Adventures

Golfing

Imagine being surrounded by the magnificence of the Olympic Mountains, the roar of two spectacular waterfalls, and the tranquility associated with twelve lakes. Eagles soar overhead. Black-tailed deer feed at the forest's edge. Now imagine a club in your hands and 18 holes of challenging championship fairways stretched out before you. Olympic View Golf Course is only minutes away from the Lodge at Weir's Beach.

Indulge yourself with a challenging game of golf at the Metchosin Golf & Country Club, located only 5 minutes away from the Lodge. This picturesque 9-hole course makes you test each of your clubs through wide fairways and undulating greens. This par 34 layout consists of 2 par 3's and 7 par 4's.

The Metchosin Golf & Country Club is known for their affordable GOLF TOURNAMENT packages and inexpensive "9 & Dine" - you play 9 holes of golf and enjoy a fabulous dinner for only $23.95/person! If you or your group would like to participate in a golf tournament during your stay, please contact metchosinproshop@shaw.ca or go to www.metchosingolf.ca

Whale Watching

If relaxing with a view is your style of time well spent, then you will enjoy sightings of a variety of animals living and passing along Weir's beach, meters away from your seat in the hot tub. Some animals to look out for include killer whales (Orcas), humpback whales, elephant seals, sea lions, harbour seals, river otters, bald eagles, blue herons, swans, kingfishers, turkey vultures, sea anemones, salmon, and porpoises.

See killer whales, porpoises, bald eagles, seals, sea lions, light houses... the wild West Coast. Regular scheduled departures from the convenient downtown location - 1207 Wharf Street, at Historic Bastion Square.

Zodiacs are new and custom built for whale watching, harbour tours and marine wild life tours; covered boats are also available.

All tours are fully narrated.

Storm Watching

Storm watching is a wondrous spectacle, at its best during the fall and winter months. Watch the drama from your cozy room in the Lodge at Weir's Beach, as the raw power of the mighty Pacific Ocean unleashes its wrath against the shore. Simply breathtaking! Nestle next to the warmth of your personal fireplace, as mighty storms roll in with the roar of wind and rain. After the gale is over, take a stroll along the deserted beach to take in the transformation of the smooth sand by pieces of driftwood pitched up onto shore.

Fishing

2 Reel Fishing Adventures offers affordable full and half day Vancouver Island fishing trips off the coast of Sooke, BC, located 30 minutes northwest of Victoria.

Sooke offers great fishing year round. In the summer the spring salmon (also known as kings or chinooks) average between 15 and 40 pounds. In the winter the spring salmon are smaller, but more plentiful. You can also fish for coho, pink, sockeye, crab and ground fish depending on seasonal availability.

Your guides are knowledgeable about the marine environment and will provide you with an unforgettable Sooke fishing experience.

Come and tour some of Vancouver Island's rugged coastline where seals, whales, eagles and other wildlife are often sighted. Bring your camera! For more information go to www.2reel.ca

Kayaking & Canoeing

West Shore Rowing and Paddling offers a fleet of Necky Ocean Touring kayaks (singles and doubles) and canoes for rent. Located just 10 minutes from the Lodge, at Royal Roads University on the picturesque Hatley Park National Historic Site.

Kayaks are available to rent on-site for one hour through to the full day. Off-site rentals are available for four hours or more. Rentals include lifejacket, paddle, spray skirt, throw rope and pump. Paddle floats are also available. Introductory and Special Skills lessons can be booked in a custom time slot that meets your scheduling needs.

The West Shore Rowing and Paddling Centre hosts many school, community and work groups for both guided and unguided paddles at our special group discount price. Visit the West Shore Rowing and Paddling Centre (under centres) at www.gorowandpaddle.org.

If you are looking for another manner in which to experience the Pacific Ocean while staying at the Lodge, Gorge Rowing and Paddling Centre in downtown Victoria offers rowing, dragon boating and outrigger canoeing programs for all ages and experience levels. Visit www.gorgekayaking.com or call 250-380-4668 for Ocean Kayak and Canoe Rentals at the Gorge Rowing & Paddling Centre in Downtown Victoria.

Scuba Diving

Explore the abundance of life in the Pacific by SCUBA! The Victoria area is home to amazing dive sites, including reefs and wrecks accessible from shore or by boat. One of the most famous local dive sites is Race Rocks, found at the southern most tip of Canada's Pacific coast, a short boat ride from the Lodge at Weir's beach. This marine protected ecosystem is home to sea lions, birds, seals, whales, underwater invertebrates, fish, and plants. These animals and plants thrive on the fast upwelling of nutrient-rich waters from the depths of the ocean into the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

The staff at the Lodge at Weir's Beach includes a certified PADI Instructor and a Rescue diver who can assist you in any dive planning and instruction that you may require. Snorkeling and scuba diving from the beach require wetsuits (rentals available at Wilson Diving).

Hiking & Biking

Walk. Horseback Ride. Cycle.
From asphalt to rainforest to canyon... the Goose knows every landscape on Southern Vancouver Island. Starting in Victoria, it travels the back roads to Saanich. Then it slices through the urban setting of View Royal, Langford, and Colwood. Yet in a delightful surprise, ferns, shrubs, and rock outcrops shield you from much of the concrete. At Metchosin, the trail moves lazily past small farms surrounded by hills. Steep, rocky slopes march down to the trailside. Occasionally the Goose drops into a creek bed. You can stop on the bridge and watch cool water flow over igneous rock, and continue on all the way to Sooke.

Bird Watching

Birding is at its best in Greater Victoria as the area has short mild winters and is surrounded by both fresh, and salt water. Many uncommon species make Greater Victoria their home for some part of the year, including Bald Eagles and the critically endangered North American Skylark. The best birding happens during the spring and fall migrations, but hundreds of species live in the region year-round, so any time is a good time for birding in Victoria.

Only ten minutes by car from the Lodge at Weir's Beach is Witty's Lagoon Regional Park, which teems with over 160 species documented in the area, including rare Belted Kingfishers, Orange-crowned Warblers and Dark-eyed Junkos. On the tidal flats you're likely to spot Great Blue Herons, Western Sandpipers and other shorebirds.

Other parks that are in close proximity to the Lodge include East Sooke Regional Park, Albert Head Lagoon Regional park, a small lagoon which serves as a wildlife sanctuary and refuge for a variety of birds, and Esquimalt Lagoon, where, from mid September to late October, migrating raptors gather. At the peak of migration, around Sept 30th, as many as 1000 Turkey Vultures can be seen soaring over the coastal hills, along with a mix of other raptor species.

Pacific Surfing

Weir's beach is a medium grain sand beach, perfect for skim boarding, as the water depth is shallow near shore. If your visit coincides with the right swell, body boarding or boogie boarding with a wetsuit can be adrenalin inducing. When the storms hit Weir's beach from the South, expect surfing conditions only steps from your room. Nearby at Jordan River (30 mins by car) and Sombrio (45 mins by car) are great surf breaks, peeling off the westernmost coast of Vancouver Island. The water temperature ranges from 12 degrees Celsius to 5 degrees Celsius.

Wine Tours

Vancouver Island is home to an eclectic group of wineries, due to the specific regional growing conditions. Some of the grapes may be similar to the European varieties, with a west coast reflection in the taste. Sweet blackberry wine, honey mead, and cider are all wonderful local alternatives. The Victoria area has ten wineries based along the Saanich peninsula all the way past The Lodge at Weir's Beach, to Sooke. Wine tasting and tours are available year round.

Chocolate Tasting

Sample 10 delicious varieties of organic, fair trade chocolate, made with cocoa sourced from Costa Rica.

Essential oils, coffee, spices, skin care products, ice cream and more available for purchase. Found locally at Cobble Hill, only 40 minutes by car from the Lodge.

Garden Tours

Explore the beautiful gardens, such as nearby Hatley Gardens at Royal Roads University, next to the Hatley Castle.

The world famous Butchart Gardens are only 45 minutes away by car from the Lodge, and can entertain you for hours with all the seasonal blossoms and landscapes.