; on the other one 

 looks down many feet into fresh, green gullies. 



Walhalla (1,021 feet) is the relic of a once famous gold- 

 mining town. From a population of over 2,000 people it has 

 dropped to a few hundred. The town is built in a gorge along 

 the sides of Stringer's Creek. It consists of one street, about 

 two miles long, the houses being built on either side, with the 

 hills rising abruptly behind. Many enjoyable days could be 

 spent here visiting the many points of interest. Our plan 

 was to visit Mount Erica, the south-eastern end of the Baw 

 Baw plateau, so we covered what ground we could before 

 daylight waned, including a visit to the famous sports 

 ground, which is on top of a hill 550 feet aboVe the town. 



