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Published: August 11th 2006
Day 31.....
Well, we're back and its amazing how much can be crammed into a week, and how quickly it can fly by!
After eating a lunch of Bison (not a whole one!), Martin picked up our Buick Allure (aka 'hire car' to those of us who have no idea what one of those is!) and we drove up the east coast of Vancouver Island. Our route took us 300kms North of Victoria, to Strathcona Provincial Park. The sun followed us all the way and that night we stayed at a beautiful lakeside lodge.
The park itself is idyllic, peaceful & easily as photogenic as any we've already seen. We spent the next day walking alongside waterfalls, paddling in the lake and trekking through temperate rainforest. The rainforest was an amazing experience, even resembling scenes from Star Wars in places! We half expected an Ewok to jump out or a speeder bike to whizz past!
That night Angela was treated to a dinner of steak & lobster at Campbell River, before heading over to the West coast of the island in the morning. After the warmth of the East coast, the cool breeze of the Pacific Ocean-battered
West coast meant layering was essential! But even when cold, the beaches have a harsh beauty & its no surprise that the area is apparently a 'storm watchers' dream. Although the annual rainfall of between 3 and 7 metres put us off an extended stay!
The next day, fuelled with a Fisherman's Breakfast (a huge fry-up), we took the opportunity to dress up like astronauts (really, see the photo!) and go on a whale watching tour on the Pacific Ocean. What a brilliant experience! If sitting at the front of a jetboat going at 70kph wasn't enough, the huge array of wildlife on show made it something really special. After 3 hours, we had seen a Californian Gray Whale, Harbour Seals, Sea Lions, Tufted Puffins and Bald Eagles.
Sadly, for those of you that require proof, you'll just have to take us at our word that this is all true. Mistakenly, Angela was left in charge of the camera & unfortunately suffered bouts of sea-sickness everytime the boat slowed for an interesting wildlife photo opportunity!
As our time in the wilderness was running out, it was once again time to hit the road & head back to
Victoria, making only the briefest of stops for Angela to sample the local chocolate delicacy: a Nanaimo bar. A must for all you sweet-toothed travellers should you ever find yourself in this part of the world.
As the end came to our time on Vancouver Island, it was time to return the car, checkout of our hotel & head for Vancouver, once agian via BC Ferries. We even got lucky when the bus driver on the other side let us ride for half fare because we didn't have enough change! Certainly not something you'd get away with in London!
So now its onto Vancouver, our home for the next 5 days & our last stop in Western Canada. See you in the 'States....
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Abi
non-member comment
Ahoy there!
Hello you pair! Again, what amazing photos! Canada is now my top new place to go to, it looks incredible and I can't beleive how much wildlife you've seen, I bet whale watching was fantastic. I am most jealous! I am off to the big smoke tonight for a charity event that Joe and Becky's Dave are DJing at, so should be fun! Big hugs to you both and look forward to more brilliant pics! Abi xxx