(The quotations shown in italics, with errors included, are taken directly from Hovell’s Journal.) Hume had an outstation, ‘Wooloobidallah’ on Lerida Creek near today’s town of Gunning, after being one of the first white people to visit the locality in 1821. It was from there, on Sunday, 17 October 1824, the expedition commenced and moved into an area known as Yarrh (Yass), the furthermost point of white settlement in NSW. On 19 October the party reached the Murrumbidgee River and were alarmed to find a deep, fast flowing stream in flood. The flooding did not abate so on 22 October a tarpaulin was wrapped around the body of one of the carts to convert it into a makeshift punt. Hume and the convict Boyd swam the river with a rope and the punt was pulled back and forth transporting the equipment, provisions and non-swimmers. Hovell’s journal says “..in about 8 or 9 turns we had every thing across, the cart we laid fore and Aft the boat, with the shafts aft, & the wheels off and by 3 P.M, the 3 horses & 5 Bullocks were swum over and by 5 oClock, everything was stowed away, thus we did accomplish what we before thought impracticable”. During the next couple of days the team had difficulty finding a way through the very rough country. The leaders, each taking some convicts, eventually separated, seeking a passable route for the carts. While searching for the carcass of an emu that had been killed, Hovell, with Boyd, found themselves isolated for the night where he recorded “..we had the satisfaction of sleeping in the bush for our pains, besides going to bed Supperless”. Shots fired by Hume the next morning brought the expedition members back together. On 25 October, they found the valley of Sugarloaf Creek gave them access to another large valley, referred to as Lime Stone Valley by Hovell, and a stream. This was Goodradigbee River, a tributary of the Murrumbidgee River. The extremely rugged country and the mountainous ranges beyond the river convinced the leaders that the carts could not be taken any further. Consequently, the necessary supplies were loaded into packs to be borne by the bullocks and the remaining supplies and the carts were concealed “..out of sight from Natives, but in this case I have little hopes of, as very few things which they pass can escape their penetrating Eye”. It was thought that the new river would join the Murrumbidgee River within a few miles, as Hume had information from Aborigines that the Murrumbidgee River was a passage that would take them far beyond the mountainous country. However, as they moved down the stream they found themselves confined to a narrow gorge where Hovell recorded “..it is quite clear that we could not pass with our loaded cattle this way the foot path being between a highe perpendicular Mountain, and the steep banks of the river, only wide enough for one person to pass, Mr Hume with great difficulty got to the Top of the Mountain, over which we were standing”. From his vantage point, Hume could see that the river still ran through very rugged country for some distance, so the party went back up the Lime Stone Valley and looked for a way to climb out. The turn back point between the peaks of Barren Jack and Black Andrew later became the site of Burrinjuck Dam. They repassed the hidden carts and continued to the end of the open valley floor (Wee Jasper area) where camp for 28 October was set up.In an exploratory outing, Hume had noticed a side valley a little further up the main valley, which gave him hope. The following day a start was made up this valley only to find it became “..a mountain chasm of not more than ten feet wide. The precipitous sides of this were upwards of a hundred feet in height, and the bottom of it forms the bed of a small stream, at present about two or three feet deep. Their route up this, is of course impracticable.” - Bland. This description fits the gorge a few hundred metres up Micalong Creek. The party came back down Lime Stone Valley but the leaders determined a climb out of the valley had to be attempted. “ .. the only alternative we had now left was to face the first Mountain that we thought easiest to ascend and after 2 or 3 hours fatague (more to the beasts, then ourselves, who had not less , each then 200 &250lbs) we by going zig.zag along the side, got to the top of the highest Mountain near us, without any accident”.

After the strenuous climb out of the Lime Stone Valley the party continued for another mile and a half (2.4km) before they found water, likely in Racecourse Creek about 2km east of the summit of Mt Wee Jasper. The huge trees growing in this area impressed Hovell but the fallen timber, dense scrub, rough ground and wombat burrows made travel slow and exhausting for both man and beast. “We had to unload twice to day once to cross a very rockey bottom Creak ... and the second time to cross a Swampey valley.” This was likely Micalong Creek and then Micalong Swamp. On Sunday, 31 October, they made their way along the Micalong Swamp seeking a crossing spot. Hovell recorded that areas of the swamp had been burnt by the ‘Natives’ with the expectation that new growth would encourage game to move in. He also spoke of emus seen across the swamp. This location is significant as, on the return journey to bolster the men’s flagging spirits, Hume promised he would lead them back to the place where the emus were seen near the swamp. Subsequently, he did. - Notes by Harry Hill

On the afternoon of 2 November, from a vantage point on a hilltop the explorers looked down into a wide valley containing a large river. No name was recorded at the time, but later Hovell referred to it as the Medway River “..we afterwards learned was called by the Natives Tumot”. In subsequent written accounts, ‘Doomot’, ‘Toomot’ and ‘Tumet’ were also given as spellings and the river, and town, finally became ‘Tumut’. Camp was established before the river was reached and early on the morning of Wednesday, 3 November, after travelling 3 miles (4.8km) “..brought us to the banks of the river, which was running very strong, equel to any of the others we have passed, and about 80 feet wide, & 3 or 4 feet deep - with falls”. Although they wished to cross the river, its depth and strength of the current prevented them and they were forced to continue upstream, on the eastern bank, for another 4.5 miles (7.2km) only to find the river turned to the east and into mountainous terrain. They came back downstream for 1.25 miles (2km) and found a spot where Aborigines had been fording the river, approximately 700m upstream from where Bowlers Creek joined the Tumut River. The river was described as being “..150 feet wide, the stream very Strong, Stoney bottom, and about 2 feet deep, the falls being a little below us”. Crossing was made without incident and camp set up. Rather surprisingly, on 4 November they made their way back up the river but on the western bank. They crossed a low gap in the hills only to find they looked back down on the stretch of river they had shunned the day before. The only course was to immediately turn west, climb a steep ridge (Gurkeroo Ridge) and hope it took them to a tableland. A slow and fatiguing climb saw them cover only 2 miles (3.2km) in an hour and a half, and they were forced to spend the night on a “..causeway, not more than 20 feet wide, and about 200 feet long” – Bland. Heat, insects, shortage of water, bellowing bullocks and calls from hidden Aborigines helped to make it an unpleasant night. “At Sun rise we started to ascend the Second Mountain in the cool of the Morning, and after getting within a distance of about one furlong from the top, we found it necessary to unload the beasts and to take them to the Top empty, and for the Men to bring up their loads”. Thus, they reached the tableland in today’s Bago State Forest, less than a kilometre North-East of Buddong Falls. They could now adopt the desired course “...on the highest part of the range (The Hume Sketch later named it Mount Columbus) .. the Soil is of Coarse Granet: and good, the Timber, which is Black butted Gums, Stringey bark, & other all of an Excellent quality”. By midday they reached the tableland’s end and looked down into a valley, with what they assumed was a large river, and beyond “..saw a very high mountainous Country ahead of us ... there appeared to be a brake in the Mountains South from us, I could perceive Mountains, in my opinion much higher than any we had yet seen”. The descent, probably down Pound Ridge, was not without incident. “Mr Hume’s Bullock & driver, together with every thing upon him, occasioned by one of the Stones giving way from under him, and had not a Tree brought them up they must to a certainty have been dashed to pieces, by the fall into the creak below”. They reached the bottom to find the river was only a small creek and established camp near the junction of East and West Burra creeks. The Sunday was made a day of rest and reflection. Clothes were washed, fresh kangaroo meat enjoyed, the bullocks’ backs rubbed by the pack saddles were treated and animals ate their fill. Hovell recorded “We are again tormented by our New {but constant} companions, the Small Fly & the Misquetres, there is no getting rid of them, as they will stand Fire, & Smoke, as well as ourselves, my legs at this Moment (a little above the Socks, are one Complete sore to within a few Inches of the Knees”.

The relaxation of the Sunday carried over to the next day as the party had breakfast before leaving to continue down the creek. After 5.25 miles (8km) the creek increased in size and Hovell recorded “..it had now formed it self in a large Stream it had three falls, each about 10 or 15 feet, & at ragular distances”. This part of Burra Creek is below today’s Henry Angel Trackhead. A little further on, the creek valley started to deepen and the ground became very rough. A stop was made while the leaders climbed a hill to see what lay ahead. From the flank of the hill they obtained an awe-inspiring, but alarming, view of the western face of the main range (Snowy Mountains) with the top quarter covered by snow. At this point the leaders had a difference of opinion as to the direction they should head. Hovell favoured heading towards the snow covered mountains (then named ‘South Australian Alps’), while Hume thought they should turn west to get well away from the mountains before turning south. For a time each leader, with his own convicts, went his own way, but by nightfall Hovell had changed his mind, doubled back and had caught up to Hume. The party had travelled 15 miles (24km) and camp was set up on Tumbarumba Creek. Hovell noted that they were 350 miles (560km) from Sydney. The following day was one of the most pleasant ones the explorers had experienced. They were able to set a course, and hold it, as they travelled across gently undulating country. Grass, for the animals, and water were plentiful. There was little in the way of trees so viewing was unimpeded. At 4pm, after travelling 12 miles (19km), they again saw the snow capped mountains to the south. Soon after, camp for the night was established (likely on Horse Creek near today’s ‘Rippling Water’). Two kangaroos had been killed during the day, but the larger of the two had almost caused the loss of one of the hunting dogs, it “..being cut from the throat round the inside of the shoulder...”. On Wednesday, 10 November, they started early to cover ground before it became too hot. (Hovell recorded that the noon temperature was 98 degrees F.) It was hoped that the previous day’s course could be maintained but it, unexpectedly, took them to a deep ravine, recorded as being as much as 1,000 feet deep. They turned back and a kangaroo pad took them down Sandy Waterhole Creek and on to Coppabella Creek. They followed Coppabella Creek to the north, although this was not the direction they were hoping to keep, and established camp where the valley became enclosed. The next day they turned west to climb a large hill. The climb was slow and strenuous and it took three hours to cover the three miles (4.8km) to the summit. They had hoped they would have reached a tableland that gave them passage to the southwest, but found they were on an isolated spine and there was no alternative but immediately to descend the opposite slope. They reached Lankeys Creek where they ate breakfast and, because of heat and exertion, rested for 4 hours.

Hovell wrote “..to describe the way in which we were tormented by the small Fly, and the Misquetos, is almost impossible Suffice it to say, to Write, to read, to Sleep, or to rest in any place we got too, was impossible, our whole time was employed in Grumbling, Scratching or beating them away with our handcorchifs The Dogs get into the water, the Horses stand in the smoke of the fire, and the Bullocks get onto the shadiest place they can find, or lay down among the reeds or long grass, I know of no other plan to adopt, unless it is to be like the Natives themselves go naked and lay in the dirt and smoak”. Thanks to the hill they climbed, the party had obtained more views of the snow-capped ‘South Australian Alps’ to the south and south-east. This sighting was enough to cause Hovell to state that, from his knowledge of the NSW coastline and now the evidence of this mountain chain, the mountains stretched to Wilsons Promontory and were sufficient to “..prevent all Communications between Western Port and the Eastern Coast, unless a Gap could be found through them”. The journey recommenced at 3pm. The journal account for the rest of the day is sparse and conflicting. However, Dr Bland, a friend and contemporary of Hovell, published an account of the expedition using the journal and other information supplied by Hovell, so the route for the afternoon can be determined.