A long way to the top. 
We climbed up, the track hugging a spectacular 
cliff with overhangs that afforded shelter for 
damp and shade loving plants such as ferns and 
small clumps of Prionotes cerinthoides. Mosses 
and Milligania clung to the cliff face. 
More alpine species occurred as we gained 
height, including Tetrocorpoeo tosmonico, 
Gaultheria hispida, Dracophyllum milligainii, 
Eucalyptus vernicosa. It was a bit early for 
Isophysis tasmanica, but one flower was noticed 
just emerging, the petals almost black. 
A certain amount of bribery was used to induce 
the youngest members to the saddle at 920 m 
where we lunched, reclining on comfy 
buttongrass tussocks. A passing brown goshawk 
checked out the prone figures as it circled 
overhead. 
From a rocky ridge we had a view southward over 
Lake Pedder. The south facing slope immediately 
below the ridge line harboured myrtles with 
Football spider 
Tasmanian Field Naturalists Club 
lichen clad trunks, and celery-top pine. Also near 
the ridge-top were Richea scoparia, R. milliganii, 
Gaultheria hispida and Persoonia. 
Animal life was not so obvious on this trip, apart 
from the group being obliged to dodge large jack- 
jumper nests and the odd bull-ant. During the 
drive we spotted an echidna, a Bennetts wallaby 
and yellow-tailed black cockatoos. Welcome 
swallows flew around the car park and crescent 
honeyeaters could be heard all day. During the 
climb, a couple of dragonflies near a runnel of 
water evaded close scrutiny, but a plump football 
spider ( Neosparassus ) perched photogenically on 
a clump of Bauera. A black cockroach, mating 
crane flies, a few geometrid (looper) caterpillars, 
hover flies, a tiger(?) snake, skinks (Niveoscincus 
ocellatus and N. metallicus) and a flower spider 
were also noted, while butterflies were too quick 
for an ID. Plenty of grasshoppers had come out in 
the warm sunshine. 
Michael identified some pale yellowish droppings 
as belonging to the broad-toothed mouse. He 
explained that the droppings are generally 
greenish when fresh, fading to a sandstone colour 
and almost whitish when older. This species is 
herbivorous, in contrast to the omnivorous 
swamp rat which produces dark brown droppings 
which decompose much more quickly. 
Not a single snail appeared for Kevin on the trip, 
but Abbey found that a tick had become rather 
attached to her by the time we arrived back at the 
cars 
James Wood compiled a flora list, and noted an 
interesting find: "I spotted Asplenium obtusatum 
in the rock face along the track. The plant is 
usually coastal but does occasionally crop up in 
Syrphidae 
BULLETIN 341 January 2011 pi 1 
