Vancouver Island

Wet Start - Mixed Week

Thu Oct 7th

Earl's Cove - waiting for the ferry

It was a dark o'clock start to get to Vancouver Island on Tuesday morning.  We were heading up to Royston on the North East side of the Island so had booked to take the ninety minute ferry from Powell River at the top of the Sunshine Coast to Comox.  The hotel, Kingfisher Ocean Resort was OK, though the choice of rooms that would accommodate dogs was a bit limited.  The food was 5* excellent.

BC Ferries network is vast,  but not always logically connected.  Powell River is reached via a 50 minute ferry sailling from Earls Cove towards in the middle of the Sunshine Coast (just over an hour from Gibsons) to Saltery Bay.  It's then a 30 minute drive up to Powell River.  The ferry time means you arrive at Powell River as the ferry departs for Comox, making it impossible to check-in 'no later than 30 minutes prior to departure' as required by BC Ferries. We had two and a half hours to wait for the next ferry. Bonkers. 

The drive up the Coast was horrible; dark, pouring with rain and drivers leaving lights on main beam.  When we were staying at Garden Bay our Earl's Cove - Saltery Bay crossing was a 'bluebird' day.  Not so Tuesday.  By the time we arrived in Comox, blue sky was peeping through and apart from the odd shower, the weather remained broken cloud and sun for the duration. It had taken the best part of a day to get up to the hotel, which meant only two days exploring.

Ferry docking at Earl's Cove

Tuesday evening we met with Ros's friend Amy, two spaniels and a large jar of Marmite.  Amy was driving a further 260k North to Port Hardy on the very top of Vancouver Island to get a 22hr ferry to Prince Rupert before driving across to Banff.  One awesome sightseeing trip.  We were in the bottom of the map, Amy was driving to the top, then a ferry to the top of the map, then 1400km to Banff!  Go Amy.

 

It's easy to forget the huge distances in Canada

We decided to split our exploration to the South of Comox on Wednesday and North on Thursday.  There was much to see.  

Wednesday Oct 6th

The day did not get off to a great start as we learnt that Canadian Immigration had finished sending out invitations under the Parent and Grandparent Permanent Resident scheme. Nick had not received one.  So that's it for this year, we'll have to apply again in next year's ballot.  Disappointing, but we have the Visitor Extension in the pipeline and Super-Visa backstop, so won't be back in blighty any time soon! 

Our hotel was on the 19A coast road which was the main North - South road before Highway 19 was built inland.  Relatively little traffic and lovely views across the Salish Sea to the mainland.  

First stop was Lake Comox, which was closed for the season.  All the main car parks were shut and we only saw a few other people.  The water was amazingly warm, unlike all the other water we came across elsewhere on Vancouver Island.  A beautiful spot.  Plenty of RV parking, for those on a summer tour!

The architecture as we drove inland was quaint and at times quirky, even down to the old telephone box.  Now fitted out with shelves! The coastal landscape, in contrast to the Sunshine Coast, was relatively flat and fertile as evidenced by the numerous farmsteads with cattle, sheep and horse ranches ... and wineries.

We then made a brief stop at Rosewall Creek Provincial Park, but it was a shorter walk than we anticipated  so headed on down to Spider Lake then Englishman River Falls.

The rail line which used to run some 240k from Victoria to Courtney close to what is now the 19A, is sadly abandoned.  Recent studies have been looking at bringing it back in to use for freight and passenger travel. In the meantime a charity is keeping some of the stations maintained and in use as Farm Shops.

Spider Lake was equally quiet, save for a single speedboat and a few ducks.

The now disused Victoria to Courtney rail line

Englishman River Falls is a Provincial Park west of Parksville, north of Nanaimo.  

The round trip walk takes just under an hour, but provides an opportunity to see the falls and river from a number of different viewpoints.  It is a great walk, mostly on well managed tracks.

The video below is a compilation of views from the walk.

Thursday Oct 7th

Hotel beach

This was the day we headed North to explore the coast and some of the inland parks.

The day got off to a decent start and though rainclouds blanketed the mainland the weather stayed dry most of the day.

The aim was to get up to McIvor Lake, which we were told was worth a visit and we stopped off at Elk Falls on the Campbell River.  As we were in to the salmon run season we were hoping to find some bears stocking up their winter fat stores. 

We were disappointed not to see any bears but ironically had driven past a favourite feeding ground, near the Quinsam River Hatchery.  A weir traps the fish, that are then harvested for spawn, before being released back in to the river.  The bears have learnt that it's well stocked and a regularly sent here during the day.  Next time!

Elk Falls were even more spectacular than Englishman River Falls.  A suspension bridge over the falls was accessed by a steps.  As Jack is not too keen on wobbly bridges, I volunteered to stay with him while Fred bounced her way across to the viewing platform on the other side.  I thought it was very noble of me to let her have all the fun, aside from the fact I'd prefer to be upside down in an airplane at 3,000ft than cross a suspension bridge!

Some more views of the falls and river.

On the journey back we did the beach trail along the Salmon Inlet beach to Oyster River.  Oysters are farmed along this stretch of coast and the beaches are littered with oyster shells.  We managed to sample some at dinner at the hotel and they were sweet and plump.  

Most striking along the beach was the volume of logs washed up along several kilometres of shoreline.

We got chatting to a chap fishing at the mouth of the river, one of several hoping to catch one fo the varieties of salmon running upriver this time of year.

Originally from Johannesburg, he's ben in BC 35 years.   He was complaining that the fish were all suffering from lockjaw.  Clearly nothing was biting!  It was he who told us where to see the bears!

Some of the driftwood had been used to decorate the Estate gates in to the adjoining farm and RV park.

As we walked along the track beside the beach a Pileated Woodpecker was working the local trees.  A stunning bird and famed for the Woody Woodpecker character.

Having seen all the oyster farming activity on the coast we decided it was only right that we checked them out at dinner that night.  The hotel restaurant is well known for it's seafood.  It was excellent!

Friday morning was another early start for our two disconnected ferry trips back to Gibsons.  

We discovered that Tim Hortons, or Timmy's as it is known, does a decent breakfast muffin and coffee.  As we're not generally fast food consumers, we were pleasantly surprised with the  bacon and egg bun!

Unlike the journey up, it was a blue sky day.  

We picked up lunch from the Pacific Point Market on the way out of Powell River, and took a break in the journey at Saltery Bay Park before the last ferry leg of the journey.

While in the park we spotted whales or porpoise 'blowing' out in the bay.  Too far away to see what they were and camera not yet back from repair!

We arrived back in Gibsons at about 1700 hrs, nine hours after leaving the Hotel.

Arrival at Powell River

Saltery Bay Park - delightfully quiet