The effect of long-distance navigation skills is to reach new territory that can be used to obtain resources.
When we see global map, Australia is pretty secluded from any other countries.
Through long-distance navigation skills, People in Australia can travel across the ocean to Reach Indonesia (the closest country to Australia beside new Zealand). Establishing contact with Indonesia enable Australia to buy a lot of natural resources that they do not possess and additional target market for them to sell their products.