Far East Flaneur is a community-made enterprise designed to attract travellers and inspire locals to discover Far East Gippsland, encouraging genuine connections with local artists, natural beauty, and regional knowledge across its finest locations.
Flâneur is an old French word describing someone who wanders with curiosity.
From October 26 to October 31, a small group of travellers will journey the 100-kilometre stretch from Lakes Entrance to Cape Conran — walking, gently kayaking, slowly cycling, looking and listening to birds and stories through this distinct Far East Victorian landscape.
Participants will explore regional flora, fauna, forests, fossils and foreshores, taking time to sit and listen, weave with Elders, sketch, stitch, paddle slowly, or simply pay attention and unwind.
Curated and delivered by FLOAT — best known for its floating arts residency on Lake Tyers — in collaboration with regenerative tourism operator Up The Creek and Regen Gippsland, the Flaneur journey brings together artists and nature experts to experience East Gippsland in unexpected ways.
“Among those joining us are storyteller Bert Spinks, illustrator and mud-map maker Angharad Neal Williams, sound artists Sasha Kruse and Nele Jungenkrueger, and visual ecologist Aviva Reed,” FLOAT founder Andrea Lane said.
For artists familiar with the FLOAT story, kayaking on Lake Tyers offers the chance to visit the vessel where FLOAT’s residency program has developed, while meeting those who conceived, designed, built and deliver it.
A DIFFERENT KIND OF HOLIDAY
Far East Flaneur follows a pilot venture that was independently evaluated for its social, cultural and environmental outcomes.
“First Nations weaving and conversations around the campfire alongside local residents and their knowledge of place were central to the experience, with participants describing the opportunity to see East Gippsland through local eyes as a unique experience,” Ms Lane said.
This October journey builds on that initial experience while retaining its intentionally small-scale and creative approach.
A JOURNEY BETWEEN GENERATIONS
Far East Flaneur is particularly appealing to active, culturally curious travellers looking for gentle, diverse adventures that deliver meaningful outcomes for themselves and regional communities.
FLOAT aims to explore how visitor investment can contribute to local youth opportunities and community vitality, actively employing young creatives and adventurous regional entrepreneurs throughout the journey’s delivery.
THE FLOAT STORY
Far East Flaneur represents the latest expression of FLOAT’s long-running exploration into how art, environment, local knowledge and community create alternative ways of supporting regional places.
FLOAT’s School of unTourism grew from this framework, encouraging visitors to learn from local people and landscapes rather than consuming destinations purely as tourists. Its floating artist residency provides a complementary pathway, offering artists, writers and researchers an immersive stay on the Gippsland Lakes at Bung Yarnda.
This October’s journey will be documented by Tasmanian production house StoryCraft Productions, led by filmmaker Tim Butcher, capturing the learning gathered by FLOAT for the long-term benefit of the region.
Places are now available for the October Far East Flaneur journey, with full details accessible online via the official FLOAT website and community channels.
