Niahm is my daughter Sarah’s 11-year-old school friend. Sarah, her friend Christina and I are there too,
behind the scene. We’re picnicking and exploring on Discovery Island on a warm summer day in July 2009.
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Accessible only by boat, Discovery is an uninhabited native reserve, just two or three miles off the municipality
of Oak Bay in Victoria, BC. I’ve sailed around it many times, but never landed. The kids and I are looking for
summer holiday adventure. I’m also looking to expose them to some nature ... and maybe I can collect some
nice painting material in the bargain.
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On the way, we cruise past some of the smaller rocky islets that, to the delight of us all, are covered with adult
and baby seals. We motor slowly, taking care not to get too close. The adults come out to investigate and we
can see them swimming beneath the boat. It’s quite a thrill.
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On Discovery we explore the beaches, wade the shallows and climb trees. Those steep, weed-covered shores
can be tricky to navigate, especially wearing only flip-flops on your feet. Next time, I’ll pay more attention to
their footwear before we go. There’s no worse feeling than returning a child to her parents, covered with
barnacle scratches and bruises (I’ve been there).
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This time, we manage to return unscathed and intact. I guess it could have been worse – at least none of
them were sporting high heels. Not yet!   Mark Heine