A father's journey

He’s been hit by the brutal waves of cancer, depression and loss. But Barry Du Bois tells Tiffany Dunk that investing in a positive attitude has helped his family triumph.

- Tiffany Dunk

Growing up in Moorebank in Sydney’s western suburbs, a young Barry Du Bois didn’t have far to go when he felt the need to escape. Right across from the house he shared with mum Margaret, dad Bob and his two younger siblings, Michael and Elizabeth, flowed the Georges River.

“The happiest times in my life were just exploring, dreaming, going up and down that river in a little tinny my dad bought us,” The Living Room star recalls. “I always enjoyed being on the water. I love surfing and anything to do with nature.”

It was a healing place, a place for family communion as well as private reflection. In the years since, he’s continued to live within a stone’s throw of open water, and the 59-year-old tells The Weekly, being on the water plays an important role in balancing his emotional, spiritual and physical wellness. So it’s no surprise that his passion for sailing is one he’s keen to pass on to the newest Du Bois generation.

“I always say that for us, on a boat, it’s a little love fest,” he chuckles while watching his seven-year-old twins Arabella and Bennett scamper about the yacht we have boarded for today’s photo shoot and interview. “Everything is polarised – you can get cabin fever, or you can embrace it. It’s one or the other. For us, we embrace it. With two young children and your family on a boat, it’s a 24/7 connection.”

Rolling in the deep