Secret Beaches of Greater Victoria by Theo Dombrowski

Author:Theo Dombrowski
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-926936-70-3
Publisher: Heritage House
Published: 2010-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

41

Walema Avenue

A flight of concrete steps to a mixed shore with tidal pools and rocks, coarse sand and logs

Location, signs and parking Walema Avenue crosses Cordova Bay Road and leads directly to the beach. If you are navigating with a GPS or even a good old-fashioned map, don’t confuse this section of Walema with that west of Cordova Bay Road, approached from Santa Clara Avenue and completely detached from the section that you want. Once at the end of Walema, choose your parking spot carefully. You will find not just the usual instructions for where and when you cannot park, but also the warning that your car will be towed if you get it wrong. A more welcoming sign announces this to be, indeed, a beach access. Dog owners, be aware that your eager, panting companion isn’t welcome here from the beginning of May until the end of August. As for your intentions to make noise, create a “disturbance” or drop litter, put those out of your head altogether or you will be fined 50 dollars.

Path From the end of the road a few steps bring you to a flight of more than 30 concrete steps, complete with handrail, leading down a bushy slope.

Beach The most striking feature of the immediate beach, is, alas, temporary: a much-weathered beach stump with a swing dangling from one of its roots high above. Having registered this charming embellishment, you will notice that you have arrived at the head of a tiny, bush-lined cove with an inviting area of loose, coarse sand and pebbles among a litter of beach logs. The lowest lumps of rock at the mid-tide and low-tide levels, with their tidal pools, are worth exploring.

Suitability for children Most children will probably prefer to go to those nearby access spots to the south that allow low-tide access to sandbars for running and digging. But for children who do find themselves here, this is a safe, interesting spot for considerable beach play—not least of all if the swing is still in place when they arrive.

Suitability for groups Although parking can require a minor feat of logistical genius, the beach itself provides plenty of space for even a large group to picnic, share stories or set out on a long walk.

View Walema arrives at the most convex bit of shore for several kilometres and, as a result, the most expansive view. You can see a considerable distance in both directions along the shore, including the whole sweep of Cordova Bay and Mount Douglas.

Winds, sun and shade If you huddle up among the logs where the shore tucks into the leafy bank surrounding the access steps, you can find a little protection from both wind and sun. Otherwise, you are fairly exposed to all the elements.

Beachcombing The shore is low and mostly level in both directions. To the north, however, rise a few minor sections of rock and the beach is generally rougher. If you want to be able to trot along with the wind in your hair, head south at a low tide.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.