jgg Excursion to Baiv Baw. [voK^xxx 



EXCURSION TO BAW BAW. 



In 1910 the Baw Baw plateau was made more accessible to 

 visitors by the opening of the narrow-gauge railway to 

 Walhalla, and, though we had heard from Dr. Sutton in May, 

 1905 {Vict. Nat., xxii., p. 58), of the great interest of its flora, 

 it was not until the current year that, on my suggestion, it 

 was put on the excursion list for Foundation Day (26th 

 January). Our president, Mr. J. A. Kershaw, having often 

 expressed the desire to visit the district, was put down as 

 leader. However, when the time came round to make prep- 

 arations for the trip, Mr. Kershaw was on a collecting trip 

 in North Queensland, so, as I had the previous Easter gone 

 over a httle of the ground, and decided that Harris would make 

 a good starting-point for the excursion, I took upon myself 

 the duties of acting-leader. 



At the January meeting of the Club seven other names were 

 handed in — viz., Messrs. E. Armytage (a new member then 

 elected), C. French, jun., J. G. O'Donoghue, O. W. Rosenhain, 

 J. Searle, H. Whitmore, and a non-member, Mr. T. E. Turner — 

 a good representative party of the different tastes of the Club 

 members. We duly met at the appointed time on Saturday 

 morning, 24th January, and took our seats in the compart- 

 ment which had been reserved for us in the Sale train. Nothing 

 of particular interest happened on the first stage of our 

 journey. As we approached Moe the entomologists were 

 gladdened by the sight of numerous Bursaria bushes in full 

 bloom, which augured well for a supply of beetles. 



At Moe (80 miles) it was necessary to change trains, which 

 was not to our advantage, as the accommodation on the 

 Walhalla line is decidedly limited, only one carriage being 

 usually provided. The day had become fairly warm, but the 

 novelty of the scene as we cHmbed the hillsides was some 

 compensation. For a few miles out of Moe the line is com- 

 paratively level. The Latrobe River is first crossed, and 

 within sight of the train is the termination of the Moe Swamp 

 chain, which joins the Latrobe not far from the railway bridge, 

 while on the other side of the line the Narracan Creek, draining 

 part of the southern slopes of the Strzelecki Ranges, also enters 

 the Latrobe. Some flat, swampy land overgrown with the 

 tea-trees Melaleiica ericifolia and M. squarrosa, with Kunzea 

 peduncularis, is next met with, and through this the Tanjil 

 meanders before it also joins the Latrobe. Passing Gooding, 

 the first station, poor undulating country is passed through, 

 the fine winding round the hills and gradually rising. Near 

 Gould, the Tyers, a pretty, tree-bordered stream, is crossed. 

 Rising rapidly, with numerous curves, the line now enters the 

 Moondarra country, distinguishable by its red volcanic soil of 



