12th September.
This morning we enjoyed a luxurious Tigh na mara lie in! We woke naturally st around 8.30 and indulged in more jacuzzi baths and then used our little kitchen to cook up s mega breakfast of eggs, bacon, banana pancakes and maple syrup. Marvellous. The nice people at reception kindly extended our check out time from 11 to 1pm which gave us such a great relaxing morning and a chance for Chris to work and us to get sorted out. When we eventually set off we were sad to say goodbye to this very lively place - and we hadn't even visited the Grotto Spa or beach!!!
Next stop was Canadian Tire to buy s fridge for the van and for fishing supplies and licences.
We then drove west through the cathedral grove of trees out towards Tofino and the Pacific Rim National park. At 5 we reached the visitor centre and headed up into Tofino - said to be very touristy but we found it perfectly lovely in early autumn , with great beaches and better sunsets.
We stopped off at Tacofino - a converted truck serving great fish tacos and 'freshies' with watermelon and basil, at the back of a gravel parking lot. Probably the most cheerful service ever in a take away food establishment! We took the tacos to Chesterman beach, and sat ins driftwood tree trunk to eat them whilst watching the sun fall in the sky.
We wandered out into the rocky headland to watch the sunset and then walked back along the waters edge, doing handstands and cartwheels. Another perfect evening.
Then it was high time to make camp before starting our kayak adventure tomorrow.
We hadn't made s firm a but decided to head to the Secret Beach campground at Toquaht Bay, a long drive along a rough track from Tofino, but only a short distance from the marina for our 10am water taxi tomorrow.
It turned out to be a much longer drive thsn we had expected and in the darkness, without any signage for several miles along an increasingly rough and bumpy track, feelings if going and fatigue started to creep in... The sat nav gave up and directed us down a track to a dead end, we kept going and eventually found a pair of gates that were chained but not locked. We opened them and found a locked cabin and a sign directing us to 'campground one'. On we drove and finally found the campground. At last.
We parked under a tree, rolled out the bedding in the back of the van, snuggled up together and slept.