Well, we are back home at last - safe and sound on Burlo Island. In case you are wondering, this entry is really just an excuse to include some more photos of fall foliage I took in Port Alberni. You know about my strange obsession - humour me :-). [View Full Entry]

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Our epic trip is drawing to an end - we are now back in Vancouver after a day of living it up in the Okanagan. We spent most of the morning getting accidentally intoxicated in local wineries around Oliver, most of which give out free samples. It is amazing how quickly a few sips here and there add up. In fact, I had to confiscate the car from Quin because you know how quickly he gets drunk! The beet-red face is a dead giveaway. Most wine we've tried in Canada has been atrocious, but we did manage to find a [View Full Entry]

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Os-o-yoo-yoo-yoo-yoo-yoo-yoos! In a fit of confusion as to how to pronounce Osoyoos's name, we've resorted to a version which sounds like a cross between a yodel and a rattlesnake. Osoyoos is a bizarre little place - a pocket desert totally unlike anything else in Canada, complete with tumbleweeds, cacti, desert landscapes, rattlesnakes and bunny rabbits! In fact, we were lucky enough to see a cute, little, cottontail bunny hopping amongst the bushes. Before you Aussies back home start thinking murderous anti-rabbit thoughts, I should explain that here, these little guys are totally natural a [View Full Entry]

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Nelson is the epitome of alternativeness - a mecca of craft stores, organic grocers and independent cafes amidst wafts of pot smoke. And, of course, dreadlocks and hippies galore :-). We've spent the last couple of days exploring this colourful little town, gorging on samples at farmer's markets, feasting on local cheese and eating out at some of the many fine cafes and restaurants tucked away in side streets. If you are ever in Nelson, may I heartily recommend 'Au Soleil Levant', a delicious French bakery, and the 'Garlic Clove' - if you like garlic in massive doses, that is [View Full Entry]

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Today's journey took us out of the Rockies and into the Kootenays, a lesser known but no less spectacular set of mountain ranges. We were prepared for everything on the way back home to be somewhat of an anti-climax after the Rockies, but the Kootenays region turned out to be quite a discovery in its own right. Most of our day was spent driving southwest towards the hippy centre of Nelson, but we did make time to stop off for a quick walk in the East Kootenays to see the 'Paint Pots'. These giant, opaque, ochre and red ponds, and [View Full Entry]

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Well this was the best day yet! You never would have guessed it, since it was our long drive south back to Banff and it was grey and rainy almost all day - but maybe this made all the wildlife come out. It started in the morning - Mr Bull Elk had taken up residence outside the campground's toilet complex, blocking the entrance and denying everyone access. No one dared cross his path. He had particularly big antlers and emitted his screeching bellow at regular intervals, an action which one couldn't help but notice made his testicles quiver like an [View Full Entry]

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After dealing with a minor crisis brought on by Rufous's leaky gut syndrome (he's still running out of oil pretty quickly - the new seals mustn't have fixed the problem), we went back to Maligne Lake and, this time, hiked the steep Bald Hills trail. It was quite a hair-raising climb to the summit - there were ominous storm clouds approaching at an alarming rate and crazily strong gusts whipping up snow and blasting our faces with ice as we clawed our way to the peak. It was so incredibly windy up the top we could barely stand up. We [View Full Entry]

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Today's outing took us to the stunning Edith Cavell/ Angel Glacier, where three glaciers overhang a beautiful, iceberg-filled lake. Giant chunks of ice fall off the glacier and tumble to the lake below and then float to the edge like ice cubes in a blue curacao cocktail. Luckily, none fell while we were there, as they probably would have landed on our heads. We also had a quick peak at the ice caves embedded in the rim of the glacier - with quick being the operative word - you don't want to tempt fate for too long! We also went [View Full Entry]

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Our campground is cool. It has been taken over by elk in rut who have free reign of the grounds and emit their screeching bellows all night long, trying to woo females but, in reality, just keeping everyone awake :-). I've strapped up Quin's ankle so he able to hobble short distances now, mainly lured on by the promise of food. More trips to the bakery, haha. After checking out the job and housing scene in Jasper (which seems more promising than Banff), I went for a short walk called the Valley of Five Lakes, largely because the Lonely Planet promised [View Full Entry]

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Well, by this morning, Quin's ankle had worsened to the point where he could only limp his way to the bakery and stuff himself with treats, so it looks like no more hiking for a while :-(. So I spent the day wandering Jasper town, which is much smaller than Banff and less commercial, but still suffers from an excessive number of tacky 'Canadiana' tourist shops - who buys this stuff?!? We went for an evening drive to Pyrimid and Patricia Lakes to look for moose but were foiled again. I placated Quin (who had been pretty much car-bound all day) [View Full Entry]

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