Renate is a gracious, obliging hostess who does a lot to help out her guests. She provided so many helpful touches.

The property is in a beautiful setting in a forest, on a hiking trail. It's off the beaten track, but there's a lot to do nearby if you have a car. You can walk down the trail to the winery and have a nice lunch and wine tasting, which I really enjoyed. There's a more expensive restaurant that I didn't try. You can also easily walk from the winery to the rocky beach. It's about a 7-minute drive to Sidney, a sweet little town with a lot of enjoyable activities. It's about a 30-minute drive to downtown Victoria. There are also lots of hikes and trails nearby.

I also liked the nearby Roost Farm Centre, which has a bistro and restaurant. There's a farmers market a few blocks from the property on Saturday (at least in the summer).