Lakedale and on to spot the Orca

Welcome to our resort home for the next few days.  This is the view over the lake from our canvas cabin towards the resort Lodge (from which this blog is currently being composed).

And this our resident lady of the house outside our cabin taking the rays before we start on our quest for the Killer Whales.  Talk about a relaxed way of life.  Mum and Soph prepare to leave the cabin for the day.

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First stop Roche Harbour - or is it Harbor?  Time to find an early morning coffee.

Still looking, but this seemed a lovely spot to rest awhile.

The Roche Harbor chapel in it's own special setting.

A visit to the local general store gave Dad a brilliant idea for a new Isle of Wight beer product.  This one will be called Kala Slobber - not sure if it will be a brown ale, but whatever it's colour it will slip down easily.  Wadda you mean.....yuk!

At last, our coffee treat.  Very nice they were too ( and the cinnamon donuts weren't bad either).

Homemade jewellery stands were of the order here - this lady made all her own glass beads.

An alpaca farm - for wool, not meat.  This little lady wanted to meet Dad but ended up actually wanting a drink.

And then reminded us again of Kala as she dribbled all over the place.

As we were in the shop full of fantastic alpaca wool products this "Bambi" alpaca was born.  At 15 minutes old it was just about able to find its feet.  It's Mum was wondering what the heck it was being a first timer.

Neither too sure about the other! Mum was keeping her fingers to herself just in case.

On our quest again we stopped at Snug Harbour and couldn't resist this snap of a blue heron.

Mum and Dad getting snug  in a rocking bench seat - no coffee though.

And here we are - first stop at the west coast park reknowned for orca sightings - and we get this showoff swimming by upsidedown and slapping it's tail on the water.  Talk about exciting.  We were told that as the boats were gathering offshore it was likely that the whales would be passing soon, and so as Mum and Dad tried to keep up with Sophie we all hurried down to the cliff side.  We saw some fins out to sea but were not quite prepared for the show just about to unfold right in front of us about 10 yards off the shore.

This is the lighthouse marking the edge of the coastline at this point around which the killer whales pass about 10 times a day.

Back to Friday Harbour for some shopping and up to Lakedale for some blogging.  A full and satisfactory day all round (and its not over yet with the prospect of a BBQ and some giant marshmallows they sell in the campsite shop).