Officers from the Reef Authority’s spatial planning team had the rare and privileged opportunity to get out on Sea Country with Mandubarra Traditional Owners.

The trip provided a lively dimension to the Mandubarra Sea Country Cultural Values document. Elders shared stories and the next generation leant in, eager to engage in conversations about protection and management of their cultural values.

Chartered from Clump Point, the group voyaged around the North and South Barnard Islands before touring along the coast from Mourilyan Harbour, returning to Clump Point.

The trip provided a solid and constructive platform for further Mandubarra led conversations about appropriate management tools to protect and manage cultural and sacred sites across Mandubarra Sea Country.

In 2023 Mandubarra will guide the way forward in co-designing protection mechanisms for Island and sea management.