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 The inimitable Ray Kirkby gives the low-down on the lighter side: Forestalling any libel suit by the Railways, we lay the entire article before you as his, and his alone.
-====="Five Returns Dulbolla, Piease."=====
+====="Five Returns Dulbolla, Please."=====
 My deah, do you wish to be booked together with your parrot to Kilimanjaro via King's Cross? Or do you wish to know how to do the cheapest submarine trip up the Yangtze Kiang? If so, I am your man. I am wonderful and I admit it myself. Of course I had to learn by hard exeperience but I may as well cash in oh it and, in years to come, as I drive past in my mngnificent limousine from the palatial offices of "Dulbolla Travellers' Aids" to my princely mansion, "Dulbolla", set in the broad acres of "Dulbolla Park", I see you cowering in the gutter with your dirty rucksack and saying, "He made his money out of us".
@@ Line 66: / Line 66: @@
 As Alex Colley handed me his "copy", I could see the fire burning in his eyes, and divined that he was even then "fighting through jungle, climbing rock faces, sliding round cliffs..."
+=====The Western McPherson Range.=====
+As far as I know the Western McPherson region was, until penetrated by Wal Roots and Ray Kirkby, practically untrod by the foot of Bushwalker, so it may be as well to say where it is before proceeding to a mountain-by-mountain description. Perhaps the easiest way of explaining the layout without a map is to imagine we are standing on Wilson's Peak, from which we would see most of the places described. We should be on the border, 60 miles from the coast and 60 miles SSW from Brisbane, though we could not quite see the sea nor the city. At this point the McPherson Range joins the Great Dividing Range. Looking East along the range we snould see Mount Lindesay, 16 miles away, Lamington, 40 miles away and the peak of Mount Warning on the horizon. The Divide comes up from the WSW and continues, at right angles, towards the NNW. About 10 miles NNW, on the Divide, would be Spicer's Gap where we started our walk. This section of the Divide - between us and Spicer's Gap and beyond - is really a high escarpment on the edge of the Darling Downs. We should be at the source of the Condamine River, flowing west; the Clarence, flowing south; and near the source of the Logan, flowing north east. We could also see the source of the Richmond, beyond Mount Lindesay. In the foreground, towards the North East, would be a plain on which were a number of isolated mountains, and towards Mount Lindesay, the massive folds of Mount Ballow amost obscuring the peaks of Barney beyond. Many of these mountains appear to be ancient volcanic cones, and the escarpment on the Divide might be the remainder of lava streams from those cones. The McPherson Range itself is really a string of separate mountains connected by low saddles. Both the ranges and the separate mountains rise straight from the plain, their flanks unprotected by foothills. All the high peaks overlook a large section of the country described.
+Let us now come down from Wilson's Peak to join the rest of the party, consisting of Ray Kirkby, Edna Garrad, Ted Constable and Jean Thirgood, as they step down the carriage footboards at the rail siding of Dulbolla, 30 miles to the East.
+We walked less than a mile that evening to our first camp-site, on the Logan River just outside Rathdowney. At this point we were about 12 miles from Mount Barney, which rises straight from the plain to n height of 4434 foot. We rose early to be rewarded by an Elioth Gruner rendering of the mountain, ascending domes and spires bathed by the rising sun in softly luminous purple light. Throughout the trip the first and last rays of the sun gave us many similar mountain views, though none so breathtaking as our first.
+At Rathdowney we arranged for provisions to be sent to Mount Lindesay for us to pick up a week later, then travelled by car, past the abrupt mountains rising out of the plain, to Spicer's Gap. As we approched the Divide its 3000 foot eastern face looked nearly vertical, and presented an almost regular, corrugated appearance.
+Many of the ranges have this appearance in the distance, giving an impression of countless ages of weathering, reminiscent of pictures I have seen of arid ranges in Western China. The arid appearance is an illusion caused by a deep covering of brown grass, which is often the min covering of the steep slopes. In summer these slopes are green.
+From our camp in Spicer's Gap we climbed Spicer's Peak and Mounts Mitchell and Cordeaux. Mount Mitchell and Spicer's Peak are in the shape of irregular pyramids. Their eastern side is an almost vertical triangular cliff face, rising to the sharp peak, while their western edge slopes gradually to the Darling Downs. In the deep gaps between the peaks are the sources of streams flowing west to the Condamine River on the Downs. Climbing the peaks was not very difficult. Tluris Tourist tracks so nearly to the top of Mitchell and Cordeaux, which are on each side of the main road through Cunningham's Gap. The lower spurs of the mountins are mostly open bushland clothed in deep brown Kangaroo Grass, while near the top there is a mixture of open grassy ridges, jungle and rock faces. It is usually possible to pick your route up as you climb, but very difficult to find a way down if you do not retrace your steps. The descent of Mount Barney took nearly eight hours' walking time.
+It will be realised that it would be impossible to walk along the top of the range as we should in most of our local ranges, because you would be constantly climbing the peaks, fighting your way through jungle, climbing rock faces and sidling round cliffs. It is usunaly best to walk at the foot of the range. If you tried this in the ranges near home you would be continuously climbing in and out of creek beds, but, because of the absence of foothills, most of the country beneath this range is gently undulating with low saddles between the scattered hills. So from Spicer's Gap we made our way down the grassy open forested ridges and slopes to the cleared cattle country bolow. It was rich volcanic grassland, warm and pleasant in the northern winter sunshine, and delightful for camping. Most of the creek beds were dry, but here and there the water came to the surface and there were springs and soaks in side creeks. We camped in full view of Mount Steamer, an imperious mass of horizontal strata and steep brown corrugated slopes, thrusting majestically into the lowlands.
+Next day we climbed Panorama Point, from which we could see the extraordinary rock formation known the Steamer (behind Mount Steamoe - i.e. to the East). It consists of a long cliff face, then a gap in which are two rock pylons, perhaps 200 feet high and quite unscaleable, then a continuation of the cliff. With very little imagination it looks like a steamship.
+Another day's walk brought us to the Condamine Gap. We reached the Gap at sundown. An icy-cold wind blew through it from the West so we went a few yards into the jungle for out camp. We looked out into open country where the wind blew by day and frost formed at night, but it was snug and still under our forest canopy. Dawn was heralded by a duet between a dingo and a cow - almost like a "Tiger" walk - not that I'm incineratin', of course.
+North of the Gap is the highest point of the ranges, Mounts Superbus (4,493 ft.) and to the South is Wilson's Peak. The view from the latter has already been described but not the sensation of standing on the border of two States, at the junction of two long ranges, and at or near the source of four large rivers. Half a mile beneath us was the very start of the great Darling River, rising here amid dense damp jungle as a little mountain stream, soon to flow leisurely north-west over the Darling Downs, then curving round to the South, changing its name to Culgoa, perhaps disappearing sometimes in the arid west, then joining with the Barwon to form the Darling and flow sluggishly towards S.A. over the expanse of the far western plain. Both Wilson and Superbus are easy to climb because of a rabbit-proof fence leading up to their summits. This is not the main border fence, but is similar to it, and the track alongside it provides unobstructed walking along a deep jungle laneway. Often we paused as we came to teh giant buttressed bolo of a tree, to gaze upwards at the foliage far above. Some of tho largest trees were strangler figs which had long since enveloped their hosts. The outside circumference round the buttresses and adventitious roots at the base of some of the trees must have measured 40 feet or more. Some of the largest trees appeared, by their leaves, to be giant stinging trees, often 100 or more foot high. The older trees were covered with orchids, lichens, vines, staghorns, elkhorns and other growths. Below were small bacularia palms, stinging trees, monkey vines and many other subtropical flora. On the crests of the high ridges were some fine specimens of hoop pine.
+Two days' walk through open timber, not unlike our Bluegum Forest, and through more cleared country and jungle brought us to Mount Lindesay. Most of the way we followed the border fonce. Though this involved a very steep climb over Mount Clunie, any alternative route would have been much further or rougher. Lindesay is a beautifully proportioned mountain, its lower slopes rising symmetrically to support a vertical block of basalt 600 or more foot high. As we approached the mountain its base was blended with the violet evening haze and its square rock summit was spotlighted by the setting sun against the flocculent rose-red clouds above.
+Next day we attempted to climb it, but didn't like the almost perpendicular shrub-to-shrub ascent. Ted Consthble, however, was undismayed. He reached the top and when interviewed (at the bottom), described the view as awe inspiring rather than beautiful. Ray had been up before but must have travelled too fast to notice the hari-raising nature of the ascent.
+Our next stop was at the foot of Mount Barney. This is probably the most imposing mountain in Australia, as it rises straight from nearly level country some 500 feet above sea level to a height of 4434 feet. It is difficult, though not dangerous to climb. We followod Barney Creek, which rises between Mount Barney and Mount Bellow, and came to a most spectacular gorge. From the bottom of the gorge we lookod up an almost unbroken rock face to the west peak of Barney. The creek poured througa narrow gap into a great pool which could be reached only by crawling through a hole in the rock wall. We believe that on the upper reaches of this creek, if anywhere, there may be a truly primitive area. There is no grazing and almost certainly no route for taking out timber. It may even have escaped fires. A week or more could well be spent in exploring the Barney locality.
+Anyone planning a trip to the McPhersons should go in the period from April to September. These are the dry months when heavy rain is unusual, though we were told there were floods last June. There was not a drop of rain and hardly a cloudy day during our fortnight's trip. The icy wind which blew from the West during the first few days is, we were told, to be expected during the winter, though usually somewhat later.
+In this region, nature, by providing a heavy summer rainfall, has stayed the destructive hand of man. During the hot wet summer months the jungle is too green to burn. There is evidence of grass fires, but few areas where there have been tree-top fires. It is all cattle country, being too wet for sheep. The soil is fertile and the grass cover dense. Man, for his own good, has helped by excluding rabblts. Thus the fire, droughts, sheep and rabbits team has never got a start on the mountains, which show no signs of erosion. Much of the country is too rough for timber-getting and here man has co-operated positively preserving some of the best remaining forest areas.
+This article would not be complete without a note on the luscious Queensland fruits and vegetables. We had pineapples, custard apples and some tomatoes and other vegetables. The fruits were rich and sweet, even the tomatoes were sweet and the vegetables full of distinctive flavour. By comparison our local products are mere skins filled with cellusose and water by the use of forcing fertilisers. In time to come I believe that Southern Queensland will be entirely populated by voracious vegetarians.
+----
-THE WESTERN MoPHERSON RANGE.
-As far as I know the Western VfoPhoreon region was, until penetrated by Wnl Roots lnd Ray arkby, prictioally untrod by the foot of Bushwalkor, so it may be as well to eny where it is before proceeding to a mountain-by-mountain description. Perhnps the ecsiest way of explaining the layout without 3 map is to imagine we -re standing on Vilson's Peak, from which we would see most of the places described. We should be on the border, 60 miles from the coast and 60 miles SSW from Brisbane, though we could not quite see the sea nor the city. At this point the McPherson Rama joins the Grorvt Dividing Range. Looking Bast r)long the rrnge we snould sec Mount Lindesay, 16 pailes. lalminton, 40 miles away r,nd the peak of Mount Wrrning on tho horizon. The Divide comes up from the WSW 'Ind continues, at right angles, towards the NNW. About 10 miles NW, on the Divide, would be Spicer's Gp here we st-Irted our wP1k. This section of the Divide - bJtwoon us and Spicer's Grp find beyond - is really a high escarpment on the edge of the Darling Downs. We should be wt the source of the Conwlmine River, flowing west; the Clarence, flowing south; and near the source of the Logan, flowing north east. We could also see the source of the Richmond, beyond Mount nindosv. In the foreground, towards the North Last, would be a. plain on which were n number of isolated mountains, and tow-rds Mount Lindesily, the massive folds of Mount B,Illow -amost obscuring the peaks of Blrncy beyond. Many Of these mount-ins Rp)ear to be r,,nciont volcpnic cones, and the escarpment on the. Divide might be the reminder of streams from those cones. The MoPhersOn Range itself is rally string of separate mountains connected by low saddles. Both the ranges -na the separate mount-ins rise straight from the plain, their flanks unprotected by foothills. All the high peaks overlook a large section of the country described.
-Lot us now coma down from Wilson's '- ork to join the rest of the party, consisting of Ray Kirkby, Edlys: Gnrrad, Ted Constable and Joan Thirgood, as they step down the crri-ge footboards at the rail siding of Dulboll-1, 30 miles to the Last.
-We walked less than cl mile th't evening to our first camp-site, on the Logan River just outside Rr thdo,oncy. At this point we were about 1 iilos from Mount B-!rney, which rises straight from the
-to n height of 4434 foot. We rose en rly to be rewarded by an Elioth Gruner rendering of the mountain, ascending domes and spires bathed by the rising sun in softly luminous ,?urple light. Throughout
-the trip the first and rays of the sin gave 112 Yfr"ny
-mountain views, though none so bre".tht"king as our first.
-At RrAhdowney we arranged for provisions to be sent to Mount Lindesqy for us to pick up ^, week lriter, then travelled by car, past the 'brut mount ins rising out of the plrlin, to Spicer's G-Ip. As we pdpproched the Divide 1.,tS 3000 foot e-storn face looked nearly vorticand im)s3ntoc1, n alm oGt rcgul7x, oorrugwtod ap)oarrInco.
-Many of the rf-.nsas havo this appe-.r-nce in thu distn nco, giving ctn improssion of countless ages of worlthorins, roininiscont of pictures I hrive seen of c-rid r:Ingos in Western China. The clrid -ppor-ince is an illusion 0:used by a deep covoring of brown gr-Lss, which is often .the min covering of the Stoop slopes. In summer these slopes %ro. gren.
-From our 'comp in Spicer's Grip we climbed Spicor's Pk -nd MOunts. Mitchell 'tnd.Cordbaux., Mount Mitchell 'Ind Spicor's Pc-k nrc in tho shape of 'irregulr pyr-wids. Thbir eastern sicLo is n nlmost Tarticn1
- ,
-trirngul-x cliff frice, rising to tiish?..rp whilo their western-
-.
-odso slopes gr-dually to the Dc,xling Downs. In the deep gaps bbtwoon the po l.ks are the sources of stro ms flowing west to the Condamine River on the Lowns. Climbing the pomks w-,s not very difficult. Tluris Tourist trlcKs so nearly to the top of Mitchell -,nd Cordomix, which -ra on o-ch bid() of the mrin roeld through Ouniiinghqm's G-Ip. The lower spu spurs of the mountins aro mostly Pun bushlr.Ind clothed in deep brown K-ng-zoo Grf-Lss, while nor the top there is mixture of open gr-ssy ridges, junglu -nd rock fces. It is usually possible to pick your route up -p you climb, but very difficult to find m wny down'if you do not retr-ce your styps. The doscont of Mount Barney took nonzly_ eight
-hours' wmlking time.
-It will be realised thrt it would be impossible to w lk -dong the top of the r-ngu as li;o phould in mobt of our loc 1 17,agos, bee use you would be constantly climbing tho p o.mks, fighting your iirmy through jungle, climbing rock faces -nd sidling round cliffs.,_It is usunaly best to walk nt the foot of the- relnLo. If you tried this in tho rangos no r homu you would be continuously climbing in -Ind out of crook bods, but, becnuso of the absonce of foothills, most of tha coUntry bono-th. t" this range is gently unaul-ting with lolv sadalea between the scPttored hills. So from Spacer's C-113 wo mcde our wy down the gratssy. open forested ridges and slopes to the cleared c-ttle country bolow. It wns rich volcanic grassland, warm and p1J?snnt in the northern winter sunshine, -,nd delightful for camping. Most of the creek beds were dry, but hero -1nd:there the Tmtor came to the surinco nnd thoreo sprins -nd soaks in side creeks ' a cnmpod in full view of Mount Steflmor, -n imporious mass of horizont-)1 strnta rum Stoop brown corrugrItod slopes, thrusting m-ljasticr'lly into the lowlqnds.
-Next d y we climbed Pnorrn Point, tram which we could see the extraordinary rock froM-tion known the Stu-liner (bohind Yount Stelmor - i e. to the East). It consists of - long cliff'face, then a gni) in which -.re to rook PYlong, PorhTPs 2Q0 foot high and quit unsc-aeblo, then a continur,tion of the cliff. With v)ry littlo im-gin-ition it looks like "7: sto-,mship.
-Another ay's wmlk brought us to tho.Gondmina Gap. We-roached thx: Gap at sundown. An icy-cold wind bleu through it from the West so ,so wont,,, few yrds into the jungle for out cmp. We looked out into open country where the wind blow by day n nd frost formed at night, but it w..a,snug nxid still under our forest c nopye Down w7hemlded by duet between '.knd a coV1/2/ - almost like R "Tiger" wlk
-not,tivlt I'm , -courso..
-North'of tho Gtli is the highest point of the ranges, Mounts Suporbus (4,493 ft.) rid to the South is VIA-Pon's Po-k. The
-view from theactter h s iro-Ar 1:1604 doscribod but not the sons-tion of st,nding on the border of two 8tatas, Fyb the junction of two long 'rangos, n nd ,t or no,r the source of four 1,.rgo'rivers. Enlf n, mile bene-,th us was tho very start of the great a7rling River, rising horo amid donee damp junglo F!s a little mount in stro-m, soon to flow loisuroly north-west over tho IDrling Downs, then curving round to thu South, ch-lnging its n-lue to Culgoa;'1?rhlpu diS-Lp)orink; sometimos i 2 the arid wost; then joining Aivith the B-Iron to form the D-rlifq. flow slugO.shly tow rds S.A. ovor the exp-.,nso,of the f-x 'western pinin. Both Wilson rInd Superbus nre e-Isy to climb bocuse of n r'bbit-proof fonce'loding up to their summits. This is not the rurin boraor fence, but is stmilnx to it, flnd the tr-ck -longsido it provides unobstructed waking (1.1ong',c, dop jungle Ir-noVv. Often we p-Alsod1-1.s we crao to the gi;mt" but'Grossed bolo of -,, true, to grIzo upwn,rds -t the foli-ogo f r
-bov o. Somo of tho 1-r,ost t oc, were str-'nglor figs which htnA long
-- since onvelopod their hosts. The outside circumfrendo round tho buttrQSdOsnd dvontitious roots at the baso of some of tho trees
-Ii v(-) moasurod 40 feet or more. Some of the largost trees r-p)urea, by their lo-Nos, to be giant stinging trees, often :1D0 or more foot high. Tho older trees were covered with orchids, lichens, vines, st-lzhorns, olkhornS and other growths. Below were ii. 11 15-1.cul:ri-,.'palms, Stinging trees, laonkoy vines and many other subtro)icflt 1lorc-1. On the crosts of the high ridges were somo fine spocimons of hoop pine.
-Two cl.,71ys' wlk through open timber, tot unlike our Bluogum -Forust; nnd through more cleared country and junglo brought us to Mount Lindesay. Mot of. the wv wo followed tho border fonce.' ,Though this involved - very steep climb.,over Mount Clinic, an'y -1tornn tive route would h-ve boon much further or toULhor. Lindesv is ber'utifully proportion:ad mountrlin, its lower slopes rising
-symmetric lily to sup,iort a verticrl,block of bis,lt 600 or moro
-foot high. As we ppronched the mount;-An its bflso w,s blondod with
-the violet evpning haze and its sciure rock summit wrls spotlighted by t_le setting sun g:-inst the flocaulont roso-rod clouds FJoovo.
-Next dy we -ttomptod to climb it, but didn't like, the -lmost perpondiculr shrub-to-shrub ascent. Ted Consthblo, however, w-s undismayed.. Ho roachod the top and when intorviowod (-A the bottom), described the view -Is cIwo inspiring rather thn beautiful. R'ly had boon up 'before but must-hfl ve travelled too .fast to notice the
-nnturo of the ascent.
- Our noxt stop was at thfoot of Mount Ba rnoy. This is probi'bly 'the most iml)osing molint-An in Austr'li-is it rises strrItght from no 'rly ,lovul cOuntry somo 500 foot -lbove se i; level to - height of 4434 feet. , It is difficult, though not df!ngerous to climb. We ollowod Bc rney Creek, which rises between Mount B,rnay 17.nd Mount
-lJow,r,nd..:cp mc'tb r most spoctaculnx gorge. From the bottom of -1;he oige we lookod-up an almost unbroken, rock face to tho west peak of Barny. Th) cronk Dourod t1,11?ouoa a Eap into a groat pool
-which could be reacil,edjpnly by craulin through a hole in the rock wall. We believe that on the-upper-reaches of this creek, if ar*-- where, there may be a truly primitive area. There is no grazing and almost certainly no route for taking out timber. It may even have escaped fires. A week or more could well be spent in exploring the Barney locality.
--
-Anyone ilanning a trip to. tlie M.cPhersons should g,c) in the period from April to Setember. These are the dry months when heavy rain is unusual, though we were told there were floods last Junee There was not a drop of rain and hardly a cloudy day during our fortnight's trip. 'The icy wind vaiich blew from the West during the first few days, is, we were told, to be expected during the winter, though usually somewhat later;
-In this region, nature, by providing a heavy summer rainfall, has stayed the -destructive hand of man. During the hot wet summer months the jungle is too green to burn. There is evidence of grass fires, but few areas where there have been tree-top fires. It is all cattle country, being too wet for sheep. The soil i fertile and the grass cover dense. Man, for his wn good, has helped by excluding rabblts'.- Thus the fire, droughts, sheep and,rabbits team has never-got a start on tAe mountains, which show no-signs of erosic Much of the country is too rough' for timber-getting and here man has co-operated positively ' reserving some of the best remaining forest areas.
-This article would notbe complete without a'note on the luscious Queensland fruits and vegetables. We had pineapdleS, custard apples and some tomatoes and other vegetables. The fruits were rich ana sweet, even the tomatoes were i,L4eet and the vegetables full of aistinctive flavour. By comparison our local products are
-mere skins filled with 'cellusose and water by the use of forcing fertilisers. In time to come I believe thet 'Southern Queensland
-will be entirely popUlated by voracious vegetarians.
 :y-AIXS,TROGRA.MME.
 These two WalkShave:beeninte,r-change4: