Down the highway they stream, as they do every year in October. But unlike the holiday makers who come by road, these visitors come by sea. This year they've turned up in their thousands.

Every day, under unseasonably warm skies, they pass by, their spouts and occasional breaches sparking excitement. Their appearances broker conversations between complete strangers on the beach.

"Did you see the whales?" squeals a young boy, his face pink with holiday sun and wonder.

"One breached right over there," says an elderly local who walks her two small dogs on the beach every morning.

A paddleboarder returns to shore, all dreamy smiles. "Oh my god, one passed within 100 metres of me. What an amazing experience," she says.

Up and down the coast, knots of people gather on headlands to watch the

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