Princess Mary hits the waves at Byron

You can take the royal out of Australia, but Denmark's Princess Mary has proven she's still an Aussie at heart.

The Tasmanian native was photographed hitting the waves with a surfboard under her arm and two children in tow at Byron Bay on Boxing Day.

The family's foray into the surf comes after the princess's eldest son Prince Christian was rescued from the surf at a popular Gold Coast beach earlier this month.

Princess Mary arrived in Australia in early December with her husband, Crown Prince Frederik, and their four children.

Prince Christian, 10, Princess Isabella, eight, and Princess Josephine, four, were also spotted at the beach with their mother and father.

The family is expected to return to Denmark in time for Queen Margrethe's formal new year celebrations on January 1.