Byron Breeze

Although the initial days had been rainy, one of the benefits of this was a cooling of the sand on the island. Turtle hatching is temperature dependent and the cooler temperature meant lots of hatchlings. We witnessed hatchlings on many occasions, making their cute yet dangerous crawl down the beach to try and get to the open water. However, as nature dictates, the hatchlings often get eaten by birds and nearby reef sharks waiting for a meal.

We  were very fortunate to be visiting while the University of Queensland was conducting  a promotional photography shoot. Several of them came with us, with one lucky group of students who completed a night time snorkel, guided by torchlight, around the local shipwreck. Outside of seeing some turtles and lemon sharks, we stopped temporarily, switched off our torches and floated on our backs to stare at a glorious night of stars. Unfortunately, at the jetty on our return, one of us may have accidently disturbed one of the usually very peaceful reef sharks, possibly giving it a touch with a snorkel fin and it took off quickly giving Kyra a surprise nudge as it left!

Our Heron Island marine encounters were definitely up close and personal!

We conducted our plankton collection experiment and this year we were fortunate to find many types of zooplankton under microscopic observation. Harry G who was the trip's photography expert, not only captured some fantastic photos of larger creatures, but managed to capture these microscopic images also.

In the meantime with all this activity happening, Mr Oxley, who was clearly mesmerized by all the nature, realized he had forgotten to pick up one of the snorkel guide floatation devices. Despite a few laps around the island and long stares to the horizon, he finally resigned to realizing it was gone and sheepishly let our boat driver, Fabio, know that he hadn't given up hope it would return one day.

After a couple of extra hours waiting, due to a late boat on our last day, we mostly slept on the long ride bus ride home. Alan our cheery driver, powered through the night to safely drop us at school at 4 am.

Heron '26 was over but memories for a lifetime remain.

I would like to thank Mr Oxley and Mr Humphreys for their tireless help, and all the students whose great spirit made the trip another fantastic one.

Mr Nick Hart - Marine Studies Teacher

Year 7 get off to a sizzling start!

Our new families connect at the Year 7 Welcome BBQ

On Tuesday evening, it was wonderful to welcome so many of our new Year 7 families to our school community. The weather was perfect as we gathered under the trees on our school grounds.

Parents and carers had the chance to meet their child’s teachers and connect with other families in the Year 7 cohort.

Families and staff enjoyed live music from our talented musicians, a BBQ sausage sizzle, and delicious sweet treats from the Italian Exchange fundraising stall. A big thank you to everyone who attended and helped strengthen these vital connections between families and the school. We look forward to a fantastic year ahead together!

BBHS shines at the Far North Coast Zone Swimming Championships!

Another great day at the Far North Coast Zone Swimming Championships. The competition was strong across all events, as our students swam hard to represent Byron Bay High School. There were plenty of exceptional swims and exciting finishes in the pool.

A huge congratulations to Byron Bay High School for finishing 2nd overall in the FNC Zone – an incredible team achievement!

Special congratulations to our Age Champions:  

• Mattia B – 13 Years Boys Champion
• Lawson K – 16 Years Boys Champion

Well done also to our individual and relay qualifiers: Violet B, Mattia B, Freya B, Gracie Rose C, Dylan J, Lawson K, Eve L, Amelia M, Meave R, Mason S, Michael B, Jake S, Spike S, and Aoi Y.

Congratulations also to our relay teams who qualified:

• 12 x 50m Relay Girls Medley Relay
• Boys Medley Relay
• 13 Boys Relay
• 16 Boys Relay
• 15 Girls Relay

A tremendous effort from all swimmers – well done! Parents and Carers of qualifiers, please check your emails for payment details and ensure that FNC team consent note (printout) is returned by Friday 27 February. The North Coast Championships will be held on 9 March, in Kempsey. 

Mrs Kelley Caoyonan - PDHPE teacher and Sports Coordinator

'The Shells' leave their competition shell-shocked

Byron Bay High School’s Boys Basketball team, 'The Shells', recently competed in the Far North Coast Opens Basketball Tournament, taking on strong school teams from across the region.

The Far North Coast Opens is a highly competitive Open-age tournament that brings together the top school basketball programs from northern New South Wales. The event provides a valuable pathway for students to test their skills against quality opposition and experience the intensity of representative-level basketball. The winning team advances to the North Coast Opens Basketball Championships, while individual players are selected from across the Far North Coast to form a regional representative team.

Game 1 saw The Shells take on cross-town rivals Mullumbimby High School. Defence was key in this match-up, with The Shells’ full-court press leaving Mullumbimby under constant pressure. The guards forced numerous early turnovers, with Fynn H the main beneficiary, converting those opportunities into a game-high 24 points. Any player who broke the press was met by Arlo W at the rim, who finished the game with 5 blocks. These efforts helped lead The Shells to a comfortable 64–34 victory!

Game 2 against Tweed River High School began differently, with the boys struggling to find their rhythm. The opening quarter ended with nothing separating the 2 teams. However, Diallo P-J and Shae O-T injected much-needed intensity early in the 2nd quarter, applying strong defensive pressure and forcing a series of turnovers. This proved decisive, as the Shells pulled away for a 58–26 win, securing a place in the finals.

In the final, The Shells smothered Under 16 champions Ballina Coast High School early, again forcing multiple turnovers with their press.

Fynn H led the charge with 3 deep three-pointers as the team surged to an 18–4 lead by the end of the first quarter. However, the physical toll of a single-day, three-game tournament with only 7 players began to show. As fatigue and minor injuries accumulated, Ballina Coast mounted a strong comeback, eventually claiming a 51–40 victory.

While the team’s hopes of progressing to the next level were cut short, the tournament proved a success at an individual level. Arlo W, Fynn H, and Spencer L were all named as reserves for the Far North Coast Representative team, recognising their strong performances throughout the day.

The year ahead presents a number of exciting basketball opportunities for The Shells, with pathways to state and national competitions such as the North Coast Boys U15s competition and the Australian School Championships.

These opportunities provide students with clear avenues to challenge themselves at higher levels.

Mr Coby Powers - HSIE teacher and team coach

Far North Coast Under 14s AFL

Spotlight on success

Congratulations to our Year 7 boys – Dusty M, Koa D, Tex C and Leo L – who recently trialled and were successfully selected in the Far North Coast U14s AFL team. Their skills and determination made them standout performers on the day, and they will now progress to trial for the North Coast team on 5 March. The feedback from selectors was extremely positive. A fantastic achievement – well done, lads! 

Agriculture update

We have had a fantastic start to Agriculture this year, welcoming new classes, many new students, and our new Farm Assistant, Mo.

Year 7

Year 7 students have been immersing themselves in their poultry unit  and have just completed their chicken handling and health checks peer assessment. It has been wonderful to see their confidence grow as they develop safe and respectful animal handling skills.

Year 9

Year 9 students have been busy planting the final summer crops, including watermelon, sunflower, zucchini, cucumber and sweet peas. They also participated in their first beekeeping incursion, supported by the generous volunteer efforts of Steve from the Northern Rivers Amateur Beekeepers Association. Steve will be working with us monthly to deliver hands-on practical lessons in beekeeping and honey production. During this first session, students assisted in splitting a native bee hive to establish a 2nd hive for the school. They were fascinated by the intricate internal structure of the hive and the way natural design so often mirrors patterns we see in  nature and that of our very own school building design here at Byron Bay High School.

Year 11

Year 11 students have been working diligently through course content and have now commenced their major radish plant trial investigation.

Garden spotlight

Our pineapple is fruiting, the star fruit tree has produced its first crop, the jackfruit are getting bigger, and the lime trees are soon to be abundant. 

As our farm continues to transform with the seasons and programs, watch this space for further updates. If any members of the Byron Bay High School community have smaller-sized beekeeping suits available to donate or lend, please contact the school and I will be in touch. Miss Hannah Ward - Agriculture teacher

Year 11 Snow Trip 2026

Now taking expressions of interest