So we're getting ready to leave Victoria. We've had a great time on Vancouver Island - indeed have had a most amazing start to our trip. Tomorrow we're heading off to Vancouver via seaplane - another first for us both so more excitement ahead! Yesterday we took advantage of a sunny morning on the veranda to soak up some rays and also to catch up on blog posts from our trips around the island. In the afternoon we went into Victoria, catching the bus there, to vis...

Monday was a lazy day soaking up the sun on the terrace but we did walk to the supermarket in the afternoon where we picked up fresh lobster tails. The very gay fishmonger gave us a full and colourful briefing on how to cook them. In the evening we walked around the Gonzales Bay area. We came across a Chinese Cemetery along the shore and then mazed our way up through the homes of Victoria's wealthy to an observatory and view point - great view of our bay and acro...

Saturday was another wonderful Ucluelet day. We headed into the Pacific Rim National Park where we walked in the unspoilt temperate rainforest. We probably have too many photos of green trees festooned with green hanging moss and lichens - they look like they should be photogenic but prove to be very difficult to photograph. We'll only bore the blog with the very best one or two. We moved on to the quirky Tofino Botanic Garden for a picnic lunch stop. This was re...

Wow - to think that we were still only in the first week of our trip!! So many more amazing sights today. The day started early so that we'd be on time for the morning trip out to wildlife spot with Subtidal Adventures. Even before we'd left the harbour our skipper and guide, Brian, had the boat close to a bald eagle and we could begin to learn the art of photograph-taking from a rocking boat - definitely not easy! Next up to have their photo taken was a colony ...

On Thursday we embarked on the long drive to Uclulet - a First Nation's word that means 'safe place to land a canoe'. This is a small fishing town tucked on the 'inside' of a spit of land that runs out into the Pacific Ocean on the Western side of Vancouver Island. There is no doubt that this side of the spit would indeed be a safe harbour compared with the wild Pacific. The drive was long but mostly through beautiful countryside. We made a quick stop to admire t...