from a quiet island

---

Hallo from East coast Canada; After a gentle week staying at my 2nd cousin's house in west Vancouver, I'm now exploring some of the Gulf Islands off Vancouver Island.

It was wonderful to be able to relax in a family home after my 13+ hour flight from Auckland.
That's the longest flight I'll ever do I think, and still very sad that I had to fly, when I nearly had a place booked on a freight vessel: heyho. I did get to see 2 movies tho!

I had so enjoyed my last few days on the coromandel peninsula, and had visited Hot Water Beach, where the sand is too hot to stand on in places, where the ?springs come up. also Cathedral cove, a huge sculptural rock which some of us walked to, another place to jump in the sea. and a short visit to a local and very old winery, with a little tasting...yum!
My last morning I had a swim (On the Beach Hostel is just that) before the lovely shuttle bus collected me from the hostel and with several connections, I reached the airport in plenty of time for the direct flight to Vancouver. (I so rate the buses and tourist info system in NZ.)

More relis collected me from the airport, and deposited me in West Van. I hadn't realised how close Pad and Ray's house is to the sea; a short walk to Eagle harbour, a tiny little cove with a marina nearby, a longer scenic walk to the ferry terminal at Horseshoe Bay, and on the bus route to Vancouver town centre. Eagles, lots of huge american robins, beautiful black and blue birds, and lots of cedar and various pine trees. So i had a fab time, catching up with my relis, meeting 5W members in town, or walking by the sea. It is very cold here! There have been some snowstorms and frost at night, and it's difficult to adjust to that after the warmth of NZ autumn.
I have started to think much more of home now, and realise I'm missing it all: so there is a small chance that I might return home a little earlier than expected. Not sure.....still so much to see here!

I came across to Vancouver Island recently on the ferry, and with local buses met up with another 5W member who drove me to her house for an overnight stay; and immersion in her unexpected family crisis; So I spent lots of time playing with her dear grandchildren, while the adults worked out a solution to their problem.
the following morning i took the short 20 minute ferry ride over to Salt Spring Island, a place I vowed to return to when Jack and I visited 7 years ago; full of artists and craftspeople. Another 5W collected me and took me on her boat to another much smaller island nearby. So here is a place to retreat to: no electricity or phone lines, simply forest and beach, rocks and fiord-like inlets; paradise on earth, even in cool temperatures, and it's warmer here than on the mainland.
In warm sunshine yesterday we took a boat ride around to another inlet to visit neighbours, what a lovely way to live! I've seen little cabins to die for here, sitting on the rocks above the harbour; tho a difficult place to live in winter I think, I am supremely envious of this life.
I'm returning to Saltspring this afternoon for a couple of days, then on up north on vancouver island for the weekend.

I have had another prob. with the camera, so no photos this time.
lovely to receive your messages and comments, thanks for those.
love to you all, Margot

---

Comments

[sharon]

so much to see
Its great traveling around with you Margot, I can only just keep up with the whirlwind! You will have to give a photo evening with stories when you get home. Oxford is still here, and looking good in the spring. Love to you, Sharon