84 Nethercote AND Johnson, Tn'/' ^0 ra/6o^ Pfrt^. [voi'xxxiii 



and is thus one of if not the highest sports grounds in 

 AustraUa. 



Next morning, at 5.30 a.m., with food, blankets, and camera 

 strapped on our backs, we started on our fifteen-mile walk, 

 the first three miles being along a well-made, splendidly graded 

 road. No ! it was not daylight, but the clear moonlight only 

 added enchantment to an already glorious walk. Words cannot 

 describe that walk — rocky cliffs on one side, while on the other, 

 a hundred feet below. Stringer's Creek glittered like new 

 silver, margined with bush growth, broken here and there by 

 a ghostly poplar in pale-yellow autumn garb. Hills sur- 

 rounded us, and just as we reached the bridge over the 

 Thomson River daylight broke and lighted up a beautiful 

 reach of the stream. Here we had descended to 700 feet — 

 the lowest point on our journey. Turning sharply to the right, 

 one finds oneself on a comparatively wide though rough track. 

 A huge Narrow-leaved Peppermint, Eucalyptus amygdalina, 

 had been blown down during the recent storm, and still remained 

 across the track. The vegetation was similar to that around 

 Gembrook, the Wire Scrub, Bauera ruhioides, Limp Starwort, 

 Stellaria flaccida. Prickly Coprosma, Coprosma Billardieri, 

 Heath, Epacris impressa, and Golden Goodia, Goodia lotifolia, 

 still being in flower in spite of the lateness of the season. Six 

 miles out, at Parker's Corner (1,600 feet), we filled the l:)illy 

 and had breakfast. Several Flame-breasted Robins and 

 Striated Tits hoi)p3d about near by, while a Kookaburra gave 

 vent to uncontrollable laughter at seeing two girls enjoying 

 a truly rural breakfast. The clouds which had hitherto 

 enveloped Erica rolled back, and thus, with a blue sky and 

 sunshine, we viewed Mount Erica for the first time. But stay ! 

 near the to]) white, glistening patches could be seen. Yes, 

 and the air was decidedly sharp. With a shiver we quickly 

 rolled up our packs, and started at a brisk walk, for soon we 

 would be amongst the snow. The track dwindled out here, 

 and we wended our way over more or less open, undulating 

 country by the aid of blazed trees. A fair amount of time 

 was spent at the head of the eastern branch of the Tyers River 

 (1,460 feet). Here it was rather discouraging to find w^e were 

 again lower than Parker's Corner, and that Erica still stood 

 tantalizingly behind more foot-hills ; but eventually we 

 reached the foot, and Erica loomed above us. The " blazes " 

 had stopped, and a well-defined foot-track lay before us. The 

 undergrowth had become thick, very similar to that found 

 round Warburton. A few belated flowers of the Christmas 

 Bush, Prostanthera lasianthos. still lingered. Fine — very fine — 

 trees towered some two hundred feet or more above us. Two 

 Gang-Gang Cockatoos flew screeching across the track. The 



