Under no circumstances attempt to park near the cache location as there is not sufficient space for a car to stop safely. Please park at the posted parking coordinates which are approx. 225m further south near a gate. Not recommended for small children due to its proximity to the road while accessing the cache location.
I’m sure the conversation didn’t quite start out like that! But this is the location of the start of the epic adventure of Hamilton Hume and William Hovell on 2nd October 1824. Until I actually visited this site which I have driven passed many hundreds of times I’m sure in my lifetime, I had no idea this is where the journey started and that it was actually the site of Hume’s home.
With Port Phillip Bay becoming an important hub, it was decided that it was time to prepare an overland route. Hume and Hovell were chartered to do just that. Not only did they manage to cross two major rivers, the Murrumbidgee and the Murray, and a few other minor ones, twice, and travel all the way to Geelong, they did it in just 16 weeks! They arrived in Corio Bay, Geelong, on 17th December 1824, and arrived back in Sydney 17th January 1825.
It would seem that I have had a small win with having this Monument recognised and repaired somewhat. The area around the site has been cleaned up and has had a more robust ground cover placed around it, an information plaque has been mounted and was officially unveiled on the bicentenary anniversary. The council has advised me that long term that the main road is to be diverted to remove the rather dangerous bend, hoping to incorporate a shelter and parking.........time will of course tell.
This cache replaces the original which was removed as a result of the improvements and the original hide would be out of place. A completely different camo has been created and placed in a more discreet location, but still a BYOP and no room for anything.