Budj Bim: Kooyang Yana Full Day Tour with Eel Tasting & Cultural Walks

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Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/6

Duration8h

GroupUp to 20

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Walk ancient Budj Bim eel traps, taste kooyang, hear Gunditjmara stories

You’ll walk through Budj Bim’s ancient lava fields with a Gunditjmara guide, taste freshly smoked kooyang eel at Tae Rak Aquaculture Centre, step inside volcanic caves near Lake Surprise, and see centuries-old aquaculture channels up close. Expect moments of quiet awe mixed with laughter and real connection to this living culture.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Gunditjmara culture and heritage

Meet at Tae Rak Aquaculture centre
Visit historic stone house and lava flow
Walk Budj Bim crater and lava tunnels
Lunch at Tae Rak Aquaculture Centre cafe
Guided walk at Tae Rak Aquaculture Centre and eel traps

The Experience

The first thing that hit me was the smell — kind of earthy and smoky, like wet stones after rain. We’d just stepped onto the boardwalk at Tae Rak, and our Gunditjmara guide smiled when I paused to take it in. “That’s kooyang country,” he said. I’d read about the Budj Bim aquaculture network before, but seeing those old stone channels twisting through the grass? It made me weirdly quiet for a second. There were birds everywhere, too — little flashes of color darting over the water.

We stopped by what looked like a low stone wall, but our guide explained it was actually a house site — people lived here for thousands of years, right on these rocks. He pointed out how the lava flows shaped everything: where water pooled, where eels could be trapped. I tried saying “kooyang” properly; Li laughed and shook his head (I definitely butchered it). The air was cool even though the sun was out, and when we walked up to Lake Surprise (which is actually a volcanic crater), there was this weird echo inside the lava cave. I still think about that silence.

Lunch back at Tae Rak Aquaculture Centre was simple — smoked eel on damper bread with tea. I’ll be honest: I didn’t expect to like eel but it tasted kind of sweet and rich, nothing fishy at all. Everyone chatted quietly over lunch; you could see wetland reeds moving in the wind outside. Afterward we walked along more raised paths past old eel traps and watched herons fishing in the shallows. The tour moved slow in a good way — lots of time for questions or just standing around listening to stories or birdsong or nothing at all.

What’s included

Your day includes guided walks led by a local Gunditjmara cultural guide through Budj Bim’s historic aquaculture landscape, snacks along the way plus a light lunch of smoked eel at Tae Rak Aquaculture Centre cafe, and comfortable air-conditioned vehicle transport between each site — so you can just focus on soaking it all in.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPets welcomeNot for back problems

Operated by Budj Bim Cultural Landscape Tourism