pfafl* undetermined, was seen ciupting, 

 from cracks in the bull* ol live snow 

 gutns, i icbens deioraied every riaefc 

 and toeO, rWeWtog ta the djunfl can- 

 .iiiions. Birds ware low and subdued 

 Magpies Carolled in iho early IBOrjt 

 inns. nawo-wim-cd Pigeon* fed 



BlCOtt the Hacks, Pipits. Maine 

 Robins in sab«( plumage, an occa 

 sional C'unawong oi Ked Wattle - 

 bird — the list was not long 



The SOUtld weather pmol hut with 

 lis lug ashy fireplace prosed | bless 

 mi', in iced il was a necessity lor a 

 wet weather camp such us this om- 

 it piovided a warm haven lor the 

 evening get-togethers, dneil out 

 clothing ami hoots and ensured a 

 constant supply of hot water and 

 toast! Bedraggled walking panics 

 Mjuclehed in from time to time, made 

 om acquaintance and went their ways 

 dncd out and refreshed I he most 

 esciiin;; and adventurous pari of this 

 weekend, however, was still to come. 



Mondav morning found every one 

 packing, up. lull of forebodings 

 through listening to too many radio 

 reports nf isolated Inwus anil washed 

 out roads. I he weather immcdi .rely 

 Came to us senses and we saw fot 

 the lirsl lime the beauty ol the long 

 plains, the hills and gorges thai stir 

 rounded us on eveiy hand. At the 

 too- Of the K.ngo ihe sleepy Welling- 

 ton River was a ragin? loneiil. lorc- 

 rng a littered course through the 

 umber of its valley. Iloyond l.icola. 

 undermined bridges and Otitinf iMUl 

 slides were the order ol the da\ foi 

 the Cuppsland bound, but thanks lo 

 the road patiul officer and to our 

 dauntless drivers. mam of them 

 ladies, all were piloted safety through. 

 Something m excess ot' 700 pom's of 

 rain in the Cdenmaggie Cn-ck 

 Macalislcr catchment certainly lelf ns 

 mark on the landscape thai mcmni- 

 able weekend 



There is a charm ahout the high 



214 



connlry [flirt lures the nature lovn 

 back ugam and again whciht. ft 

 weather be good or bad, una fyy 

 subsequent weekends revealed som. 

 ol Ihe glories that were missed j|g 

 lirsl tune. On 1 ahour weokeiul, !rit 

 b-8 of March, when throe family 

 went back lo Howill hut. wc 

 blessed with lots of hoi sunshine am 

 ing the day and brilliant irtOOtll r 

 by night. The floral scene had f.hku 

 unnl the Howitt road i W ets«,i 

 big patch ol a most atlraelivc ifajjij 



bush. Okartti rwtttfaw <w. rftttt 



wlueh broughl all eats lo a vi.jn d 

 slill, Ibese low shiiihs, smothered ,„ | 

 mauve daisies, are Ihe floral high, 

 light ot Ihe hills at this paihcub; 

 t ( mo Ihe (.tiiiiaus. tot', were at theii 

 beautiful best in every bog Bints 



weie more pieniifui. especially 



Red VVatllebirds thai were nnisj in 

 the trees OrOUnd the hut. There Kgtt 

 signs of small animal life atoms? 

 .aid under Ihe shltib shelleied tttds 

 and a n ioiise-1 ik c creature was sighted 

 momentarily. Ollerings of Ihe ntitfk 

 peanul builer-honey formula were 

 licked up as soon as dnsk fell Owh 

 and Hats frequently Hew through th: 

 torch beam. 



Thanks lo a latlicrly Forests Com- 

 mission, rcallv good motor roads 

 have enabled Ihe family sedan U 

 penetiale the inneimost reeesscs ot 

 our wonderful mountains, not ahvav- 

 lo iheii advantage, iintf traffic b 

 heavy a! holiday periods and lonj 

 weekends, f ainily parties, oflen lug- 

 ging vouug children, ihink notlnnr. 

 of trudging the last three or four 



iniks up lo the final plate I W 



How itt, Ihe glories of which M n b» 

 said. arc. m suitable weather, wt* 

 worth the effort. 



Such a forest road, looping Ucw 

 side to Bide like a giant snake II al 

 falls stt.ughi oil the end of the 

 Howitt plains to the bead of lU 

 Macalislcr. It crosses and rKMSM 



V.rl t*rt. Vol 8ft 



