Tae Rak Aquaculture Centre & Café

About Tae Rak Aquaculture Centre & Café

The Tae Rak Aquaculture Centre stands on the shore of Tae Rak (Lake Condah), inside the World Heritage-listed Budj Bim Cultural Landscape on Gunditjmara Country. The landscape holds one of the oldest and largest aquaculture systems in the world, built by the Gunditjmara people over thousands of years to trap and farm kooyang (short-finned eel). The center was built to strengthen that connection to eel farming and smoking and to keep Gunditjmara people working on Country.

Entry is free. The café serves bush tucker-inspired dishes alongside familiar favorites, with native ingredients throughout and smoked kooyang shaping many of the flavors; kooyang tasting plates are the thing to try. You can sit inside or out. The shop sells souvenirs, artworks and crafts by local Gunditjmara artists.

Gunditjmara guides lead tours from the center Wednesday to Sunday. The Tae Rak Guided Cultural Tour takes about two hours, starting at 10 a.m. or 2 p.m., and spends time by the lake looking at its birdlife and learning about the seasonal kooyang migration; prices start at A$89 for adults and A$69 for children (2026). Half-day and full-day tours go farther into the stone country. Booking ahead is recommended.

Narrawong Lavender is about 30 minutes south, near the coast east of Portland, so a morning tour at Tae Rak and an afternoon at the lavender farm in season make a full day.

What to do

• Join a two-hour Gunditjmara-guided tour of Tae Rak (Lake Condah)
• Try a smoked kooyang tasting plate in the café
• Learn how the Budj Bim eel aquaculture system works
• Buy art and crafts by local Gunditjmara artists
• Watch the lake's birdlife from the shore

Season, hours and prices

Season

Open year-round, Wednesday–Sunday (Southern Hemisphere)

Hours

2026: Wednesday–Sunday 9 a.m.–4 p.m.; café bookings 9 a.m.–3 p.m.; tours at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Admission

Free entry; Tae Rak Guided Cultural Tour from A$89 adults, A$69 children (2026)

Good to know

Accessibility

An accessibility guide is linked from their website

Reservations

Recommended for tours; café bookings taken, groups over 20 should call

Payment

Cashless (card and electronic payments only)

Tips for your visit

• It is closed Monday and Tuesday.
• Bring a card; the center does not take cash.
• Tour routes can change for cultural reasons or weather, so confirm details when you book.

Pair it with a lavender farm

Narrawong Lavender · about 30 minutes away

Narrawong Lavender is about 30 minutes south toward the coast, an easy afternoon stop after a morning tour at Tae Rak.

Getting there

• Address: Vaughans Road, Breakaway Creek, VIC 3303
• Phone: 03 4504 2426
• Website: budjbim.com.au/visit/tae-rak-aquaculture-centre

Questions

🗺️ Part of the guide Things to Do Near the Lavender Farm of Portland & Narrawong, Victoria

Checked in October 2026 against the business’s own website and local tourism pages. Hours and seasons change, so check with them before you go. How we check listings · Is this your business? Claim it free