After leaving Victoria the journey today followed the shores of the Straits of Juan de Fuca before crossing over to the shores of the Inside Passage, followed that coast for a bit before heading into the middle of the island to Port Alberni. It was bright but hazy looking across to the US Olympic peninsula and I stopped off at China Beach for a little walk. Scale is always an issue with places like that. It is always larger than can be perceived from a photo so I was lucky there were a few people on the beach. There was not much to see on the road from Port Renfrew across to Lake Cowichan, where I stopped for lunch, as it was a narrow windy road through dramatic logging country with nowhere to stop. After Lake Cowichan I dropped down to Ladysmith where the headline picture was taken. The juvenile bald eagle was being hassled by two crows when I arrived until the immaculate adult arrive to help and they dropped down for a break close to shore. These are magnificent and quite noisy birds and you can see mum or dad in full flight below. From there it was northwest to Port Alberni stopping off at Little Mountain Lookout, Cameron Lake and the Cathedral Grove of giant Douglas firs. Not too bad a day out. The remainder of the photos follow the day with the exception I have included a photo looking down the Inside Passage to complete Ladysmith. Next is a view across to the US near Jordan River on the way to China Beach where the next two were taken. From Lake Cowichan I have included a couple of photos for local colour. At Little Mountain lookout a panoramic vista unfolds of the interior of the island and I had quite a start when I realised we were standing on the edge of a very high sheer cliff. I’ve added a snap from Cameron Lake before finishing with a couple from the Cathedral Grove. In the first I have included an enlargement of the bottom centre of the main image to help the reader see that there are people in shot. They are more obvious in the second image of “The Big Tree”, a 300 year old Douglas fir 76 metres tall!