Sidney Spit & Portland Island

We spent two nights at Sidney Spit, a lovely bar of sand across the harbor from Sidney, where we took an afternoon to explore the mile long sand spit with our sword-fighting boys who romped and played through sand and ocean crossings along the way. We spent the next day checking out the beach of bricks left over from the old brickery that was once on the island and then hiked through the woods where the boys traded their swords in for spears and practiced their aim on unsuspecting trees.

Our next stop was Portland Island where we anchored in Princess Cove. Portland Island was originally home to the First Nations People who left behind huge shell middens which form the white beaches throughout the islands today. In the 1800's it was homesteaded by Hawaiians, but only remnants of their orchards remain. In the 1960's it was designated a marine park and a gift from Princess Margaret. We hiked around the island barefoot from beach to beach with almost tropical colored waters and then cut through the forest on a small path that quickly faded away. We padded barefoot over luxurious carpets of moss through the magical forest until we reached the other side of the island and its ridiculously sharp rocks and beautiful views.

Click here for photos.