iii daylight: I he ret oic I planned to 

 do die Walk ttl Septenihci and spend 

 One (rtghJI out. Camera, binoculars, 

 and compass would be necessary and 

 no would looJ aid W.alCC tor a couple 

 of diVS. As well ..is bedding, this made 



ihe rucksack sufficient fftn my tarcfc. 



Ilu ie die idea lav. semi dormant 

 until fate in Ihe second term ol 

 •Alien \llali Ihomson suggested a 

 spell in the he.sl Victoiaii National 

 bark. I ECU much ihe same. 



We planned to meet theie on Mon- 

 «l.i\. 25 September, bin having taken 

 die same route as earlier, we travelled 

 Ihiongh \\OCa and Si Arn.oul. and 

 overtook Mian at Wanacknabeal 

 where he had slopped for the mghi. 

 Alter accepting his hospitably tor 

 dei noon tea we headed towards 

 Rainhow in it llaniitij: sunset that 

 b ched load, sky passcngcis and pad- 

 docks in u ruddy glow. Aj. wc drove 

 up the gradual slopes Ihe hitumen 

 tresis wvue rose halos. At Rainbow, 

 which had a 24-hour pt-lrul set vice, 

 we filled up our tanks so ih.it we 

 would have a plentilul supply {01 

 leaching Wonga Hut t'lca'ini:, dns 

 mg along ihe Hacks in the park. ..rid 

 reaching c. pctiol supply 0.31110 



ll was dark when wo reached Hie 

 ornamental gale, and were agreeably 

 Mirpnscd to Ball hitiiincn thai gave 

 us a smooth ride lo our camp site. 

 W'e parked in our usual speit K-sid<- 

 the Black Box wild die distorted 

 hr. inches, noting thai ihe park hud 

 nunc a population and mosl of them 

 curavaiiueis. The lime was 8 p.m. 



Next day I was awake at dawn. 

 Magpies. Red VV.ililc-hnds, Galahs 

 and Patdalotcs could he heard. I 

 walked up Ihe Bramhronk (rack as 

 for as ihe fringe of River Red Cunts 

 around Lake Bramhrnok Ihe I$jf8 

 pest pioportions ol Mediterranean 

 Turnip had fortunately not heen 



repeated twiggy Guinea -turner and 



Fringed Heath-myrtle were plentiful. 



hut I lie I ea I ree 111 (jjOSI S| I 

 though it had come into full hu Vl , 

 a shorl time hetore. had g 1 

 dishevelled, withered appeal antv. 

 hie kailg.noos made tiff looking qn)fc 

 chestnut in die morning sun. It ii not 

 surprrsinv thai some vis.lois report to 

 Ihe Rang.-, ilia! ihe.e arc 1 Big Re 

 11. 'i'. \\itl \ .inahic 1 jroUndsC] a\.w\_ 

 ga\ splashes ol gold, and looked n| 



Itf 'v-l this V s al TlV Dwil s Poo., 

 were hardly thai. One had j Ica 

 square niches of watei and Ihe uthu 

 il ft w -.011 in- I eel I heie wen. 00 He. 

 visitors this liuu. I went over Ik 

 r)CM Ml VW "'or'- k.oiiiaroos Ikd 

 Iwo pink CGckt doos landed, 10 brcal 

 fast 111 a Scmh Pine, hm ,. Wagpfs 

 chased them aw.iv and out ol yyln. 

 \ sculTle hehmd .. lea tree allrjcirsj 

 •tic, and I did a hull circuit The 

 picMink-d bird did the same. 1 re- 

 peated my acuon. So did it. 



Six limes we went round Ihe 1 mill- 

 \XST)I bush" wdhoui a sight, then he 

 lUw a Action >..ids and Was lot?. 

 I yave up and regained die tiuck. 



I here a dozen yards a way. wis 

 mv cUimvc bird waiehing me— j 

 ( I i simil Quail thrush. Anil so we 

 stood rs^ardi'iB each tuber till I 

 shned and the h.uubomc bird tie* 

 uwav wiib .• now familiar sound. 1 

 beaded hack lo ciup. Ml tig '..-i |||) 

 or alir.illV. Red Inckeil Pamirs. In.- 

 Butcher bird. Kingneck Pnmn.x. 

 While Cockatoos, Cirev Thnt>ho. 

 Kookaburras. Rnfim>. Whistlers. 1st 

 Marlins. 1 I aniiiit t 'uekon. Ravu>>. 

 < rested 1'igcons. (.i.dnhs. Brow 

 Thornhi||s and a family of BUek 

 hacked Wrens The male '■< 

 surerhly clad beamy, and would K> 

 better named Ihe Blue Ihioated 

 and except lor his naivety -blue sidc- 

 whiskers his blue was more of a I 'La 

 Allan and his wile attived about 

 midday and we walked across \1i 

 Matiingley to join ihe lake Biaili- 

 hrook track and reach Devil s 1\...b 



V.ct Nat Vol 88 



