Nar-Oo-Ma Aboriginal Cultural Tours is no ordinary tour operator

On Wednesday, December 14, its operators Wally and Yvonne Stewart took their first group of visitors - NSW government marine staff attending a state meeting in Narooma and two Tourism Australia representatives - on a cruise of Wagonga Inlet.

Their boat, which is licensed to carry 25 passengers and two crew, was funded through a grant from the Aboriginal Fishing Advisory Council.

It was built by locals Mal's Slipway & Boat Repairs and Jimmy Taylor, now in his 70s, whose family once owned the wharf at the inlet.

The Connect to Country program of free Yuin cultural experiences includes a cruise with the new tour company on Sunday, December 18.

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They currently offer tours with themes of oyster growing, cultural immersion and the impact of colonisation.

The latter is a "high-end market targeting government departments", Mr Stewart said.

Corporations and schools are also in his sights and he intends attracting these groups during the quiet months to help alleviate the seasonality of Narooma's tourism industry.

Mr Stewart said he launched the tourism operation because "we think it is a great time for truth-telling.

"It isn't like when I was growing up and we were made to feel ashamed."

The tour company is part of Joonga Land & Water Aboriginal Corporation which trains Indigenous people and creates jobs to address their high unemployment rate.

Mr Stewart said the corporation won Eurodalla's first SMART drumline contract in March 2022 which had created seven jobs, while the tour company has created six jobs so far.

He intends incorporating other Aboriginal tour companies into his cruises next year by applying for a grant to rebuild an old wharf near a midden site.

Dancers and basket-weavers could greet the boat at the wharf, so adding new elements to the tour.

"We have the world's oldest culture so it makes me really proud to have all these little businesses coming up and adding jobs."

Joonga has a commercial diving team which conducted a survey two years ago to assess damage to the ocean.

Mr Stewart said it found vast areas of sea floor that have been left barren by sea urchins which they want to fix.

"This is what we want to talk about it and break down the barriers.

"We are not saying our science is better but if government is serious about closing the Gap they need to start talking to us and working with us."

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