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A West Coast adventure

Vancouver Island’s Sooke
sooke
A leisurely stroll along Whiffin Spit reveals lively bird life and more.

From Tsawwassen, a B.C. Ferry carries us across scenic Georgia Strait to Vancouver Island. Skirting Victoria, we head 40 kilometres west to Sooke. There, we trade our daily city life hustle for three laid back days communing with nature.

A historic red lighthouse identifies Sooke Regional Museum and Visitor Centre. Exhibits inside reflect this area’s past in forestry, farming and fishing. Sooke’s oldest building, pretty Moss Cottage, recalls early settler life; an illustrated storyboard outlines Leechtown’s gold rush era.

Sooke Harbour Resort and Marina becomes our comfortable home base. Gathering supplies from local markets, we utilize its well-equipped kitchen. Poached eggs with fresh asparagus, deli dinners and little picnics prepared for daily outings become effortlessly enjoyable. There’s just nothing like eating outdoors!  

A leisurely stroll along Whiffin Spit reveals lively bird life and more. White-crowned sparrows chirp melodiously atop shrubs; flamboyant harlequin ducks paddle the shoreline; fuzzy babies ride on their mama’s back. Along this natural breakwater, the cobalt Pacific and Sooke’s sheltered harbour provide dramatic backdrops for photogenic wild roses, gnarled evergreens, driftwood shelters and a working lighthouse. 

A nearby neighbourhood park provides another fascinating walk. Named for the town’s first mayor, Ed McGregor Park surprises us with beautiful landscaping and intriguing history. Three original stone pillars commemorate the grand hotel standing there until 1934. A pathway leads around lawns bordered by flower beds. Continuing downward, wooden stairs and ramps zigzag through a majestic forest. Eventually, we merge onto the Sooke Marine Boardwalk, stretching almost a kilometre to Rotary Pier. On the railings, illustrated placards describe marine life living in and around the crystal waters below. 

An afternoon boat tour around the harbour gives us a different perspective. Embarking at the resort’s lower marina, captain Mark tells us about the Chinook salmon enhancement program and a distant mussel farm. He shows us red-buoyed crab traps and his childhood home amid the cottages now encircling the huge harbour. Near Whiffin Spit, sea lions bark lazy greetings from their rocky islet.

Next morning we check out a section of the Galloping Goose Regional Trail, named for the lumbering gas railcar once transporting passengers between Victoria and Duncan. From picturesque Roche Cove, our pedal slices through old growth forest along the abandoned railway corridor high above Lake Mathews and wide lush valley. Frequently stopping to photograph wildflowers blooming on mossy trailside bluffs, we turn back above a farm beyond Rocky Point, a round trip of 12 exhilarating kilometres.    

Today, cyclists ride to Sooke Potholes Provincial Park on the 55-kilometre ‘Goose.’ Driving there instead, we explore the Sooke River’s deep, glacier-carved bedrock pools. In summer, hardy swimmers take refreshing dips in these remarkable pristine potholes. This time, hiking the wooded ridge near roaring upper waterfall, we munch our snacks in fresh forest air.

Leaving Sooke via the Pacific Marine Circle route, we hike coastal park trails leading to three wild, rocky shorelines. French Beach trail proves pleasantly short, ending at the first. Just past Jordan River, Sand Cut Beach trail provides a more challenging scramble. The narrow, planked pathway leads us between dense ferns, leathery salal and moss-clad cedars. Over a bog and up-and-down root tripping slopes, we arrive at another postcard perfect beachscape. And at China Beach – trailhead for the rugged Juan de Fuca Trail – we wind through dappled forest and down wooden stairways to a last awesome beach.

From Port Renfrew, we swing inland on paved logging roads, into a broad valley and descend into Cowichan Lake. Traveling easily onward to Swartz Bay terminal, we board the ferry. During our restful cruise homeward, we reflect on our outdoor adventures and Sooke’s small town charm.

For more, see www.sookeharbourmarina.ca and www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/sooke_potholes