One of Cape York's most breathtaking landscapes has been returned to traditional owners following a long native title battle.
A 1181 square kilometre-area in and around Shelburne Bay, which includes some of Australia's most spectacular dune fields, was formally acknowledged on Wednesday as land of the Wuthathi people following a hearing in Cairns.
The Wuthathi people have been fighting to take possession of their homeland, which they were removed from in the 1930s, for nearly four decades.
Wuthathi Aboriginal Corporation chairman Johnson Chippendale said his people were happy they could finally return to Shelburne Bay and live like their ancestors did.
"We are proud people and we have been patient," he told AAP.
"Finally we can get back to our country." Maintaining the pristine sand dunes will be one of the top priorities for the traditional owners, who plan to get to the peninsula site in June.
Mr Chippendale said the traditional owners would develop a management plan and focus on promoting tourism in the pristine area, which is rich in wetlands, rainforests and woodlands.
The Australian Conservation Foundation said it was a historic day.
The formal acknowledgment of the land follows a hearing on Tuesday.
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