speaking of wildlife, we saw deer and more deer and cute seals bobbing in the water - at one time there were as many as fourteen. but the most fantastic thing we saw was an otter crossing the road - yes, you read that correctly, an otter crossed the road. crazy, yes? amid all this nature goodness, we also indulged at our beach house eating, playing board games, swimming, and much sleeping in too.
our beach home at mayne resort was nestled into the bennett bay area. kai loved the easy access to the beach for exploring. it was a lovely and peaceful spot.
on saturday and sunday mornings we explored bennett bay up and down along the beach and on the trail overhead (see yesterday's post). the short trail to campbell point was accessible by the beach but my boys opted instead to climb a fallen tree to access it - treacherous but they made it thank goodness. we spotted our first seal here! this is the place to be in the summer months with sandy beaches for swimming and kayaking. and on a clear day you can spot mount baker in the distance.
bennett bay is also where we got stuck - the tide came in quicker than we imagined and we had to take off shoes and socks and slowly walk over slippery rock and pebbles. it made for quite the adventure.
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photo by stefan
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georgeson island is a protected island so visitors are not allowed
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photo courtesy of kai
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stefan taking a photo of me taking a photo
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at georgina point park, where the lighthouse sits, we hoped to spot an orca splashing in the waters - apparently the best spot to view pods of them - but it was not to be. instead we strolled the grounds, watched the ferry come and go, and kai loved getting close to the water and to explore the rocks.
the japanese garden is such a special place; it honours the japanese residents who were forced to leave their homes behind during world war two. the garden, housed on japanese land, is maintained by the local residents today.
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photo by stefan
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photo taken by kai
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piggot bay beach is such a lovely and secluded little spot. if we lived on the island i could see this beach, when the tide is out, being a favourite of ours during the summer months.
mount parke - a really big hill rather than a mountain - consists of small looping trails that took us around and through and to the top of the hill. so invigorating to be in the forests of trees and ferns and so much moss - love that photo stefan took of the mossy trees! i'm so glad it was clear and sunny that day; the viewpoint is beautiful, yes?
mayne island is little and we didn't expect to find too much available in the village yet we found the farm gate store selling organic and local products - the ginger cookies were delicious to dip in tea. the just opened astrid's kitchen had the best coffee on the island according to stefan and the owners are lovely women - if you visit mayne do stop by astrid's and please say hi from us! and we had a delicious meal at silver waters, a lodge first built in 1985.
mayne island is home to many artisans. we picked up some pampering products from nomads essentials - love the tangerine scented powder made with love and care for the planet by the owner of the shop. the woman who owns the gardenia home and garden shop sells her photographs there and the three of us all fell for her photos of the cute tree frogs that inhabit her garden.
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the tinest jailhouse used to house rowdy miners on their way to the gold rush
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