Budj Bim Stone Country Half Day Tour: Eel Traps & Lava Caves

Walk through ancient stone channels built to harvest eels, then explore a volcanic crater turned lake and the caves beneath it.

Tungatt Mirring, Stone Country Half Day Tour is a guided tour of Budj Bim in Victoria that shows the traditional techniques used to harvest eels and fish across the World Heritage landscape, with a visit to Budj Bim National Park and its volcanic crater, lava caves and creation story sites. The tour runs 4 hours with an air-conditioned vehicle, a Gunditjmara cultural guide speaking English, and roughly 20 minutes of travel between each of the three main stops.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Budj Bim cultural landscape

• Meet at Tae Rak Aquaculture Centre
• Travel 20 minutes to eel traps site
• View eel traps, stone channels, and ancient sites
• Travel 20 minutes to Budj Bim National Park
• See volcanic crater and Lake Surprise
• Take guided bush walk and visit lava cave
• Travel 20 minutes back to Tae Rak Aquaculture Centre

The experience

The tour starts at the Tae Rak Aquaculture Centre and moves through three locations across the Budj Bim Cultural Landscape. Your guide shows you the extensive kooyang (eel) traps, the stone channels that directed water and fish, remnants of ancient stone house sites, and the smoking trees where eels were preserved: all built and maintained by the Gunditjmara people over thousands of years. These aren't reconstructions. They're the actual structures that still shape the land.

The second stop takes you to Budj Bim National Park, where the volcanic crater now holds Lake Surprise. You walk through the park with your guide, then descend into one of the lava caves that sit beneath the crater rim. The guide explains the Gunditjmara creation story tied to this place and how the landscape itself was engineered as part of that cultural knowledge. Travel time between stops is roughly 20 minutes each, and the vehicle is air-conditioned throughout.

The whole tour takes 4 hours from start to finish. It's wheelchair accessible, and infants can travel in a pram or stroller. Service animals are welcome. The pace suits all fitness levels, though the bush walk and cave entry involve uneven ground and some steps.

What’s included

• Air-conditioned vehicle throughout the tour.
• Gunditjmara cultural guide speaking English.
• access to the kooyang traps, stone channels and ancient house sites.
• guided bush walk through Budj Bim National Park.
• entry to one of the lava caves.

Before you book

Days and timesWednesday to SundayDeparts at 09:30

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (14 to 90 years) · Child (3 to 13 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupUp to 20

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyPets welcomeInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Budj Bim Cultural Landscape Tourism

Is this one for you?This tour is built around a Gunditjmara cultural guide who explains the landscape as a living record of engineering and creation story, not as a scenic backdrop, so it suits anyone wanting to understand how the Budj Bim Cultural Landscape was built and why it matters, rather than a quick sightseeing run.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 13 years); Infant (under 3): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What are the kooyang traps and how were they used?

Kooyang traps are extensive stone structures built by the Gunditjmara people to catch eels and fish. Your guide shows you how the stone channels directed water and trapped eels, and points out the smoking trees where the catch was preserved: a system that worked for thousands of years and is still visible in the landscape today.

Can I walk inside the lava caves?

Yes, you go inside one of Budj Bim's lava caves during the National Park portion of the tour. The cave is part of the volcanic crater system, and your guide explains its connection to the Gunditjmara creation story.

How much time do I spend traveling between stops?

There's roughly 20 minutes of travel time between each of the three main locations on the tour. The vehicle is air-conditioned, and the total tour time is 4 hours including all travel and stops.

Is this tour accessible for people with mobility concerns?

The tour is wheelchair accessible overall. Infants and small children can travel in a pram or stroller, and service animals are allowed. The bush walk and cave entry involve uneven ground, so check the specific terrain if you have mobility questions before booking.