March,-! Excursion to Baw Baiv. 



1914 J 



199 



great depth, until at 15 miles, when it has risen nearly 1,000 feet, 

 the train pulls up at a httle wayside station, Moondarra, 

 where an enterprising resident has established a refreshment 

 room. Here we got a nearer view of our objective — a huge 

 mountain mass standing boldly up to the north, without any 

 prominent peaks. The outlook was hazy on account of the 

 smoke of bush-fires, but there is a very fine view westward 

 from Moondarra over the valleys of the Tyers and Tanjil 

 Rivers. The next station, Watson, is still higher, in more 

 primitive country. A couple of miles further we reached 

 Harris (formerly Upper Moondarra), the Moondarra of the 

 tourist map, 1,320 feet above sea-level, the highest station on 

 the line, and 18J miles from Moe. Here we were met by our 

 guide, Mr. C. Rawson, who was a little taken aback by the 

 amount of impedimenta the naturahsts considered necessary 

 for such a trip, and, as we still had to buy tinned stores, another 

 pack-horse had to be requisitioned. However, hand-bags, 

 bundles, &c., soon disappeared into the pack-bags, and by 

 3 p.m. we had started on our twelve-mile walk. Some of the 

 members think that the surveyors must have made some 

 mistake when measuring the mileage, for they are confident 

 the distance is nearer twenty-five than twelve ; but it must be 

 borne in mind that there is a rise of three-fifths of a mile in the 

 distance. However, we must take the surveyors' word for it. 

 The afternoon was rather hot, but we made good progress, 

 and soon reached " Parker's Corner " (1,600 feet), 8 miles 

 50 chains from the shelter-house on Mount Erica, where we 

 intended to spend the night. Here the Baw Baw track may 

 be said to commence ; the surrounding country was very 

 similar to that about Evelyn or Ringwood. The beautiful blue 

 flowers of Lobelia simplicicaiilis and the creamy-white spikes 

 of Lomatia ilicifolia were fairly plentiful hereabouts. We had 

 not gone far before an Echidna, or Porcupine Ant-eater, was 

 captured, but after a short inspection was allowed its liberty. 

 Hotel Creek, a small tributary of the Tyers, was next crossed 

 — near this Helichrysum rosmarinifolium was first met with — 

 and at the 43-mile tree (the mileage is measured from M'Veigh's, 

 20 miles above Warburton) we had ascended to 1,740 feet. 

 The track was bordered on either side by bracken, the Rain- 

 bow Fern, Davallia dtihia, Helichrysum femcgineum, PtiUencea 

 Muelleri, Epacris, &c., while in the hollows tree-ferns could be 

 seen. Near by one of our keen-eyed collectors got specimens 

 of the rare orchid, Cryptostylis leptochila, also the orchids 

 Dipodium punctatum, ChilogloUis Gunnii, and Calochilus 

 Rohertsoni. Several termites' mounds were passed. The 

 makers of these mounds are usually called " white ants," but 

 they are not ants, and do not belong even to the same order 



