„, ikg West Kiewa valley, some reels 

 ..ibulousty nth hut small in si/e 

 hniiilnc. a rare and valuable min- 

 occurs on Ml. Buyout!, and wol- 

 ',,,'„„ [, M f Ml, NcIsl. bin neither of 

 |gd minerals is piesenl in economic 

 ..ii.iMlines. the brown coal, which is 

 ..( relaloely high quabry. is resit lelcd 

 t.ivcry dun scams with an overburden 

 ,rf daid basalt. 



Hie lollowmg clav we returned to 

 ihb area for a short vimi to the 

 •Ruined Castle", then continued on 



0 I'rertv Valley. Wc passed the 

 highest point on the High Wains Yh* 

 Ittd hfie is the highest otTtcial road 

 D Victoria. 5,590 feet (any higher 

 ttt firebreaks or Commission service 

 toads I Oar lunch stop was notabk 

 lut the ptesenec nearby of ftmttfttt 



uipwu. A.ui-tui tSpiftu. Watmh afefrftr. 



Onus luiulfoliu, Drost-to uratui. 

 C: . » //. «.• mi ti»iov. liiilhinr Imlbosa. 



1 , / ufj/f « mi to. i uphrasia gihbsii 

 Vtmniax (l&rwftKiu and our first 

 arehid so far. Pmiophxlhut, ulpttt)m. 



On the return journey a short stop 

 *xs made, and most of us took u 

 i* ,>lk iIoiil; the road, taking in the 

 utatll mountain air ibcr | thunder- 

 storm anil heavy rain Along here we 

 came across Di.m.llu tasiiiarttot, und 

 m our delight lyiebirds were heard 

 in Ihe thickly wooded gullies, 

 nhvuuislv enjoying the Calm alter Ihe 

 »Uirin as we were We had now come 

 down nguiM iniu ihe vi-gctatiori »>l the 

 mviui imnmt.iiii regions nml white 

 I'ltlc* streams ol w ater rushed noisily 

 Iiinii cveiywhere 10 join a lurjier 

 kta i v ihoui;b in eagerness like 

 the birds we watched llittinu through 

 III iuvv vvc eniiwiil the bcanh ol 

 1 . s.'li Water I ems ami I >sht>one 

 Hems along the link waleiwuys. 

 Mm on mir lists wi-nl Dm ii u,' htth 

 I'o'i'd. \!,n,>lurn Hytutrbh}. Bitfonllrra 

 <i."iviihtr.i and Monrnnn Cfoife SP 

 .-"Jed, lot us. another dchghnui Jay 



NtM day I tore warned of * six- 



Wwk.r. 19/1 



mile hike in store) we .set off by 

 coach for Uundarrah Creek, located 

 somewhere behind Mt. I im , and 

 travelled high up the mountain, 

 alwiys obsecving the buds, plants, 

 trees and shrubs which the 'experts" 

 were usually able to identify. There 

 was wondrous bcaulv in the wide 

 views across streams and valleys, 

 sometimes Ihe reservoirs were in sight 

 ami ot course the mountains near 

 and tar. The walk along Ihe track, 

 bordered by the water race, was most 

 enjoyable, and the effort was 

 lewarded by the final objective: a 

 brown coal seam in a steep bank ol 

 IJuiularrah Creek, where examination 

 revealed leaf fossils showing up dis- 

 tinctly, ttirds seen included ( aster* 

 KoscIIjs. Gang Gang Cockatoos, 

 kookaburras, ravens ami hawks, and 

 among the plants were tefadmk 

 Ivtitlii I not recorded here previously ), 

 £WtCl>P0$m ec/ft/iM and Liioucmon 

 mvotjoronlfy to n.ime only a few of 

 those -seen. 



To begin another day we met Ml. 

 Ken Miih. by ,,rT.,tigeme>u. who is 

 ifi idtieial guide tor 1he S.fi.C. Wc 

 set off loi Mt. McKav power station, 

 where wc were taken bv Ii II 250 feel 

 down to be shown over ihe siatum. 

 this station generates for peak 

 periods .nul for boosting the load 

 during wintei months tor counlrv 

 areas ».«. well as the city of Mel- 

 bourne Wo learned of three heli- 

 vuplei oads in the mountains, useful 

 in vanuus ways. Mr Mills pointed 

 out .in uutcrop ol larjte rocks where 

 he h*s watched swilts resting, and 

 htmlv belfeVW that this is wheie they 

 rest hefnre 1ukin" oil on Iheir long 

 mi>!l at ioit. 



Pus dm we slopped Im lunch on 

 Ml McH.-.v. fMMS loot above se-i 

 level, at »ho lire lookout tower I .ilei 

 we nv.de ..nothei \i-it to the "Ruined 

 l astk" as the first was spoill by 

 Wind and r.un. This outcrop ot rocks 



25. 



