On the whole, however, the country was favourably reported on, particularly with regard to tropical agriculture.
Another journey was undertaken about this time by O'Donnell and Carr-Boyd, who left the Katherine River and pushed across the border into Western Australia.

They succeeded in finding a large amount of pastoral country; but no important geographical discoveries were made.
In 1884 H.Stockdale, who had had considerable experience in the southern colonies, and was an old bushman, made an excursion from Cambridge Gulf to the south through the Kimberley district.

Stockdale found well-grassed country with numerous permanently-watered creeks.

When he came to the creek which he named Buchanan Creek, he formed a depot.

On his return from an expedition to the south with three men, he found that during his absence the men left in charge of it had been hunting kangaroos with the horses instead of allowing them to rest.