The episode starts at Calypso's school. The shot cuts to the main classroom, where all the children are gathered around by Calypso to hear an announcement.
Calypso: "Okay class, something very special is happening today!"
Bluey & Mackenzie: "What is it?"
Bluey and Mackenzie look at each other after saying the same thing in unintentional unison. Winton scoots up next to Bluey.
Winton: "Oooh! Bluey's gonna marry Mackenzie!"
Winton points at both Bluey and Mackenzie teasingly. Bluey and Mackenzie look at Winton annoyedly.
Bluey & Mackenzie: "No we're not!"
Calypso puts her arms out.
Calypso: "You're going to see your buddies!"
The children: "Hooray!"
Calypso: "Now, go to the special place where you meet them."
The children laugh as they all run off to go see their buddies. The shot cuts to Bluey running to her buddy, an orange belton coated English Setter sitting on a hill resting underneath a tree. This is Mia, Bluey's buddy. Snickers runs past, smiling.
Bluey: "Mia!"
Mia: "Bluey!"
Mia and Bluey hug each other while spinning around and giggling.
Bluey: "Can we build a fairy garden?"
Mia: "Okay, let's go!"
The shot cuts to Mackenzie meeting his buddy, an American foxhound who is looking at the floor, kicking his feet idly. This is Captain, Mackenzie's buddy. Coco runs past as the two meet.
Mackenzie: "Captain!"
Captain: "Mackenzie!"
The two do a unique handshake, which ends with them doing a hand gesture.
Mackenzie: "Can we play barky boats?"
Captain: "Okay!"
Mackenzie's tail wags happily.
We cut to the title of the episode: Barky Boats. Two barky boats can be seen on top of the title.
Calypso: (reading) "This episode of Bluey is called Barky Boats."
The shot cuts back to Bluey and Mia, who run down the hill, joyfully laughing. Mia is giving Bluey a piggy-back ride. Mia stops as Bluey asks her a question.
Bluey: "Mia? Can I show you my cartwheel?"
Mia: "Go for it!"
Bluey proceeds to do a cartwheel, impressing Mia.
Mia: "Wow! You've been practising! Watch mine!"
Bluey wags her tail gently as Mia praises her. Mia does a double cartwheel, ending it by doing the splits.
Bluey: "Whoa!"
Mia gets back up.
Mia: "Come on! I'll race you!"
Bluey: "Okay!"
Bluey and Mia race after one another, heading to the forest where their fairy garden will reside. The shot cuts to Mackenzie and Captain sitting by a small pond canal. Mackenzie grabs some wood bark chips scattered about the ground as Captain watches the water.
Captain: "I'll make the dam!"
Captain blocks the water from going down the stream, causing it to start building up. Mackenzie finds a wood bark chip and holds it up.
Mackenzie: "Here's a good one!"
Captain: "Oh yeah, that'll go fast!"
Just then, Bluey and Mia run by as Mackenzie is busy sharpening a bark chip to refine the shape.
Captain: "Hi Mia. Hi Mia! HI MIA!"
Mia finally hears him the third time, stopping to talk to him. Calypso crotchets in the background.
Mia: "Oh! Hi Captain!"
Captain: "What are you up to?"
Mia: "Bluey and I are gonna go build a fairy garden. What are you doing?"
Captain: "We're playing barky boats!"
Mia: "Oh, okay. Have fun. Bye!"
Captain: "Bye, Mia!"
Mia starts walking away. Bluey and Mackenzie stick their tongue out at each other, showing they have a light rivalry with one another. After Bluey and Mia leave, Mackenzie runs back with the barky boat, putting it on the built up water source.
Mackenzie: "Okay, let it go!"
Captain moves his hands away from the dam, causing the water to flood out as the barky boat travels down the canal.
Mackenzie & Captain: "Yeah! Look at it go!"
The boat reaches the end, a wave of new water overlapping with the pond at the end of the canal.
Mackenzie: "Again!"
Mackenzie grabs another wood chip and starts sharpening it.
Captain: "Hey, uhh, Mackenzie? Do you wanna help Bluey build a fairy garden?"
Mackenzie: "...No?"
Captain: "Ah, okay."
The shot cuts to Bluey and Mia in the forest, running to a secluded space with a small stream of water running through.
Bluey: "Let's build it here!"
Bluey grabs a log, and Mia grabs a couple leaves.
Bluey: "This can be the bridge."
Bluey puts a log over the water, acting as a bridge.
Mia: "These can be the trees!"
Mia grabs two leaves to act as trees. A flower is placed on top of a house. Bluey sets a dandelion by the house. Mia lifts Bluey up so that she can pick a couple plants off of the trees. A campfire is shown, with some logs surrounding it. Bluey places another log to act as another seat. The shot then cuts to a more complete fairy garden, while Mia and Bluey keep placing more things in the fairy garden.
Bluey: "How old are you?"
Mia: "Twelve!"
Bluey: "Wow. Can you drive a car?"
Mia: "Hehehe! No, not yet!"
Bluey: "When do you start big school?"
Mia: "Next year."
Bluey: "Are you nervous about big school?"
Mia's smile slightly drops into a worried frown, but she forces a smile.
Mia: "No, it's gonna be great!"
The smile falls back down to a frown as she looks ahead. Bluey snaps her out of her worries.
Bluey: "Ooh, can you write words?"
Mia: "Yeah!"
Bluey gets up, excitedly wagging her tail.
Bluey: "Can you write a letter to the fairies?"
Mia:: Yeah, sure!
She digs into her bag and pulls out a notebook and a pencil.
Mia: "Okay, go for it!"
Bluey: "Okay, um. Dear fairies--"
Mia is about to start writing something, but Mackenzie and Captain enter, stopping her from doing so.
Captain: "Hi!"
Bluey: "Aah! Ugh, Mackenzie, what are you doing here?"
Mackenzie points at Captain.
Mackenzie: "He made me come!"
Mia gets up with her arms akimbo, raising an eyebrow skeptically.
Mia: "Explain yourself!"
Captain: "Oh, I...I thought there might be some good bark here for our barky boats."
Bluey: "Well, there's not, now shosh-shosh-shosh-shosh-shosh!"
Mackenzie: "I told you! Come on, let's go!"
Mackenzie takes Captain's arm and drags him back to the barky boats. Captain waves at Mia as he is dragged away.
Mia: "Bye!"
The two sit back down to continue their fairy letter.
Bluey: "Ugh, that was close! Okay, dear fairies: Dad bought new grass, but it had ants in it, and he couldn't find the ant powder, and Mum was like 'Where'd you last have it?' He said--"
Mia gets sidetracked while writing the letter, noticing a piece of bark. She lifts up the piece of bark and shows it to Bluey.
Mia: "Oh! Look! Do you think this would make a good barky boat?"
Bluey: "Uhhh, I guess?"
Mia stands back up.
Mia: "Do you just wanna just quickly give it to Mackenzie?"
Bluey: "No!"
Mia: "Come on Bluey, I'll race you!"
Mia runs off, but Bluey hesitantly waits behind, worried she's leaving her behind to hang out with Captain and Mackenzie. The shot cuts back to the two other buddies, playing another round of barky boats. Captain is blocking the water again as Mackenzie sharpens a wood chip.
Mackenzie: "Keep letting the water build up!"
Captain: "Okay."
Mackenzie points the wood chip at Captain with half-closed eyes.
Mackenzie: "And no running off!"
Captain: "Yeah, okay. I don't know what I was thinking."
Mia suddenly enters, alerting the two.
Mia: "Hi!"
Captain: "Aah!"
Captain jumps, scared by Mia's sudden appearance, causing the built-up water to flood out and splashing Mackenzie in the face.
Mackenzie: "Aah!"
Captain: "Sorry, Mackenzie!"
Mackenzie gets up and shakes his fur off. Bluey enters, looking annoyed.
Mackenzie: "What are you doing here?!"
Bluey: "She made me come.."
Mia shows Captain the barky boat.
Mia: "I thought you might like this barky boat?"
Captain: "Aw, thanks! That's a good one!"
Mackenzie crosses his arms and looks at them suspiciously.
Mackenzie: "It's not that good.."
Bluey: "It's gooder than yours!"
Mackenzie stomps his foot.
Mackenzie: "Is not!"
Captain stands up.
Mia: "I can find a better one!"
Captain: "I'll help you."
Mia: "Okay!"
Mia & Captain: "We'll be right back!"
Mia passes the barky boat to Bluey. The two run off, leaving Bluey and Mackenzie alone.
Bluey & Mackenzie: Hey!
The two look down sadly.
Bluey & Mackenzie: "Awww..."
Some time passes, Bluey and Mackenzie sulk by the barky boats pond. Just then, Calypso enters the scene.
Calypso: "Aw, Bluey! Mackenzie! Where are your buddies?"
Bluey: "They ran away from us!"
Calypso sits down on the grass by Bluey and Mackenzie.
Calypso: "Oh, goodness me."
Bluey: "Don't they like us?"
Calypso: "Of course they do! But, it can be hard being twelve years old, sometimes."
Bluey: "What do you mean?"
Calypso: "Here, give me those barky boats. I'll show you something. Go on, hold the water back."
They pass Calypso the barky boats. Bluey and Mackenzie then both hold the water back, causing it to build up slowly.
Calypso: "There once were two six year-old buddies floating around, nice and calm, not a care in the world! They turned seven years old, then eight years old, then nine, then ten, and eleven, and then...!"
Mackenzie and Bluey try to keep blocking the water by using their other arms.
Mackenzie: "I can't hold it any longer!"
Bluey: "Look out!"
The two let go of the dam, causing the water to flood out at high speeds and for the two barky boats to go travelling down the canal.
Calypso: "Twelve! Whoo! Off they went, on a big adventure! Hang on, buddies!"
Bluey and Mackenzie run off to chase the barky boats.
Bluey & Mackenzie: "Yeah, hang on, buddies!"
Calypso: "They went this way, and that way..."
The boats begin to drift due to the surging rush of water, with them coming close to falling out.
Mackenzie: "Aah! Are they gonna make it?"
Bluey: "I don't know!"
The barky boats continue down the canal, before finally landing in the pond at the end of the path safely.
Bluey & Mackenzie: "Yeah! They made it!"
Calypso: "Hooray!"
The two barky boats touch.
Bluey: "And they lived happily ever after."
Mackenzie and Bluey smile by the pond, smiling and wagging their tails. Calypso pets Mackenzie's head.
Calypso: "Just be patient, children. Your buddies haven't forgotten you."
Bluey & Mackenzie: "Okay, Calypso!"
Now back with Captain and Mia, they walk into a empty part of the forest, where a lillie-pillie tree can be seen. Lots of lillie-pillies are on the floor.
Mia: "Maybe there's some barky boats around here."
Captain: "Yeah, there usually is."
Mia: "Ooh! Lillie-pillies! Let's pick some for our buddies!"
Captain: "Okay!"
The two pick some lillie-pillies.
Captain: "What's your favorite fruit?"
Mia: "Uhh, lychees! What's yours?"
Captain: "I like mangoes."
The shot cuts back to Bluey and Mackenzie. Now with Calypso gone, they're back to waiting for their buddies to return.
Mackenzie: "Are you going to go back to your fairy garden?"
Bluey: "Uh, no. It's not as much fun without my buddy."
Mackenzie: "Yeah, same...
Mackenzie suddenly perks up.
Mackenzie: "Wanna play barky boats with me?"
Bluey: "Ooh, okay!"
Mackenzie: "We can race our buddies!"
Bluey and Mackenzie pick up their barky boats from the pond. They run back to the start of the barky boat stream, ready to send their barky boats down the stream again. Calypso is now sitting by a tree, crocheting.
Bluey: "Ready? One, two, three, go!"
They let the barky boats go.
Mackenzie: "Wooo!"
Bluey: "Go, Mia!"
The shot cuts to Mia and Captain, now lying on the forest floor, resting under the sun.
Mia: "Are you nervous about starting high school?"
Captain: "A little."
Mia: "Me too...
They pause for a bit before Mia speaks up.
Mia: "At least we'll be there together!"
As the two smile and their tails wag, the shouts of their buddies can be heard in the distance.
Mackenzie: (from afar) Go Captain!
Bluey: (from afar) Go Mia!
Mia and Captain realise that they left their buddies alone.
Captain & Mia: "Our buddies!"
We cut back to the barky boat pond, where the two pups are arguing about who won their barky boat race.
Bluey: "Noo, Mia won!"
Mackenzie: "No she didn't, Captain won!"
Bluey: "No he didn't!"
Mackenzie: "Yes, he did!"
The two blow raspberries at each other. Soon after, they burst into laughter with one another. Mia and Captain run back up to them.
Captain: "We're back!"
Bluey & Mackenzie: "Hooray!"
Captain scratches the back of his head.
Mia: "We're so sorry, Bluey! I don't know what happened..."
Captain: "We were looking for barky boats..."
Mia: "And went down this way, and that way and--"
Captain: "And we found some lillie-pillies, and then I...I don't know what happened!"
Bluey: "That's okay! You made it back!"
Bluey runs up to Mia and gives her a hug, Mackenzie runs over to Captain and does a fist-bump with him.
Mia: "Come on Bluey, let's finish the fairy letter!"
Bluey: "Okay!"
Before Bluey goes to hop on Mia's back, ready to leave for the fairy garden again, she stops and looks over to Mackenzie and Captain. She runs over to hug Mackenzie.
Bluey: "See 'ya, Mackenzie!"
Mackenzie: "See 'ya, Bluey!"
The Pups: "Bye!"
Bluey and Mia leave. Meanwhile, Mackenzie and Captain run back to the barky boats pond.
Captain: "Alright, come on! Let's do the biggest dam ever!"
Mackenzie: "Yeah!"
The shot cuts back to Bluey and Mia's fairy garden. The fairy garden is complete, and Mia is ready to continue with Bluey's letter to the fairies.
Mia: "Okay, ready Bluey!"
Mia starts writing the fairy letter again as Bluey talks.
Bluey: "Dear fairies: Dad bought new grass. It had ants! I love my buddy Mia, cause she can do the splits, and she gives me piggybacks."
Mia: "Oh, I love giving you piggybacks!"
Bluey: "Please get the ants out of Dad's grass, and also look after Mia when she goes to big school, even though she isn't scared."
Mia stops writing, and begins tearing up at Bluey's words and the feeling that she is heading off to high school soon.
Bluey: "And make sure she doesn't forget to come and play with me. Kiss kiss kiss, hug hug h-"
Mia eventually stops writing and frowns. She quickly hugs Bluey, with Bluey smiling in return.
END CREDITS
The credits music is a complete and climactic rendition of the episode's soundtrack, a cover of "Tribe of Avaren" by Brandon Fiechter.