Aboriginal Tourism Victoria

Walk the Lake Condah area with the descendants of the area’s original inhabitants and share in their unique heritage.

Budj-Bim Tour and Hospitality Company has been formed by the Gunditj Mara people of south western Victoria with assistance from William Anglis Institute. The friendly Budj-Bim tour staff includes a Cultural supervisor and cultural officers; administration and hospitality staff.

Budj-Bim is the Gunditj Mara name for Mount Eccles in south western Victoria. The name Budj-Bim means “High Head” and the rocks around the mountain were named Tungat - “Teeth” in the Gunditj Mara language.

The tours include visits to:

• Lake Condah
  The site of an ancient series of fish and eel traps engineered over the past 40,000 years by the indigenous inhabitants of the area

• Allambie
  More than 8,000 years ago, the Gunditj Mara people built stone houses for shelter - the only permanent residences built by indigenous people on the Australian mainland. The remains of the houses are still visible.

• Lake Condah Mission and the old Mission
  The Anglican Church established a Mission at Lake Condah in 1864. Like most Aboriginal Mission Settlements, it had a naive and negative agenda, leaving the Gunditj Mara people to pick up the pieces. The surrounding buildings were eventually demolished along with the church, leaving the remains of the building standing.

Tours include:

Full Day Tours take in all three areas, providing a valuable insight into the life of the Gunditj Mara people for over 40,000 years, encompassing their very beginnings through to the period since European settlement of the area.

Half Day Tours offer visitors the choice of concentrating on the ancient Lake Condah fish trap system or alternatively, gaining an insight into the later period habitation of the area including the times since European settlement.

Genuine bush tucker including hot and cold meals, tea, coffee, cakes and biscuits can be provided. Ask about the additional charges for meals and snacks when booking your tour.

Prices are available from Budj-Bim on enquiry and tours can be structured specifically for your group depending on numbers and travel requirements.