Budj Bim Field Trip
On Friday September 5th, some of the team (and family) packed up their tents and sleeping bags and headed towards Macarthur, in South West Vic, for our very first staff campout.
Our first stop (aside from Tesha's stop into an op shop in Mortlake) was to a newly acquired property of one of our landowners, set to be established as a future offset site. We were graced with perfect bushwalking weather as we spent a couple of hours hiking across the heavily forested site. Whilst we we just too early to see many wildflowers blooming, we did note some echidna activity and spied a koala who was not thrilled to spy us.
From here, we headed to the Budj Bim Campground to set up camp for the night and enjoy the stunning surrounds of the National Park. Lake Surprise was looking slightly fuller from the rains the day before, which also made the lava caves extra damp and spooky for the kids. We were treated to some more koala sightings and found that the crater rim acted as a super highway for wallabies and kangaroos. And the shared dinner feast was such a hit that even a sneaky possum managed to enjoy a banana as a treat before we'd fully packed it away.
After a chilly night, we nuzzled warm cups of various caffeinated beverages whilst we packed down camp and headed to the Tae Rak Aquaculture Centre. Here we joined in a half day tour with local Gunditjmara Traditional Owners to learn about life on Gunditj Mirring (stony country) and how mob would use the natural depressions formed by lava flow to catch eels, smoke them and use them for both sustenance and trade. Our guides - Jayden and Joey - were incredibly knowledgeable and engaging. They made sure to educate on not only the history of the natural landscape, but also the sorry business that occurred there. Upon our return to Tae Rak, we were treated to a delicious grazing table that included smoked eel in many different forms.
We all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and would highly recommend anyone considering it to visit the Budj Bim Cultural Landscape and book a tour.