Tae Rak (Lake Condah) Guided Cultural Tours

DESCRIPTION

Your Gunditjmara cultural guide will take you on an informative walk around Tae Rak (Lake Condah) and the surrounding wetlands. The lake is made up of 1,700 hectares of significant wetlands and stony rises right next to the historic lava flows of Budj Bim National Park. The Gunditjmara people have sustained life here for tens of thousands of years, and created what is considered to be one of Australia’s earliest and largest aquaculture systems.

The tour starts with a look at the kooyang (eel) holding tank and an overview of their habitat and lifecycle. Walk along the boardwalk and out onto the jetty over the lake, where your guide will give you an overview of the Gunditjmara creation story and point out the extensive marine and bird-life of the lake.

Continue along the western edge of lake to the weir, for a look at the ancient landscape and the extensive range of stone aquaculture sites and fish traps. Learn about:

Culturally significant flora & fauna, and the Tae Rak landscape
The Tae Rak Aquaculture Centre and the Gunditjmara people
Introduction to traditional kooyang (eel) harvesting & processing
Lava flows and kooyang traps on the eastern side of the lake & the network of aquaculture systems designed to trap and harvest kooyang for food and trade
Remains of ancient Aboriginal stone houses

Tours start at 10am and 2pm and finish back at the Tae Rak Aquaculture Centre & Café.

If you book the 2pm tour you will be joined by participants of the full-day tour - this is the afternoon portion of their tour.

Note:

Tour itineraries and sites visited may change without notice due to cultural reasons or circumstances beyond our control.

Tour Fee Includes:

Gunditjmara Aboriginal guide, transport, activities and access fees. Guide ratio - 1 for each 20 participants wherever possible.

Groups: rates and inclusions differ, see our Group Tours page.

Did you know?

Tae Rak is estimated to have been formed about 8,000 years ago as a result of the basalt flow impounding the flow of the Darlot Creek and Condah Swamp outfall.

What our customers say

Definitely worth a visit for anyone interested to learn about Indigenous culture and history of this area. Tour guide Brayden was excellent and entertaining. There was also good wildlife and bird spotting. It's an easy drive from Port Fairy. We did the two-hour tour and hope to return. And definitely get the eel platter! The cafe is great. (Andrea - 6 Aug 2022)

FAQ's