Arabic version: مسار في إيست غيبسلاند يجذب محبي الطبيعة والفنانين

According to ABC News, a new art and nature experience is drawing birdwatchers, poets, artists and other nature lovers to Victoria’s East Gippsland. The Far East Flaneur is a six-day, five-night trail covering a 100-kilometre journey from Lake Tyers to Cape Conran, with a focus on lesser-known places along the route. A pilot event was held in March, and local community arts collective FLOAT is planning another edition in October.

Participants walk, kayak and cycle through Lake Tyers tributaries and the East Gippsland Rail Trail before travelling through Orbost and Marlo, where the Snowy River meets the sea, and continuing to Cape Conran. Guided through secluded back ways, the group encounters local birdlife, insects, plants and other creatures, as well as geologists, historians, Indigenous artists and poets sharing their knowledge of the area.

The slow-travel experience includes camping in tents and cabins, time at the beach, bird sketching, sound recording and bush exploration. Communal meals feature locally grown and prepared artisan food, shared around campfires and long tables. Local artist Anli Vuong, who prepared cookies, treats and vegan mooncakes for the trip, said the event offered a way to discover community creativity and be inspired by others’ passions.

Project manager Liz Filmer said the trail was designed to help re-energise East Gippsland’s economy following drought, fires, COVID, and the end of the region’s commercial timber and fishing industries. Tasmania-based poet and storyteller Bert Spinks, who joined the March event, led nature journalling and encouraged close observation. He said birdwatching brings people outdoors and makes them pay attention through sight and sound, while immersion in nature can offer relief from modern anxieties.