Tuesday 14 December 1824
Myself & Mr Hume Ascended a highe but Single hill [Mount Fraser]. . . from which we saw a very gratifying sight, this was a Very extensive plain, extending from West to S.E. for Several Miles with patches of Forests which appear to Seperate one plain from another . . . in parts in the plains rose some hills, shaped Conical with only here and there a few Trees upon them, and all of Soil of the best quality . . . From this Hill we Shaped our Course about S.S.W., for a place which we thought we should find Water . . . the place was quite dry, but haveing dug down about 3 feet and then drove a pole down about 3 feet lower, which reached the foundation, a little water sprang up sufficient for each man to have about 1/2 Pint, but it was Muddey Consequently not good, we only stoped here two hours, and then continued on, the soil on this place is very good, and produce abundence of grass, but now it is dry & parched up . . . at 8 miles we had got to the enterance of the forest and continued till we got to another hill [Bald Hill], . . . from which we had another gratifying sight, this was plains, and open forest, which served to give them a more beautiful appearence, beyond the reach of the Eye and as far as we could see With the Glass (say) from S.E. to West and the land falling with a graduel descent towards the South, never did I behold a more charming & gratifying sight, at least not were it is in its Natural State . . .

After descending from the hill we went in search of water for ourselves & cattle, but we had to travel 21 Miles from were we Started this Morning before we succeeded in getting any, It being nearly sun down before we arrived at the Creak . .

The view from Bald Hill looking towards Navarre, as it was in October 1848, more than a century after Hume and Hovell first gazed out across the basalt plain.

Photo by an unidentified photographer for the Victorian Railways. Contributed by La Trobe Picture Collection, State Library of Victoria.

Hume and Hovell reach the Werribee River Wednesday 15th. Hovell writes:

As the Cattle were very much fatagued from Yesterdays Journey, we did not start till after brakefast, half past 8 oClock . . .

Our traveling was now, one Continued plain with scarce a tree within a Mile, till . . . we arrived at the banks of a river . . . here we stoped for the night. On the banks of those Waters we have found a plant, which grow at highe Water Mark on beaches, I know no other name for it then pigs faces, the Common Name, among persons like myself, which has but little knowledge of Botany, there are also Eels in those Waters, Caught two . . . I am happy to find that this Country is better Watered then I first imagined, even in this dry time there is planty, the worst thing against it is, there not being a Sufficiency of timber for the purpose of building . . . from were we now are, we can see at least 50 Miles in any direction, it is all plains and Small forests arround, through the whole is easy traveling . . .

Where we have to cross the river tomorrow Morning it is about as wide as the parramatta river opposite the Store but those banks as I before observed are highe and the soil every where beyond description good - The Grass does not appear to have grown more then two, or three Inches, since it was burned last year, the old Grass which escaped the fire, is very thick, and long . . .

Thursday 16th After brakefast we carried our provisions across the river and afterwards crossed with the Cattle, which was done with very little trouble, as they were able to Walk across, and the water only up to their balleys, (This river Mr Hume called the Arndell, in Compliment to the late Dr Arndell, (the father of Mrs Hovell) and to my Sun Arndell Hovell, we continued our course through the plains . . .