Читать книгу Peaks and Plateaus of Victoria, Australia - Various - Страница 5
ОглавлениеSpring—Summer—Autumn
Mount Buffalo National Park has been aptly termed "The Garden of the Gods." At every turn there are views to give pleasure to the eye. The beautiful walks are an unending delight, whether undertaken in winter or summer.
Everywhere there is the music of crystal-clear streams and of noisy waterfalls. Even when the air is calm on these exalted altitudes, the faint murmur of the wind in the forests beneath intensifies the sense of splendid isolation that is one of Buffalo's strongest attractions.
Mt. Buffalo is an all-the-year-round resort. Although it earned its reputation as a winter resort, its beauties are by no means confined to that season of the year. On the hottest day in summer the temperature is seldom above 75 degrees. Spring is wonderful—the wildflowers bloom in splendid profusion; in fact, summer is a continuous springtime, with its cool atmosphere and mild sunshine. Autumn, with its pure revitalising mountain breezes, shows another phase of Buffalo where one breathes air of champagne, and after sleeping peacefully, rises invigorated to welcome holiday exercise.
Within two minutes' walk of the front of the Chalet, on the flat surface of an enormous granite boulder, is Bent's Lookout (altitude 4400 feet). Safely here from a railed enclosure is overlooked the stupendous chasm of the Buffalo Gorge.
Fine Panorama of Mountains
Eighty-five miles distant is the faint outline of Mount Kosciusko (altitude 7328 feet)—the highest peak in Australia. In the middle distance stands Mount Bogong (6509 feet), and to the right Mounts Fainter (6160 feet) Feathertop (6306 feet), and Hotham (6100 feet).
Immediately below are the Eurobin Falls and the winding ruddy ribbon of the road in the Buckland Valley.
The Gorge close by consists of two stupendous cliffs of solid granite, varying in depth from 1200 to 1700 feet, over which thunder in a sheer leap of 1700 feet the waters of the famous Buffalo Falls.
Lake Catani (named after a former Engineer for Public Works, who thought out and supervised the scheme) is an attractive 60-acre sheet of water. It is surrounded by low hills, with trees right to the water's edge.
In the seasons, boating, bathing, trout fishing or skating are eagerly enjoyed. The trout fishing is splendid.
Supreme Winter Resort
Mount Buffalo National Park has no rival in Australia as a winter resort. All snow sports may be indulged in there under conditions equal to the best resorts on the Continent.
In winter the lake is frozen to a depth of eight inches, and skating is most popular.
Toboganning and ski-running give endless frolicsome sport during the snow season. Adjoining the lake are two excellent toboggan runs.
Anything more picturesque than the lake with its moving group of skaters and rushing toboggans it would be hard to imagine.
Overlooking the lake on a high point is the Monolith—a huge granite boulder, 30 feet high, and balanced on the edge of a mighty rocky outcrop. A stairway gives access to its lofty rail-protected summit.
The Horn—The Highest Peak
Seven miles distant in a south-westerly direction is The Horn (altitude 5645 feet). It is the highest peak on the Plateau, and is the objective of one of the finest trips which may be made during a stay on the mountain because of the unforgettable views. The last mile to the lookout is a real mountaineering adventure, with good, but entirely safe, climbing. Tourists make the trip to The Horn a day's outing, but they may stay the night there in a specially provided and suitably furnished cottage.
The Leviathan Rock, on the way to The Horn, is believed to be the largest single stone in Australia, and is estimated to contain 30,000 tons of granite. It is 75 feet high, 150 feet long, and 60 feet broad, and rests on a base of about six feet.
These are but a few of the places to be seen by visitors making a week's stay. There are many other points of interest for those who can stay longer. There are wonderful fern glades, cascades and forests—in short, charm and wonder are everywhere.
For the nights the social life at the Chalet is full of throbbing pleasure. There is something for every visitor—snug lounges, music, dancing in a spacious ball-room, and all modern comfort. Quiet pleasure or rollicking gaiety provides irresistible appeal for everyone.
The Chalet has all the conveniences of a city hotel, and is complete with hot and cold water services, ample bathrooms, electric light, billiard rooms, drying rooms, and efficient sewerage. It can accommodate 201 people.
(See plan of Mt. Buffalo Plateau, at the end of this pamphlet.)
It is a majestic sight looking upward across the waving tree tops to the scar on the face of the Buffalo Gorge. This scar is really the waters of the Crystal Brook tumbling from the Plateau to the depths of the Gorge. Towering cliffs on either side give that impression of grandeur which can be seen only at Mount Buffalo.
