I stayed in luxury and had a chance encounter with whales, all within three hours of Sydney
It’s not often you’re stopped dead in your tracks. But on this particular boat ride, and subsequent swim in the middle of the ocean — everything stopped in an instant.
Drumming down the Princes Highway on my way from the outskirts of Sydney to the south coast, I can’t help but feel a combo of excitement and nerves as I sit behind the wheel.
Within 48 hours of my arrival into the coastal gem of Mollymook, which sits about 3 hours south of Sydney, I would be ending a night of rest with an early start en route to a once-in-a-lifetime encounter.
Pulling up outside Bannisters Pavillion, and being whisked into the hotel’s penthouse suite, the calming hues of the decor and the flickering flame from the fireplace had me instantly at ease. The unrest I had about the encounter that was waiting for me in two days time was instantly washed away, replaced by a sense of serenity.
Bannisters Pavillion, the sister hotel to Mollymook’s crown jewel of Bannisters by the Sea, sits mere footsteps from the white sandy shores of the town’s main beach.
The vibe within the hotel is soothing, with a wide open space to grab a book, a coffee or a pastry in the common area before venturing to your room.
With 35 contemporary suites, surrounded by swaying palm trees and the distant lap of the ocean, Bannisters Pavilion embodies a laid-back vibe coastal hotels strive for.
With a rooftop pool and a swanky restaurant and bar, it’s the kind of place you don’t have to leave throughout the entirety of your stay.
Dining on oysters, grilled scallops and chilli-butter king prawns, the space is the perfect way to spend an afternoon — with the pool and deckchairs just metres from the restaurant’s main bar.
On the flip side, the jewel in the crown within the seaside town of Mollymook, is the ‘By the Sea’ property — with it’s uninterrupted oceans views, luxury suites and picturesque infinity pool.
Sitting just minutes from the Pavillion, walking into one of the suites at By the Sea is an experience like no other.
Almost blinded by the views out across the infinity pool and across the oceans, there’s a pod of whales less than 100 metres off shores dancing over the swell.
The loungeroom spans into the sizeable bedroom, with of the hotel’s 34 rooms framed by either a view across the gardens or out towards the Tasman.
If you can peel yourself away from the hotel’s pool, which have some of the most epic views on the coast, Rick Stein’s restaurant is mere footsteps away.
Dishing up some of the finest cuisine with views to match, it’s a hard task narrowing down and entree and main when every single offering is as delicious as the next.
I opted for the famous Goan fish curry — with the waiter noting how it showcases some of Rick’s favourite spice combinations. It was without doubt the standout meal of the entire stay, and one I would come back for again and again.
And while I opted for the Japanese fish cakes to start, every second table had an empty bowl of the chef’s famous Fish and Shellfish Soup. There’s always next time.
Returning to our room, perhaps the most distinctive element of the stay is the constant sound of waves easing across the balcony and through the doors. A sway that sent me into the deepest of slumbers, ahead of that 5am call to the sea I’d been somewhat nervous about.
Encounter of a lifetime
After slipping into my swimmers while the moon danced on the waves outside my window, the first light of the day began to peak through the trees of Conjola National Park as I made my way to the lone jetty in nearby Woollamia.
Arriving with a black wetsuit and a pair of flippers waiting, Captain Dylan and his co-worker Keanu beamed as I approached the boat – named Woebegone after Dylan’s love for all things Star Wars.
“Should be a good day out there,” Dylan said from the side of his boat, as I worked my way into the full-length suit.
Dylan and his wife Lara, who are the owners of Woebegone Freedive, have plunged into waters right around the world — from Bali to Mexico — encountering incredible marine life like Bull Sharks and Whale Sharks during their swims.
But the pair, who now call the Shoalhaven region home along with their young son Leon, specialise in the art of freediving — a mode of underwater diving that relies on breath-holding until resurfacing — as well as conserving the marine life around them.
I was part of a 15-strong group of first time snorkellers and experienced free-divers, with my exposure sitting somewhere in-between. We were in the hands of what swam between the surface, with the possibility of sighting anything from seals, to dolphins and with a bit of luck — the humpback whale.
What sets Dylan and his team apart is that we were not on a mission to swim with these creatures — namely the humpback whale — it was solely up to them to swim with us. We were in their home, on their terms.
It’s a concept that put me at ease. We were entering the ‘Humpback Highway’ — and while we all hoped to see one of these majestic creatures beneath the waves, the swim relied on their inquisitive nature to initiate the encounter.
Setting off over the waves and to a nearby cove, the swell pushed us towards a large pod of seals on their morning swim.
Dancing, barking and spinning beneath the waves, it was our turn to jump in to the 18 degree water and watch these mammals swim. For a good 40 minutes, which felt more like five, it was hard to take your eyes off the group — of which there were about 50 in the water at once.
But as the sun travelled higher in the sky, it was time to get back on the boat and into the deep — hopefully to spot a humpback on their journey from north to south.
As we bobbed on the waves with a mug of hot chocolate and a slice of Lara’s homemade banana bread, our first sighting happened without notice.
Dylan was quick to anchor the boat and thread the rope onto the water. It drifted and bobbed behind the boat, as one by one we slipped back into our flippers and into the cool water. It was hard not to notice the 100 feet of nothingness between the surface and the floor.
As I cleared my goggles and dipped my head into the water, I was met with a blue-coloured abyss.
Dylan had advised to call out under the water like a whale would, and so that’s what we did.
Watching and waiting as we held on to the line, a shadow soon emerged. A smile from beneath the surface mirrored what could only be described as a line of shocked faces.
As the humpback approached mere metres from our bodies bobbing on the surface, my heart felt like it would break out of my chest.
The size of this adult humpback far outweighed anything I ever imagined. The encounter almost seemed fake, like this mammal had been inflated and submerged just before us.
As soon as he came, he sat observing — perhaps as in awe of us as we were him — before sinking back into the shadows.
We waited, hoping he’d make a return, but he’d had his visit. And without further movement, so had we.
And that is what is so special about the experience Dylan and Lara have created — we are visitors, and the encounters are dictated by the vast mammals that call the Tasman home.
More Coverage
Bannisters by the Sea has this year launched the whale swim and walk packages – dubbed the Mollymook Migration – to offer guests a unique, immersive holiday experience while unwinding in coastal luxury.
The Mollymook Migration two-night packages start from $1,739, and includes two-nights at Bannisters by the Sea, daily Breakfasts, including one breakfast at Rick Stein and one in-room early breakfast tray delivery for the morning of the whale swim, a 6-hour whale expedition led by Woebegone on their small boat inclusive of snorkelling gear, wetsuit and flippers, as well as dinner for two at Rick Stein’s restaurant (Entrée and main, excluding shellfish).
This journalist visited Bannisters and experienced the Woebegone Freedive tour as a guest
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