Lotsa Fresh Air – Talbingo to Buddong Hut

Published by: Lotsa Fresh Air

If you say the word, ‘Snowys’, most Aussies will immediately think of ski resorts or the Main Range megalith. Classic hiking icons of Feathertop or Bogong; Kosciusko or Twynam have been in the spotlight for many years, whilst a quiet corner of the region has been developing an impressive multi-day bushwalking track, away from the ridges and breathless ascents of it’s brash eastern neighbour. Stretching 426 kms from Yass to Albury, the Hume and Hovell Track is a route I’ve never been able to picture exactly where it goes. It calls the green space between the Great Dividing Range to the east and the Hume Highway to the west home, hiding itself within a mix of State Forest, Crown Land, private land, local Council and National Park. 

The Hume and Hovell Track in New South Wales is one of Australia’s lesser known long distance trails, fully contained within NSW and running between the towns of Yass and Albury on the Victorian border. Originally this track was created as part of the 1988 Bicentenary and when opened ran a length of 316 km rather than it’s current length of 426km.

The track has two trailheads in the towns of Yass to the north, and Albury to the south as well as passing around the edge of Wee Jasper, and close by Tumut, Talbingo and Tumbarumba.

Every long distance track/trail in Australia has its own unique character. By no means is this a wilderness trail passing through National Parks, Nature Reserves, State Forests, and rural land. The trail also takes in management trail, public roads and purpose built hiking track. For me this walk provided an opportunity to see parts of NSW I had only ever driven past or had never visited.

One thing you are never likely to say about this track is that it is easy. There are some very hard sections and if you are pushing through on this track to get it done under 20 days then you will feel it with large steps sections of track.

We started the Hume and Hovell Track track as a 19 day thru-hike but ended up calling it quits after 13 days and approximately 310 km; spending day 14 walking off track due to Tim’s knee injury.  The following write up takes us through the walk we undertook – we will complete the rest of this track in the first four months of 2020 once the summertime heat dissipates.