Cortes Beachhouse HotTub Kayaks

Remote but not too remote natural beauty, fresh air, a great place to relax and unwind. The space 1,500 sq. ft. rustic beachfront house on 5 acres...large deck...hot tub...gas barbeque....2 kayaks...beachside deck and beach access.... The Wilcox Lodge is a serene retreat nestled on 5 wooded acres on the shore of Gorge Harbour, Cortes Island, considered by many to be the best of the Evergreen Islands. These islands are located on the famed "inside passage" used by ships going to and from Alaska and are sheltered from winter Pacific storms by Vancouver Island, one of the largest and most interesting islands in the Northern Hemisphere. Cortes Island is served by regular scheduled ferry service from Campbell River. Campbell River on the east side of Vancouver Island has scheduled airline service from Vancouver (host city to the 2010 Winter Olympics), and charter service direct to Gorge Harbour is available from Seattle, Victoria, Vancouver and Campbell River. Cortes Island is in the "rain shadow" of Vancouver Island and has far less precipitation than Victoria or Vancouver. Weather is usually warm and sunny with cool evenings May thru October, but sometimes it stays hot into the night. The 1,500 sq. ft. Lodge is situated just above the beach with a panoramic view of the harbour and a view thru the harbour entrance of Vancouver Island mountains in the distance. Wildlife abounds. You may see bald eagles and many varieties of birds, deer down by the beach or out the kitchen window, sea lions, seals or an otter playfully swimming by, mink, and perhaps dolphins or a whale on the ferry ride over. The Lodge is rustic but has all modern conveniences, a fully equipped kitchen (no dishwasher), comfortable and spacious living/dining area that opens onto a spacious 750 sq. ft. L-shaped deck overlooking the beach and harbour. 2 chaise lounges make for lazy sunbathing/reading afternoons on the deck and the cafe & dining tables are a perfect spot for outdoor dining. Anyone for oysters on the barbeque??? The Lodge sleeps 6: 2 in the lower sleeping loft (California King sleigh bed with McCroskey mattress & boxspring), 4 in the upper sleeping loft (double bed and trundle bed with 2 twin mattresses). The Lodge is a rustic "A" frame with an open floor plan, the upper sleeping loft is accessed thru the lower sleeping loft and both the lower and upper sleeping lofts are partially open to the main living area (so no bedroom privacy). The two sleeping lofts are separated only by a curtain. The bathroom has a low flow toilet, a small shower stall and a clothes washer (dry your clothes outside on the clothes line, they will smell so fresh and good); there is also an outhouse. There is ample parking for several cars. There is a land line phone for local calls and limited long distance, WiFi , flat screen TV w/DVD player (no cable), CD player and record player w/record collection just for old times sake. We also have a collection of books, some by local authors, and some board games. Main thing is to unwind, have fun, enjoy the beautiful natural surroundings... Please note that this is a RUSTIC beach house, partially hand built, not a modern city house transported to the water side. The house is challenging to clean because it is rustic and hand-built with lots of uneven finished surfaces and nooks and crannies, so please don't expect it to be immaculately cleaned, this is just not possible with this type of rustic construction. Also we are at the beach on on the edge of the forest, the house is loosely built (as opposed to tight construction), and while we go to great efforts to patch any potential entry ways for mice & squirrels, occasionally they do make their way into our home & we then will set mice traps to try and eliminate the problem as quickly as possible. Squirrels have been known to get in between the roof and ceiling. This can and does occasionally happen during the summer rental season. The driveway is an unpaved dirt road. Please go slow. It is bumpy and a low riding vehicle could hit bottom. While you don't need a 4-wheel drive to get down our driveway, you may want to leave a low-riding vehicle or an expensive new car at home. The Lodge is not as remote as it sounds, neighbors are within walking distance as is the Gorge Marina with small grocery, gasoline, and laundromat. One neighboring cottage is close by and can be seen from our deck. There is a year round tenant in a little cabin in the woods about half way down our driveway, he keeps to himself and does not come down to the beach house or use the beach. The Lodge is 2 1/2 miles from downtown Whaletown with government dock, post office, church and mini-library. The Lodge is not child-proofed and may not be suitable for young children (or you may have to watch them closely). Also, the short pathway down to the beach from the deck is a bit uneven and not handicap accessible. When you tire of hanging out around the Lodge, numerous outdoor recreational opportunities abound: fishing and clamming, boating, sailing, kayaking, hiking, biking, swimming at Hague Lake, Hollyhock retreat center courses, other beaches to explore...There are several good restaurants on the island, and good quality organic foods for preparing your own meals can be purchased at the local Coop and from several local farms. Other things to note Please note that the beach in front of our house and some of the other beaches have lots of oyster shells, sharp rocks and barnacles. Water shoes make it easier to walk or play on the beach without getting your feet all cut up. Also note that if the power goes out to the house, which happens infrequently but occasionally, then the well pump can't bring water into the house until the power comes back on, so during power outages there is no drinking water, showers or toilet (fortunately we have the outhouse.) Registration Details Provincial registration number: PM912614533