Whales, Dolphins and Sharks: A Perfect Day in Byron Bay with Teenagers

Eat Clean, Health and Dream | Melbourne to Brisbane Road Trip

There are some travel days that are about ticking places off a list.

And then there are days where you don't really need a plan at all.

You just need to be somewhere beautiful at the right time.

Our first morning in Byron Bay was definitely one of those days.

After spotting two humpback whales breaching from the lighthouse the evening before, I'd already made my decision.

We were going back.

And we were going back early.

An early start at Cape Byron

Thankfully, the boys had been warned the night before.

"We're getting up early. We're taking breakfast with us. And we're going to the lighthouse before it gets busy."

They agreed.

Which, with teenagers, is always a win.

I'd already done a little bit of work before sunrise, trying to keep on top of everything while travelling, so once the sun started coming up we were ready.

Coffee mug in hand.

Breakfast packed.

Boys in the car.

Off we went.

When we arrived at Cape Byron Lighthouse, there were only a couple of other cars.

Exactly what I'd hoped for.

No crowds.

No queues.

Just the early morning light, the ocean and that feeling that we had the place almost to ourselves.

And then the whales appeared

We hadn't been there long before the whales started making their presence known.

And there weren't just one or two.

There were so many.

We walked up and around the lighthouse and then followed the path down towards the right, stopping constantly to look out across the ocean.

Breaching.

Tail slapping.

Lobtailing.

Surfacing for air.

Disappearing.

Then reappearing somewhere else.

It was incredible.

And having so few people around made it even more special.

There was no jostling for position.

No crowds.

No constant chatter.

Just us, a handful of other people and the ocean.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

A hidden little beach

We continued along the path and eventually reached a small beach.

It was almost completely empty.

There was just one man sitting underneath a tree practising mobility exercises and yoga.

It was beautiful.

And then, as if the morning couldn't get any better, we spotted something else.

Dolphins.

A pod was playing in the shallows.

We stood watching them for ages.

They were moving through the water, appearing and disappearing, seemingly completely unconcerned with the humans watching from the shore.

For a while, everything else stopped.

The ocean has always had a hold on me

I think this is where my love of the ocean really comes into the story.

I've done whale-watching trips before.

I've always had a particular connection with the ocean, and especially whales and rays.

Even when I started my outdoor beach clothing brand ‘Ocean Daze’ back in 2018, I deliberately used a whale tail in the branding.

For me, it represented freedom.

The ocean.

Adventure.

And those are still some of the core values that are really important to me.

So standing on the shore at Byron Bay, watching these huge, beautiful creatures going about their normal southern migration, was something I'll never forget and I could share this with the boys.

They weren't performing for us.

They weren't there because we'd booked a tour.

We were simply lucky enough to be standing in the right place while they travelled past.

And that somehow made it even more special.

I could have stayed there all day.

Honestly.

I would happily have watched whales from that coastline for hours.

But I did have to remember I was travelling with two teenage boys.

And while Albie was fascinated, I suspected an entire day of whale watching might eventually test his patience!

Checking on the teenager

Archie had already decided he'd had enough and had wandered back to the car.

So eventually Albie and I decided we should probably check on him.

We made our way back towards the lighthouse.

And even that walk became another wildlife adventure.

Lizards.

Kookaburras.

Other birds.

And, of course, constantly looking back towards the ocean.

Because every few minutes there was another splash.

Another breach.

Another tail slap.

Another whale surfacing.

It was almost impossible to stop watching.

Time for the beach

Eventually, I allowed myself to be persuaded away from the whales.

We agreed to head down into Byron Bay, grab a drink by the beach and actually get onto the sand.

And the beach did not disappoint.

The water was crystal clear.

And, surprisingly, it wasn't cold.

The boys were straight into the shallows, mucking around in the white water.

We stayed in front of the lifeguards, which turned out to be a very good decision.

Because about twenty minutes later…

The shark alarm went off.

Everyone was called out of the water.

A shark had been spotted.

And suddenly the reality of sharing the ocean with wildlife became very real.

Sharks are part of the ocean too

I won't lie.

It definitely made you think.

But actually, I was glad the boys experienced it.

Not because I wanted them to be frightened, but because it's an important lesson when you're spending time in the ocean.

We're visitors in their environment.

Sharks are part of the marine ecosystem.

So are rays.

Dolphins.

Whales.

Fish.

And everything else beneath the surface.

The important thing is understanding how to share that environment safely.

The boys watched what was happening, listened to the lifeguards and understood why everyone needed to get out.

Once the shark had moved on and the all-clear was given, we were able to get back in.

And that's the sort of experience I think children remember.

Not just "we went swimming in Byron Bay."

But:

"Remember when the shark alarm went off?"

Exactly.

Byron Bay with teenagers

After we'd had enough of the beach, we wandered into town.

It didn't last particularly long.

The boys weren't especially interested.

If I'd been there with Craig, I'd probably have happily disappeared into the surf shops for an hour—or considerably longer, even for a non shopping fan.

But teenagers have different priorities.

So we headed back towards the cabin.

On the drive, we were wildlife spotting again and talking about what to do for the rest of the day.

The answer was fairly obvious.

Pool. Playground. Lunch.

Although with teenagers, lunch obviously came first.

Another beach adventure

After some food and a bit of chill time at the holiday park, we decided to attempt a walk to the local beach.

It didn't take long before we came across signs warning about brown snakes.

And the vegetation was getting taller and increasingly overgrown.

I looked at the boys.

They looked at me.

We decided we'd probably had enough wildlife encounters for one day.

So we got back in the car.

Another beach it was.

And I'm very glad we did.

Because we found an absolute stunner.

The simplest things

There was something really lovely about this beach.

The boys played in the water.

I watched the surfers.

Albie was constantly looking for wildlife and birdlife.

And then I noticed something that made me stop.

The boys were actually playing together.

Not gaming.

Not arguing.

Not asking for Wi-Fi.

Not complaining that they were bored.

Just sand and water.

Exactly like they had when they were little.

I sat there watching them.

And Archie, at 14, was actually smiling.

No "I'm too cool for this."

No teenager attitude.

No arguments.

Just two brothers messing around in the sand and water.

It was one of those quiet parenting moments that you don't necessarily expect when your children are getting older.

And I realised how lucky I was to be sitting there watching it.

The ocean in front of me.

The boys playing.

The surfers out beyond them.

Albie scanning the shoreline for something interesting much like his mother!!

And, every now and then, me looking back towards the water wondering if another whale might appear.

Those are the moments I travel for.

Not necessarily the big attractions.

The memory-making moments.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Of course, we drove past the lighthouse again

By now you might have noticed a theme.

I like the lighthouse.

And because the beach we'd found was at the bottom of the road leading up towards it, there was absolutely no way I was driving back without taking another look.

So we did a little detour.

Obviously.

One last scan of the ocean.

One last look at the coastline.

Then back to the cabin.

A very tired Albie

The sun was disappearing quickly by the time we got back.

Time for dinner.

And then some relaxing.

Well… sort of relaxing.

I've been juggling work, writing and everything else around the time difference and the holiday, so there is always something to do even when you're technically supposed to be taking a break.

But eventually, the living room went quiet.

I looked across at the other sofa.

And there was Albie.

Fast asleep.

Out cold.

The sort of sleep that tells you they've had a really good day.

I'd clearly managed to tire him out.

And thankfully, at 11, he's still small and light enough for me to carry him to bed.

I'm sure that won't last forever.

So I picked him up, carried him off to bed and smiled.

Because tomorrow we'd be moving on again.

Another section of the east coast.

Another road.

Another destination.

But this day?

Whales breaching.

Dolphins playing.

Sharks reminding us who really owns the ocean.

A beautiful beach.

Two brothers playing together.

And a very tired boy asleep on the sofa.

That's a pretty good day in my book.