An Adventurous Climb THE ZAMIA RANGE

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23053, 22 June 1940, Page 2 (Supplement)

An Adventurous Climb THE ZAMIA RANGE

(By Glenville Pike)

For a long time I wanted to explore the lamia Range, in the Springsure district of Central Queensland, and recently I had that opportunity. The Springsure district is noted for its wild and rugged mountain scenery and peculiar rock formations. ‘ The Zamia Range, with its maze of fantastically shaped peaks and deep bush-clad gorges, runs in a south-easterly direction from the Great Dividing Range near the sapphire and ruby mines round the little town of Anakie on the Cen-

tral-Western railway to within ohe mile of Springsure township, .a total distance of more than 100 miles. Portions of this range are nearly 2000 ft above S6a level,, ahd the greater part has never been explored. Its steep precipitous red sandstone cliffs and deep boulderstrewn - gorges are hoheycombed With caves. It was a long climb, and at times we almost despaired of ever reaching the highest pinnacle at all. At times it was so steep that we had to pull ourselves up by the roots of trees which grew in profusion up the mountain-side; Constantly We had to pick out a different route only to be barred by a sheer wall of rock, towering tier upon tier fair aboVe Us. At last w? gained a comparatively level ledge from Which there was a gradual slope to the foot of the cliffs which marked the summit of the range. From where we were staiiditlg theire was a drop of perhaps SDOft ihto a treechoked gorge where giant zamia palms and great gums strove for supremacy. In every direction them were other peaks ahd ranges. There was not a sigh, of human habitation, only an eagle Wheeling round the highest Crags, far above US. I was startled by a big red kangaroo as it hopped leisurely away to a yet higher level, 1( The- heat struck back from the fed basalt rbcks aS from a furnace. The rocks Were far too hot to tOUch With bare hands, ahd the heat burnt through out thick, boots. As the ohly water for miles round is at the foot of the range we had do carry a waterbag With US, Oh the IbokOut for snakes and other venomous creatures, we continued our Climb, and at last stood at the fbOt of the cliffs, the top of Which was OUr Objective. From where I stood I caught glimpses of large apertures ih the rocks many feet above us. Those must' be the caves I had come to explore! After , a brief search I . was astonished to flhd foothold;

cut in the sheer rock face, iwidence showed them to be centuries old, for they had been worn into rounded cavities by the weather and by feet which had used them in days gone by. The only people who could be responsible for these rough steps, hewn out of the solid rock. Were aborigines Who had used them long years ago when hunting for food in these mourn tains. ' , . , At last we gained the highest pinnacle of rock and had an un» interrupted view of the surround-

ihg Country from this side of the range. All round us were other mountains, with deep btish-Ciad valleys between. Through a gap ih aiiother tahge of mountains we Could she a tiny White dot ih a wilderness of tree-tops, which Was the homestead of a sheep station nearly 23 miles away. Along the top of the ranges we were upon* it was almost level, and it seemed as if we were on top of the world. Big Clumps of peculiar smelling coarse grass in Which numerous ground-frequenting birds and Sihall animals had made theif nests, and patches of stunted brigalow trees were the feature of the .landscape. After a tramp Of some distance we came to the edge of the opposite side of the range, arid had ah Unbroken view towards the West. Ih one direction 1 Caught a glimpse of the great Western plains extending , fof dozens of level miles to the horizon, and to the south-west the Warrego Ranges towards Tambo* 134 miles away, stretched in a long blue line. . Slowly -we descended to a lower level hear the Caves We had first discovered* and boiled the billy for lunch* for we were all hungry and thirsty after our hard morning’s Climb. The caves rtvecl to be or all sizes—some overhung With shelves of rock and others extending several yards into the mountainside* All Of them showed Signs Of having been inhabited by wild animals* Which at our approach had hidden elsewhere. Signs of kangaroos artd dingoes were everywhere* as well as the footprints of smaller animals such as tiger-cats, and Others Which I could not determine* As f explored the dark recesses of the caves With a torch* I recalled to mind the strange incident which We had witnessed a feW days before from the foot of the range—how we "had heard a drfeadful noise dhe Evening like,el sOul itl ana m leaking through neid

glasses could just see some dark object dragging a white-looking animal along to the mouth of one of these caves. We came to the conclusion that it must have been a dingo capturing a mountain goat. Or it might have been an eagle that captured it—-eagles grow to a great size in Queensland —some of them attaining a wing span of from 12ft to 16ft. On the large boulders at the entrances of some of the caves I found some curious carvings—pictures of human heads with halos and symbols such as circles and stars. Others were of animals and native weapons. The drawings must have been the work of the aborigines who were very numerous in the Springsure district in the early days. Judging by the weathered appearance of the carvings they must have been at least 200 years old. In one place where there was a carving of a human head on a smooth boulder, a giant cucalypt had grown In front of it, almost obscuring it from view. Indicating that the drawing must have been carved long before the tree had grown up. ... Several of these aboriginal art galleries have been found in various parts of Queensland. One of these is at the head of the Gilbert River in the Gulf of Carpentaria. The drawings are on the face Of a sandstone cliff. 25ft in height, with a Width of about 20ft, and are as clearly cut as though placed there during recent years. The drawings represent human tigures, hands, and feet, animals, and native weapons, such as nullah nullahs. Wooifteras, war shields, and swords. Most of them are coloured with red and While Ochre and the dye from Wild berries. Several years ago there were found, near Wongalee Station, aboriginal drawings Which had been carved an inch deep in solid sandstone. and must have taken much time and labour. Going back the fodtfe We t66k was down a gorge which for a few days in the rainy season was really a Waterfall. It is quite dry for the remainder of the year, aS is the rule in most parts of Australia. In many places it Was so steep down into the gorge that it was almost impossible to climb down, so We did the Ohly Other thing—slid down, making a small avalanche of rocks* boulders, arid earth in doing so. The bottom Of the gofge was Choked with giant gUfft trees, creepers, small trees, and aamia palms (the range receiving its name from the latter) which scratched our faces, arms, and legs, and tore our clothes. One time We arrived on the brink of a sheer prebipice, and directly below Us were huge boulders and the tops Of trees, while the sides of the gorge came almost sheer down oft every hand. After much search We fOuftd a tiny wallaby path, and by following this arid hanging Oft td small trees we were at last able to reach the bottom of the gorge.