Environmental scientists and indigenous people are increasingly becoming involved in collaborative research projects. For the past decade we have been involved in a collaborative study of fish and environmental flows in the Daly River as part of a bigger team of researchers and Traditional Owners. In this talk we look back on what we have learnt from this project and where we need to go in the future. We started out by discussing what we all wanted to get out what was originally a 3 year project. From talking together we moved on to working together to do the research and on other activities like communicating the research findings. Opportunities and support to continue the partnership has meant that what began as a short term project now has a longer term vision and after 10 years we can see a wide range of outcomes from working together. This includes new scientific knowledge, greater recognition of Indigenous knowledge, capacity building and community development and the influence of the project extends beyond just the researchers and Wagiman people directly involved. In fact, even though it began as just a scientific research project the broader contribution to the social and emotional well being of the community has been a key to the continued interest in the ongoing partnership. It hasn’t always been easy and although overcoming challenges has been difficult at time, its helped the partnership grow stronger. We believe that its now much more than just a professional relationship and that we are now walking together on a journey to achieve bigger benefits for the river and for the people who rely on it. But this raises interesting questions about the nature of these collaborations, the different perspectives and expectations of the partners and the roles and commitment required to meet these expectations.