Budj Bim Cultural Landscape Half Day Tour

DESCRIPTION

Transfer from Portland to the Kurtonitj Indigenous Protected Area (IPA).

Kurtonitj (meaning 'crossing place') is in the centre of the Budj Bim Cultural Landscape and has historical stone kooyang (eel) traps and stone channels, stone house sites and eel smoking trees. Your guide will show you these sites, as well as an ancient smoking tree used for smoking kooyang (eels), an area of lava flow featuring two weirs, and a dam associated with trapping and holding kooyang. ALso on this site is the Budj Bim Seasonal Calendar installation and remnants of ancient Aboriginal stone houses.

After visiting Kurtonitj IPA, move on to the Tae Rak Aquaculture Centre, where your Gunditjmara cultural guide will show you the kooyang (eel) holding tank and an provide overview of their habitat and lifecycle. Walk along the boardwalk and out onto the jetty over the lake, where your guide will provide information on the importance of the Tae Rak wetlands and point out the extensive marine and bird-life of the lake.

Here you will see views to Budj Bim (Mt Eccles) and your guide will give you an overview of the Gunditjmara creation story.

Enjoy afternoon tea at the Aquaculture Centre Café, and browse the Aboriginal cultural crafts and souvenirs.

After this transfer back to Portland to board your ship.

Tour Fee Includes:

Gunditjmara Aboriginal guide, transport, guided cultural walks, access fees, afternoon tea. Guide ratio - 1 for each 20~25 participants wherever possible.

The order of sites visited may change with vessel arrival and departure timings.

Did you know?

Kurtonitj (meaning 'crossing place') is sacred to the Gunditjmara people with enormous cultural, archaeological and environmental significance.

What our customers say

This piece of national and global heritage should not be missed. Put it on your bucket list! 6000+ year old extensive aquaculture system managed by Gunditijmara people who are looking after it to this day, happy to share their knowledge with you. And now with the new tourist centre open you can try the traditional smoked eel for yourself! Plus eel arancini, eel pâté… and the most delicious lemon myrtle scones I’ve ever had. Make sure you book in for a tour and spread the word because all of humanity deserves to know about this incredible achievement. (Andrew July 2022)