aussielozzie18

Our next accommodation was a very modern 3 bed apartment in Parksville close to the water. After we settled in, I went for a lovely pre-dinner wander along the pathway on the waterfront.

Then it was time to hit the road again, the return drive from Ucluelet to Port Alberni had a different beauty this time in rain

Then visited Ucluelet Aquarium which was overpriced and underwhelming. Enjoyed a tasty light lunch at this cafe nearby though. My photos don’t do it justice on an overcast day but the area near the Aquarium is very scenic.

More photos from the lovely circuit coastal walk

UCLUELET Started the day with a lovely circuit coastal walk that passed by a Lighthouse

Day 3 in Tofino - we woke up to rain. My son decided he wanted to do the hike to the site of a crashed plane (in 1945). I read the trail reviews which said it was a very muddy hike so I gave it a miss. Instead I wandered the shops of Tofino buying souvenirs and gifts and visiting the Roy Henry Vickers Gallery which was definitely worth a visit. Finished up at the Harbourview Coffeehouse (inside the kayaking centre) and enjoyed a nice coffee & cake overlooking the water. We had an early dinner courtesy of the popular Tacofino van. Unfortunately, it started to pour just after we placed our order and there was no shelter and we only had one umbrella but the tacos were tasty.

Views from Cox Bay lookout - it was a short but challenging hike all uphill through a lot of mud and many tree roots to get these photos. Wasn’t a trail as such so we were glad we made it up there and back. Dinner was on the outside patio of Shed - a popular casual eatery located on the Main Street of Tofino.

Day 2 in Tofino was a bit drizzly but ideal for doing the Rainforest Walk on elevated timber pathways. We did both Trail A & Trail B.

Next morning after exploring the Main Street and having a tasty brunch and coffee, we made the most of the lovely weather and did our first walk.

Our first evening in Tofino. We drove to Chesterman Beach. It was cold & windy but there were still plenty of surfers in the water and groups sitting around fires on the beach waiting for the sunset. Our first Tofino sunset was pretty spectacular and it was worth walking the length of the beach & back whilst waiting for it.

TOFINO Our accommodation in Tofino was right by the edge of the sound and it was interesting to watch the variances in the tide, the bird life including bald eagles, fishing boats, bear watching boats and kayakers paddle past each morning. We were in a great location too being only a short walk from the Main Street shops, cafes, supermarket and dining.

After two nights in Qualicum Beach, we were back on the road again. Our planned stops for the day were - Coombs, Little Qualicum Falls Cathedral Grove and Port Alberni. Last look at Qualicum Beach on a sunny morning. We were excited to see the goats on the roof of the old country markets in Coombs. On arrival, the roof was lush and green but no goats. In all my research I didn’t actually think to check when the goats go on the roof…we were several weeks too early. Nevertheless, the indoor food market was definitely worth a stop. Next, we enjoyed doing the loop walk at Little Qualicum Falls. Then further on we explored the Cathedral Grove walks located on each side of the road. We had a brief stop in Port Alberni for the obligatory Tim Hortons. Like Vancouver, it was nice to see the cherry blossoms in bloom. Then we hit that road for for Tofino. Such a beautiful drive between Port Alberni and Tofino.

From there we cruised into this lovely waterway surrounded by green mountains and snow covered ones directly ahead of us. Absolutely beautiful. We passed many lovely coves until we eventually slowed down near one and our naturalist there were 4 Orcas here near the shoreline. We sat quietly and suddenly they appeared a mother and her 3 offspring. We were a fair way off the shore at this point. Our naturalist had advised us at a start of the cruise that zodiacs are permitted within 200m but we were 800m away. As the Orcas moved slowly along the water by the shoreline, we joined 3 other WW boats ahead of us in a line quietly moving along viewing the Orcas. After 30mins, the 3 other boats left and it was just our zodiac and the Orcas. The Orcas moved away from the shore and swam around the bay and we initially quietly followed at a distance of 200m but eventually we just drifted and watched as they swam around. It was magic. Such a beautiful sight in such a beautiful location. These are my son’s photos. I just put my phone down and observed with my own eyes in awe. Eventually, it was time to head back to Nanaimo. We were warned that it was a solid 1hr high speed return trip on the zodiac so before we left the cove, we should use the amenities but there was no way I was going to attempt to use the single toilet in the expedition suit! Our booked cruise time was 12-4pm and we arrived back to Nanaimo wharf right on 4pm. We headed straight to the restaurant on the wharf for an early dinner of delicious clam chowder for me and pizza for the other family members. If you are ever in Nanaimo and want to whale watch, highly recommend this company - Vancouver Island Whale Watch.

Due to my desire to see Orcas, the next day we drove back down to Nanaimo to join a zodiac whale watching tour. We wore four layers and brought ski gloves. Once at the wharf we were kitted out in warm & waterproof head to toe expedition suits & googles. I looked ridiculous but they certainly do the job. I sat in the last row of the zodiac with my 6’2’ son seated directly in front me (he was a perfect wind break!) and the excellent on-board naturalist directly behind us. We left Nanaimo at midday and first passed by the obligatory Stella sea lions & harbour seals, then we headed all the way across the Strait of Georgia. I could see the Vancouver skyline and I was thinking - oh no - we are going to same area as the WW cruise out of Victoria! But no, thankfully we made a turn and headed near Bowen Island where we watched a humpback whale for about 40mins.

Qualicum Beach -I had booked us into Shorewater Resort and a lovely modern clean unit overlooking the beach. Queen bed upstairs, pull out from the wardrobe double bed & comfy sofa bed downstairs. Kitchen facilities and a nice open fire. After checking in, we headed onto the beach for a looksee. We were standing at the waters edge chatting when we noticed something moving in the water. Didn’t think they were dolphins but we were unsure what they were, so one of us raced back to the unit for the binoculars. They were harbour seals, popping their heads up. Later we saw a bald eagle flying across the beach and landing on a nearby tree. Very cool. Dinner that night was at the German restaurant conveniently located directly across the road from our accommodation. Blackbird Schnitzel Haus. Popular place, big serves and tasty.

Sorry, have been busy reading the books I purchased during my trip. Enjoyed them all. A season on Vancouver Island by Bill Arnott was by final read and it was my favourite. A collection of short essays gently detailing his days spent holidaying at various places around the island during a road trip with his wife, interspersed with loving and humorous memories of childhood summers spent by a lake and with beautiful painted photos of places he visited. Will continue with my TR tonight.

I was watching the first episode of the new Netflix reality real estate series, Owning Manhattan. We got a look inside the Penthouse atop the Central Park Tower, the tallest residential building in the world. All I could think about was The Towering Inferno…which is being re-screened at the cinema on its 50th anniversary.

Hope the temps cool for you soon. It’s been cold & wet here all week. We rush to put the heat cycle on our air conditioning on as soon as we walk in the door at home & we have our individual heaters going at work (in addition to the aircon).

Firework sale & use are banned here for personal use. Thankful for that. I recall the eye & hand injuries that occurred during my childhood before the bans came into place.

Enjoy the festivities! and Happy 4th of July for tomorrow!

Beautifully done. Just love the cheerful colours & the perfect size for a cuddling.

Oh dear, I hope Toffee doesn’t have to be re-homed.

@Luckynana So nice that your lovely Ava invited you both out to a concert. Shame you all had to leave early due to the weather. It’s so lovely though that you have such a close relationship with your grandchildren.

@Keksie love your nails & happy 21st to your step-grandson.

+ 1 @Momof3gurlz