Whiteswan Lake

After Lloyd dragged me out of the hot pools we had to carry on over the rough road to a campsite which was not really what we liked. It was very dark, among the trees and cold. So the  next morning we left and continued another 8 kms on the same road until we reached Whiteswan Lake.
It was so awesome. I have never seen a lake so clear and the camp area was SUNNY not to mention the view of the surrounding mountains.

The water was only 4 metres from our camp.

The on going quest for the Hot Springs best location

We left Fort Steele and drove on to a back road to find theses natural hot springs. The road was very challenging 23kms with a deep cannon on one side.  It is about 300mts down. However when you get there it is wonderful. The walk from the car is about 500m down to a river where there are is one main pool and a small one. The water temp would be about 39 deg just perfect.

           

The canyon

Fort Steele

We had quite a long drive today, over 150kms!! and stopped at Fort Steel in the later afternoon.

We were not sure about going in but decided to and we were so pleased we did.

It was an original Fort built by the British and it has all the original buildings, they have been restored of course but it feels very authentic . In the summer they have lots of activities with over 100 people volunteering in many roles.

This is actually an old house that was across the road, we thought it would make a great pic!!

Lloyd loved the blacksmith shop and there were so many wagons and farm equipment which they still use.

Nelson,May 29

After staying the night at Kokanee Creek Prov park which was very pleasant we headed for the town of Nelson.
It is the wellness centre of the Kootenay with more organic/vegan/vegetarian cafes and shops than in our NZ Nelson. The day was very cold about 10deg and rainy so we visited the local museum and art gallery. It was in a heritage building which Nelson has many and really well done. A photo exhibition of the "Doukhobors" settlers was very interesting along with the history of the area.

The courthouse in Nelson

Nelson had a good selection of quality outdoor / hiking stores so we both had fun buying some summer sandals which we needed for Australia. What else do you do when there are no hot pools about, shoe shop of course!

It was time to find a spot for the night and I had read about a place by Duck Pond Lake near Creston. It was a nature reserve so we finally found it after some time. It was in the middle of nowwhere in a valley and our only visitor was this fellow.

A Canadian Moose

Kaslo and Anisworth Hot Springs may 27/28

The town of Kaslo is very quaint with lovely old buildings and the old steamer the Moyie which is a museum at the bottom of the main street.

City Hall with the library underneath. Lynda is in the doorway after buying a bag of books!

SS Moyie

We drove down to Anisworth Springs which was not long and had a good soak. They were pools only and you could not stay but it was still worth it. the sun was out and the view from the pool was pretty stunning looking up to the tree covered mountains.

Our boating friends will be interested in the boat marinas here. They are mostly covered marinas and quite small. There are heaps of boats about, but obviously the do not get used  over the winter.

May 25/26 Naksup Hotsprings

Our plan today was to travel to some Hot Springs in Naksup. There are about  13 hot spring pools in British Columbia  and everyone knows I love hot springs!!! Its always my time after we have been at a lake and Lloyd has had some fishing time.

It was raining and quite cold along the way and we ended up staying in a bar for awhile catching up on the blog and watching some hockey with the locals.

My phone is on Rodgers/Fidow which has virtually not service in this area at all.


The pools were just lovely, it was very misty and we went to bed feeling very relaxed. We made sure we had another dip the next morning before heading off and it was especially great as the sun was shinning and there were so few people.

Naksup Hot Springs

From warm sun to snow conditions,Canada has it all!!

 As we drove over the mountains the weather did not improve but it did add to the rugged scenery. We had lunch in the pretty town of New Denver and arrived in Kaslo late afternoon.

Its a lovely spot and so we decided to head out to find somewhere to stay and return the next day hopefully in the sun to look around.

We got a wonderful spot to camp right on Kootenay lake and Lloyd even managed another fish. The lake however was full of floating logs which happens at this time of the year after the thaw of snow.

Mabel Lake May 23-25

On leaving the canyon we decided it might be nice to sit at a campsite for the weekend. We liked the look of Mabel Lake Provincial Park and it proved to be as good as it the book showed.
The campsites were immaculately groomed and we managed to get one right in front of the lake with plenty of sun.

   The people next to us were very friendly and gave us lots of tips about places to see and as a result we have amended our plan and will head down into the West Kootenay area.

We also had a chuckle at a family across the way, the Dad spent ages setting up this huge screen,strung across the trees and the 2 kids sat in chairs with their popcorn to watch a movie. I guess camping has changed over the years and in Canada more so!!!

Myra Cannon What an Amazing Ride !!!

What an amazing place.
The Myra Cannon is part of the Kettle Valley Rail Trail.
The Kettle Valley Rail road was built from 1910-1916 mainly by imported Europeans and was the most expensive railway ever built in North America at over $84,000.00 pet km which seems so excessive.

It was built to carry silver and copper from the mines in the West Kootneys and when the mines closed in the 1960s it took to 1979 to pull up all the tracks and slowly open the area up as a rail trail.
The most impressive part is the 18 trestles or rail bridges as we know them and 2 tunnels

You can see 3 of the trestles behind Lloyd

 They are all wooden except 2 which are steel and they are all in this canyon in a relatively small area which is visible by cycle or even walking.

We hired bikes from the carpark and the trail is 24kms and you go over the canyon and all 18 trestles.
Again we were pleased that it was a Friday and very few people were on the trail. The guy said in the height of summer it would be so crowded that you can not pass at all and that there would be over 2000 people on the trail.
We both so enjoyed every part of the trail,we took about 3 hrs and ate our packed lunch at the end of the 12kms before starting back.
All the way along there is information and the scenery again is so spectacular.
The shades of the green of the trees are amazing and and the trestles are such a sight. I have to say the photos just don't do it justice.
It was not a clear blue sky day but I actually think that the grey sky added to the whole experience and the colours were just awesome.
Some of you will also know of the bad fires in Kelowna in 2003.These fires actually destroyed 14 of the 18 trestles and the photos of these trestles on fire were screened around the world. It was such a tragedy.
Luckily the area had been given historical status just months before and so government money was available to re build the trestles which took 5 years.
I would say that this ride is one that just has to be done, so memorable.

More Lakes Thursday 21 may

The Okanagan Provincial park was lovely and sunny and we got a spot lakeside.
We are enjoying cooking on the charcoal bbq and do often light a fire in the fire pit.
However the one thing we both dislike is the smokey smell on your clothes so we are keeping some clothes, jacket and pants as our fire clothes . That way we don't get all our clothes smelling!!!
We drove through the pretty town of Kelowna, its right on the lake and has a large bridge. The drive up from Penticton is right alongside the Lake and very picturesque. Evidently this area is very crowded in summer, we are so glad we have chosen this time to travel.

The other thing you need when camping in Canada is the gingham tablecloth to put on the picnic table which every campsite has along with the fire pit!!

We headed to an out of way campsite on Lake McCullock. There was no one there when we arrived and we camped near the lake again.
However we soon ended up moving as a school bus full of teenagers arrived and set up camp right next to us. We did laugh as the teacher came over and chatted to us saying how sorry she was for chasing us away to the other side of the area. We just wanted our privacy and we know what teenagers can be like.!!!
The evening turned out to have a stunning sunset and Lloyd had a fish, there was no wind at all and I sat in my chair just enjoying.

Chilling and fishing!

At the Lake we met many interesting locals,all blokes who loved to fish. Lloyd became friendly with one chap who turned out to be a well known old ice hockey goalie. His name was Ivan Mclelland and he is a member of the BC Sports Hall of Fame. He had a fascinating story to tell about his career. he also gave Lloyd several fishing flies which worked well and Lloyd proudly caught his first Canadian trout. The next day we met others and enjoyed a campfire and local red wine with Gary who could also tell a few stories.

The weather had been sunny but as we are high up there was a cold wind so we packed up and headed back to Penticton. We needed to fill up with gas and propane and empty our other tanks.This is all part of RVing as well as food shopping which Lloyd does not enjoy. He of course did not have to do this at home!!!
We headed to the vineyards and had a great tasting at Ruby Blues and topped up the cellar before going to Okanagan Lake Provincial Park for the night.

Ruby Blues Vineyard over looking Okanagan Lake

Oliver and Lake Idleback

Sunday was a driving day through the  Fraser and Thompson area. It climbed quite high and therefore
came across quite a lot of snow on the side of the road.

We arrived in the town of Osoyoos which is the first town in the Okanagan Valley. It is the main fruit growing region but we were too early. the wine region also starts from here and driving up to Oliver was all vineyards,mainly organic.

Some very friendly local people showed us to a campsite by the river which was very pleasant and we had a lovely walk along the river looking at all the different birds.

Monday saw us drive to Penticton a town in between 2 lakes. it has a sandy beach over 1km and I even had a swim. The place gets very overcrowded in summer and it had a feel of Lake Wanaka but bigger. I had researched a lake for Lloyd to have a fish at so we headed up to lake Idleback. The name is so true as it has about 12 campsites well spread out and is free.

We set up and it was not long before Lloyd was fishing right by our van and I settled with a book. We had decided to stay for a few days as it was time for a chill out.

Mainland Aagin

Friday was big travel day as went drove across the island to Nanaimo to get the ferry back to the mainland.
The ferries are very well organised with signs on the highway to tell you how full the ferry is and the ferry itself is very comfortable for the 2 hour crossing.
We headed inland and it was getting late as we looked for a place to camp. It was a long weekend so all the Provincial Parks were fully booked. We ended up at Cutlas Lake in a campsite by the lake but in the trees again. It did not matter as it was 8.30pm and we had to cook dinner.
The next morning we headed off very aware that finding places to camp may be a problem.
We drove through Harrison Hotsprings which by the way has no hot pools, on our way to Hope were we found a pleasant spot right by the Fraser River.
Lloyd built a great fire and cooked a lovely bbq dinner, it was a really cold night and the mountains around still had snow on them.

Our aim was to travel to the Okanagan Valley to find some vine yards and sun shine.

Last night we stayed in the town of Oliver which is the organic region of fruit and wine. Of course we are too early for any fruit but have bought new seasons asparagus. Food here is cheaper than NZ with a good selection of salad, vegetables and fruit much from Californa. The corn is really yummy!!! Of course Austin and Shaun would say!

Boat trip back

We had over 2 hours at the hot pools. You have to take any food and drink you want with you.
By the time we left at 2.30pm there were quite a lot of people as 3 boats had arrived so our timing was good.
On the way back to Tofino we went on the outside of all the islands. There are so many along the coastline. It was interesting to see the sea otters, they just lay on their backs with their feet up in the air as if they are having a doze.
We also saw a sea lion colony with a huge alpha male who had many females surrounding him,he seemed very content.

We have never seen so many seaplanes of all sizes,they are on most of the lakes.

There was hope of seeing some whales but again this was not to be. they get grey whales,humpbacks,minkie and orcas but they were all somewhere else that day.

I forgot to to mention about the planks on the broad walk which we found interesting. Lots of the planks are carved with boats names and we asked about it. The hot springs were visited by early fur traders in the 1900s and then used by fisherman who would bath after long trips at sea. The track got very muddy and so they would firstly put logs of wood. Then some used the old planks off their fishing vessels as they were replaced with new ones it was a good use of them. They carved the name of their boat on the plank before attaching it to the track and so a tradition started.

Macquinna Marine Provincial Park

Our boat trip was to the Hot springs at the Macquinna Marine Provincial Park. You can only get there by boat or sea plane. The boat takes about 1 and 1/2 hrs and we went up the inside of all the islands and came back along the coast as the conditions were so good.
The idea was to also try and see some wild life, the low tide and full moon was supposed to be right for seeing black bears but this was not to be  and Lloyd still reckons that beers only come in a can or bottle!
When you arrive at the wharf to the hot springs then there is a 20mins broadwalk through lovely native old cedars.
We arrived at the pools at 12ish and luckily there was no one else except our boat of 8 people. They are amazing . I especially loved the rock pool close to the sea as its hot and then you get the waves come over you with cold water which mixes. Its really refreshing and magic and the same time.

The pools are small and have not been spoilt by being commercialised. They are very slippery as well but its  part of the charm!

The waterfall at the back was great to stand under, its really hot about 42 deg

Long Beach and Tofino

Surf rack which we saw being used heaps 

It was an early start as finding parking in the town of Tofino for a big RV was not easy.
We stayed the night at the National park at Long Beach. It is a typical west coast beach, the surf was not good Callan however. We sat in the warm sun for a couple of hours before dinner.
The parks are lovely full of huge trees BUT as kiwis we are not used to camping in the middle of huge dark trees. There is no sun as it can not get through and therefore it becomes cold early. We think thats why they all have fires, you need them to keep warm.

Canadas beaches all have heaps of logs!


Tofino was a hippy town but has gone rather up market. however there are lots of young backpackers and surfers around and many use cycles to get around

Ucluelet and Tofino

The drive to the Pacific Rim National Park is very winding but again lovely scenery with lakes and snow capped mountains in the distance.

On arrival in Ucluelet we enjoyed a hike called the Wild Pacific Trail as it goes around the coast and through the forest. You also see an old lighthouse. It was another beautiful day and quite warm.

After lunch we headed to Tofino to look around and book a boat trip for the next day. 

Friday May 16

A Big Catch Up

As we have been travelling over the last few days to the west side of Vancouver is there has been no coverage at all really. So......

We left duncan and drove up the island and then over towards the west coast.
On the way we stopped at a pretty little town Chemainus
This town has beautiful murals painted on walls all around the town.

Lake Cameron

The road after this was very easy and the scenery gorgeous. We stopped for lunch at Cameron Lake and as the day was cloudless we got some great photos. We drove on to Port Alberni and then out to Lake Sproat Prov park for the night. This lake had really warm water and Lloyd enjoyed his first fly fish at 8pm standing in the water for about an hour. No luck but what great scenery.

Monday 12 May

Butchart Gardens
These are just out of the city and are so worth the visit.
Jennie Butchart began planting in 1904 using the old quarry on their property to create a sunken garden. They evolved over the years and are still owned by the family but are also historic trust site.
All I can say is we chose a lovely sunny day and it was a true feast of colour for your eyes. the pictures tell all!!!

Butchart Gardens www.butchartgardens.com/

I could add so many pictures but I suggest you look at the link which will give a better look. We spent about 3 hours there before leaving and heading back to Duncan to stock up on groceries and visit a laundrette. We then headed off to Gerry and regains for the night and began the evening with watching the hockey. Montreal and Boston were playing in the Easton conference for a place in the Stanley Cup. We so enjoyed the game on their large screen and although we won't actually see a live game while we are here we feel we did experience some of the hockey world that so many people are about here. 

It was also a good opportunity to see Gerry and regains recent travel photos to Arizona. they had spent most of the winter down there in a camping trailer to escape the winter.

We had a wonderful dinner with Gerry and Reegan with great turkey soup that Gerry had made and even better conversation. Great fun and people who are so generous.

Part Two

We so enjoyed walking around and on the way back we came across this fellow in a hurry to get home.

Sea otter running across the street

I had seen a gallery as we walked past and looked it up on Trip Advisor to find that it was a must visit. The Robert Bateman gallery was amazing, he is Canadas renown wildlife painter and here are shown 160 of his works. They are just like photos and many of the bird ones have a button to push so you hear the bird song. www.batemancentre.org/

Lloyds favourite picture. It has 2 small birds which may be hard to see unless larger

After visiting the gallery we returned to the van by water taxi and then headed off to our campsite for the night at Goldstream Provincial Park only 15mins out of the central city.

The park was lovely, huge tall trees and cedar picnic tables and a flat gravel park pad for each camp.

We had a great camp fire again with firewood that Lloyd managed to find around the campsite

SUNDAY 11 MAY MOTHERS DAY

We had a nice evening with our first camp fire.We even cooked marshmallows, you can by gigantic ones the size of plums but we opted for the small ones.
It was a beautiful sunny day and we headed in to Victoria which was about an hour away. The drive was very pretty going through picturesque towns like Sooke.
We drove to the inner city and managed to find a place to park the van not far from the inner harbour so we could walk around.
There is so much to see in Victoria and its a really beautiful looking city. The buildings have an English old world look and there is a walk all around the inside harbour.

Inside harbour

Prestige Hotel

Children feeding fish to Sealions

We ended up at Fishermans wharf where we had a yummy lunch. The children were enjoying feeding fish to the sea lions which caused much laughter especially when the naughty seagulls are able to swoop down and grab the fish.

House boat at Fishermans Wharf