^^'^•'1 Excursion to National Park* iaz. 



1915 J ^j 



common Black-tailed Wallaby, Macropus ualabatus, is plentiful 

 here, and occasional Koalas are met with in the eucalypts. 

 Passing through the gate in the boundary fence, the track 

 passes outside the Park boundary, and crosses an expansive 

 heathy flat, devoid of timber, but from which excellent views 

 of the ranges to the east and south can usually be obtained. 

 Unfortunately for us, a misty rain had been falling all the 

 morning, and heavy mountain mists obscured the tops of the 

 hills, altogether spoihng oiu" view ; but still we could make out 

 Mount Vereker in the east and Mount Leonard and the Darby 

 Saddle to the south. On our right were seen a row of rather 

 picuresque low sand-hills, once bare, but now covered with 

 grass and short scrub. Earlier in the season this flat is bright 

 with red, pink, and white Epacris and flowering shrubs 01 

 various kinds. Quail are common, and occasionally the rare 

 Ground-Parrot, Pezoporus formosiis, has been flushed here 

 About three miles from the Darby we entered what was once 

 a thickly-timbered eucalyptus forest, where, only a few years 

 ago, native bears (Koalas), wallaby, and occasional introduced 

 deer might be seen, but which is now only a mass of dead and 

 bleached trees. Passing again into the Park, where the green 

 trees throw a pleasant shade, and traversing the northern edge 

 of the Darby swamp, we were joined by one of the Park emus 

 — a full-grown bird, which, together with its mate and four 

 half-grown young birds, frequent this portion of the Park. 

 This bird came close to our party, occasionally uttering its 

 deep drumming note and spreading out its long neck feathers, 

 and accompanied us towards the Darby. A very fine view 

 of the extensive Darby flat is obtained here, showing the 

 ranger's and committee's cottages and the rest-house, clearly 

 backed by the steep scrub-covered sand-hills which separate 

 the flat from the ocean beach, while the river is seen winding 

 through the impenetrable tea-tree towards the foot of Mount 

 Vereker. The track leading southwards towards the light- 

 house is seen winding round the steep hills on the western 

 slope of Mount Leonard. 



Crossing the Darby River at its only bridge, which really 

 forms the entrance to the National Park, and from which can 

 be seen Shellback Island standing out clearly opposite the 

 mouth of the river, a well-formed track winds along the 

 southern bank of the river to the Darby flat, where the second 

 rest-house is situated. On the river Black Swans, Black Duck, 

 Water-hens, Grebes, Cormorants, Nankeen Herons, and Blue 

 Cranes make their home. The Black Duck, Water-hen, and 

 Grebe breed here, and in the season may be seen with their 

 young brood on the water, while in the river are numerous 

 eels, Anguilla australis (?), Tupong, Pseudaphritis urvillei, and 

 minnows, or so-called Mountain Trout, Galaxias attenuatus. 



