Beacon Hill Petting
Zoo
This small but exciting
zoo is in the central part of Beacon Hill Park. Children and families
can easily walk through the animal displays and finish the tour with
the very popular petting zoo. Zoo food packages are available for purchase
on site so that children can feed the animals in the petting zoo. The
entry fee is by donation.
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Bunny Patrol
If you want a guaranteed
sighting of rabbits there are a few locations that are fool proof. These
furry critters can be seen at the University of Victoria on Sinclair
Road, just at the top of the hill near Clarndon. Another good spot is
the Victoria General Hospital grounds, just south of the road into the
hospital. Fort Rod Hill also has an abundance of bunnies as well as
deer roaming the property.
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Duck Ponds
There are some great duck
ponds in Victoria. Just across the road from the Children's Petting
Zoo is a great duck pond. Along Dallas Road, just west of the Douglas
Street intersection is another great duck pond. If you are in Cadboro
Bay south of Sinclair, take Klarney Rd and the right on Waring. These
ducks will eat right out of your hand. If you are going to feed the ducks, please stop by a seed store and get food appropriate for ducks and other waterfowl.
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Mineral World &
Scratch Patch
This Unique business at
Port Sidney caters to children. CBC radio described this store as one
of Canada's ten "must see" stores. Admission is free. Outdoors,
for a small fee you can collect gemstones and shells by purchasing an
empty bag that you can fill to the brim. You can also pan for gold.
In side is a table where you can make your own jewelry. The store has
educational toys, books projects and posters.
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Great Playgrounds
to Visit
Beacon Hill Park has a
great playground off of Cook Street. Carnarvon Park on Allenby between
Cadboro Bay Road and Foul Bay Road has a water playground that operates
in summer months.
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Beaches
If you want to spend the
day on a sandy beach on a warm summer afternoon Victoria has lots of
choices. The following have shallow water, however the temperature of
the ocean water is between 8 and 10 degrees Celsius. Children, however
never seem to mind.
Willows Beach in Oak Bay
is probably the most popular. It is off of Beach Drive -turn to the
water on Dalhousie or Estevan. During the Spring, Summer and Fall, there
is a tea house operating where you can purchase concession food.
Whitty's Lagoon is another
sandy beach that has plenty of shallow water, particularly on ebbing
(outgoing) tides. You can get there by finding Metchosin Road and following
it to the Whitty's Lagoon Parking lot.
If you want to find fresh
water and a bit warmer water, you can go to Elk and Beaver Lakes which
are on Highway 17 towards the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal-just out of
town.
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This web page gives you
brochure information for some of the major regional parks. Make sure
you visit one or more of these.
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Mini Golf
There are a number of mini
golf locations around Victoria. Beacon Hill park has a putting green
right near the Petting Zoo. The rest are on the outskirts of Victoria
and are listed below:
All Fun Recreation,
2207 Millstream, phone 474 3184
This mini golf is
located at the All Fun Waterslides, and they have go carts and batting cages.
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Blenkinsop
Adventure Golf, 4239 Blenkinsop, phone 477 4104
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Bushwhackers
Mini Golf & Market, 3766 Sooke Road, phone 474 4544
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Colwood Mini
Golf, 1772 Island Highway, phone 474 7432
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Mattick's
Farm Mini Golf, 5325 Cordova Bay Road |
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