This whale spotting event happens once a year – and it’s this weekend

Elizabeth WhiteheadBy Elizabeth Whitehead
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The annual whale census is taking place, and it’s down to whale enthusiasts to help track the count. Are you in?

It’s winter, and that means it’s currently peak hour on the ‘Humpback Highway’. The whale census is an annual event that counts whale populations during migration to track species’ health and movements. Not only does this involve the help of members of the community, but it also actively relies on them to keep the count. So, if you live on the East Coast and want to get involved? It’s as easy as heading to your local headland this Sunday, 26th June (thermos in hand).

Jervis whales
With the help of citizen scientists, the whale census tracks whale populations and health. (Image: Jordan Robins)

How to get involved with the whale census

The census is run by a non-profit Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA) . While you can register and track the whales from anywhere, you can also join ORRCA members at these locations on Sunday, 26 June:

  • Point Danger, Coolangatta
  • Lennox Head Headland
  • Woolgoolga Headland, Coffs Harbour
  • Tacking Point Lighthouse, Port Macquarie
  • Boat Harbour, Port Stephens
  • Cape Solander, Kurnell with NPWS
  • Hill 60, Port Kembla (instead of Bass Point)
  • Warden Head, Ulladulla with NPWS
  • Bar Rock Lookout, Narooma
  • Cape Byron Lighthouse with NPWS
  • Long Reef Headland with Northern Beaches Council
  • Cape Banks, La Parouse
  • King Edward Park, Newcastle

The organisation is calling on one and all from sunrise to sunset, no matter if you’re a seasoned whale watcher or a first-timer.

whale watching in Cairns
Winter marks the annual ‘Humpback Highway’ as they migrate north. (Image: Reef Unlimited)

Can’t make the official count? We’ve rounded up the best places for whale watching around Australia. And if you haven’t seen any whales yet, it’s not too late – make like the humpbacks and head north to Cairns, where these majestic beings are spotted between July and August. Reef Unlimited has launched a new tour dedicated to whale watching experiences on the Great Barrier Reef, too. Departing from Cairns aboard the brand new Aquarius II vessel from July 12 to August 22, guests have a chance to see humpback whales up close while being guided by expert marine biologists and there’s also a stop at the world-renowned Fitzroy Island and Nudey Beach (which was recently named among the world’s top 50 beaches for 2025). Could there be a better location to spot whales in Australia than in one of the seven wonders of the natural world? We think not.

Elizabeth Whitehead
Elizabeth Whitehead is a writer obsessed with all things culture; doesn't matter if it's pop culture or cultures of the world. She graduated with a degree in History from the University of Sydney (after dropping out from Maths). Her bylines span AFAR, Lonely Planet, ELLE, Harper's BAZAAR and Refinery 29. Her work for Australian Traveller was shortlisted for single article of the year at the Mumbrella Publishing Awards 2024. She is very lucky in thrifting, very unlucky in UNO.
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Film lovers need to add these Victorian theatres to their bucket list

    Ricky FrenchBy Ricky French
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    Theatres have always been a cornerstone of regional Victoria, reflecting the character and history of their local communities.

    From grand, gold rush-era masterpieces to Art Deco wonders to repurposed prisons, we’ve rounded up four of Victoria’s best regional theatres to catch a show at next time you’re travelling through.

    Her Majesty’s Theatre, Ballarat

    Her Majesty’s Theatre, Ballarat 
    Her Majesty’s Theatre in Ballarat has been standing for 150 years. (Image: Michael Pham)

    A monument to the immense gold rush wealth flooding through Ballarat in the second half of the 19th century, Her Majesty’s Theatre (‘Her Maj’ to locals) celebrates its 150th anniversary as the city’s premier performing arts venue this year.

    Built in a classical style and immaculately preserved (thanks largely to a recent $16-million restoration), this Lydiard Street landmark is the oldest continuously operating theatre in mainland Australia, notable for its double balcony and a stage that slopes towards the front, making it one of the most audience-friendly venues in the country to see a show.

    The Capital, Bendigo

    The Capital Theatre, Bendigo
    The Capital in Bendigo was built in 1873 as a Masonic Hall. (Image: Michael Pham)

    Denoted by its distinctive Corinthian columns, more reminiscent of ancient Greece than regional Victoria, The Capital theatre in Bendigo has been through several iterations since the first stone was laid in 1873.

    Originally a Masonic hall, the renaissance revival-style building became a theatre in the 1890s, falling into disrepair for a time during the 1970s, before being restored and reopened (as the Bendigo Regional Arts Centre) in 1991. Today, the 480-seat venue hosts everything from comedy to cabaret to traditional theatre, dance, opera and live music.

     Ulumbarra Theatre, Bendigo

    a look insideBendigo’s Ulumbarra Theatre
    Inside Bendigo’s Ulumbarra Theatre, a former prison. (Image: Michael Pham)

    Bendigo has busted out as a regional performing arts hotspot, so it’s fitting that one of its newest venues is housed within a former prison. Meaning ‘meeting place’ or ‘gather together’ in the language of the local Dja Dja Wurrung people, the $26-million, 950-seat auditorium rose from within the red brick walls of the historic Sandhurst Gaol in 2015.

    It’s an eerie feeling as you approach the imposing granite facade, pass beneath the old gallows and pick up your ticket from the box office occupying a repurposed cell block. With the building playing a main character in the show, this is performative architecture at its finest.

    Rex Theatre, Charlton

    the Rex Theatre in Charlton
    The 1938-built Rex Theatre in Charlton is an Art Deco gem. (Image: Jenny Pollard)

    Regional theatres don’t come more romantic than this Art Deco gem in the river town of Charlton, in north-central Victoria. Built in 1938, the 350-seat community-owned theatre provides an essential entertainment outlet for residents in the Wimmera Mallee region, as well as visitors making the trip up the Calder Highway from Melbourne.

    The volunteer-run venue is the last remaining purpose-built cinema in regional Victoria, and hosts the Charlton Film Festival every February, plus three weekly film screenings (Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday).