^^''••I Excursion to National Park. 140 



were the Coachwhip-bird, Psophodes crepitans, Thickhead, 

 Pachycephala olivacea, White-eared Honey-eater, Ptilotis 

 leucotis, Rufous Fantail, Rhipidura rn/ifrons, White-shafted 

 Fantail, R. albiscapa. Striated Tit, Acanthiza lineata, Yellow- 

 rumped Tit, A. chrysorrhoa. White-eye, Zosterops cosrulescens. 

 Black Cockatoo, Calyptorhynchus funereus. Sulphur-crested 

 Cockatoo, Cacahia galerita, and Gang-Gang Cockatoo, Callo- 

 cephalon galeatum. All along the track the common lizards 

 Hinulia quoyi and H. whitei were exceedingly numerous, and 

 several Blue-tongued Lizards, Cyclodus, were seen. 



The trip occupied the whole day, and was full of interest, 

 and, notwithstanding the rather long walk, none regretted the 

 undertaking. 



Wednesday. — It was arranged to devote to-day to a visit 

 to Oberon Bay via the western Bad Saddle. Unfortunately, 

 shortly after our early start a fine rain came on, and continued 

 at intervals throughout the morning. The first part of our 

 journey followed along the northern foot of Mount Oberon, where, 

 at one time, a narrow cattle track could be followed. This 

 had, however, become quite overgrown, and we had to make 

 a track for ourselves, in some places through tangled masses of 

 scrub and sword-grass reaching over our heads. The wet 

 scrub and the falling rain soon saturated our clothes, while the 

 heavy mists quite obscured the mountain tops. We, however, 

 pushed on, and soon found the track leading up the steep 

 mountain side to the Bad Saddle. The long, steep climb was 

 rather trying for some of the party, but, had the day been 

 clear, the fine view to be obtained would have quite repaid the 

 exertion. Descending the mountain on the Oberon Bay side 

 was much more easily accomplished, and we had a good view 

 over the bay and of Mount Norgate (1,390 feet) while winding 

 round the hillsides to the beach. Crossing Growler's Creek 

 at its mouth, we traversed the broad, clean, sandy beach to a 

 small creek at its southern end. Following this up for a short 

 distance, we entered upon the well-known grassy flat behind 

 the sand-hills, the home of scores of Koalas, to Fraser's Creek, 

 where we lunched on the exact spot where the Club's first party 

 camped in December, 1905. A hght lunch and a hot cup of tea 

 soon restored our spirits, notwithstanding the occasional light 

 showers and our wet clothes. Numbers of Koalas were seen, 

 and numerous photographs taken. Attention was drawn to the 

 numbers of dead or dying gum-trees in the flat, nearly all 

 of which had been quite or partially depleted of their foliage 

 within the last few years by the Koalas which frequent this 

 sheltered locality. 



Owing to the state of the weather, it was decided to make 



