Day 34 - Stanley Park - 04/09/2013

Our last full day. We used today to have a stroll around the largest of Vancouver's city parks - Stanley Park. Thankfully our hotel was quite close, so we were able to walk just a few blocks west and we were at the south end of the park.

Stanley Park is huge, so we only had time to walk around some of it. We set off walking around the coastal perimeter and first found a display of Totem Poles. We continued following the coastal walk north, then west, and after an hour or so we found we'd almost made it back to where we'd started. From here we decided to head into the centre of the park.

Despite being on the edge of a bustling metropolis the interior of the park was very quiet. Our walk took us along a forest trail and eventually to a small, lily-covered lake called Beaver Lake. No beavers were to be seen, but there were many dragonflies buzzing around the edge of the lake, as well as a few black and red squirrels.

Eventually we emerged from the park and we headed back into the city. Given it was our last night, we decided to splurge on a big final meal at a steakhouse near to our hotel. After filling our bellies we returned to the hotel for our final night in Canada.

Day 33 - Whale Watching - 03/08/13

Another early start today, as we awoke from our first night in a proper bed in over a month. After finally dragging ourselves from our newfound comfort, we got ready and headed out to Granville Island and the start of today's activity - whale watching!

We checked into the office and were fitted into our "element-proof" clothing - big, bulky suits that made us look like ghostbusters. We boarded our boat, and with about 10 or so others on board, set off to the location where a superpod of Killer Whales had been spotted. We were told that this consisted of the three separate pods of resident Killer Whales that were known in the area, and that their meeting in the same place was quite a rarity.

Our journey took us south-west, across the Strait of Georgia and through the Gulf Islands. It even briefly went through US waters. As soon as we set off, the heavens opened and we were worried that we'd have a repeat performance of the weather for our bear viewing. Thankfully, it didn't last. Along the route to see the Killer Whales we were given a few glimpses of the notoriously shy Harbour Porpoises that jumped out of the water just as we happened to be looking in the right direction, and a few Sea Otters whose heads could be seen poking out of the water.

We didn't linger to look at the wildlife en route, and instead rushed to the bay where the superpod had been sighted. On arriving, it wasn't long before we saw the first group of dorsal fins poking out through the water. As we got closer, some of these began to break the surface and allowed us to see their full bodies. A couple of time some of the more excitable ones leapt through the air and barrelled onto their sides which we were lucky enough to photograph.

Unknown to us before now, we learned that Killer Whales aren't actually whales at all but dolphins. Their name comes from a lost-in-translation description - 'Killer of Whales'. We also learned that their more pleasant term - Orca - comes from a Latin term for them which roughly means 'black fish from the pits of the underworld'!

As our captain led us up and down the water in careful pursuit of these creatures, we were also told about the occupants of another nearby boat who were out on a research expedition with a dog (a black lab); they had trained it to sniff out the smell of whale poo that they were collecting to study.

It wasn't long before our hour of viewing was over and we had to begin our return journey. This time, we stopped on the way to view a group of seals that were lazing about on rocks. One of the seals didn't seem to appreciate our interruption and began grunting frantically.

Continuing on, we arrived back in Vancouver in the mid afternoon and departed. We had a quick look around Granville Island (which consisted of a lot of shops and an indoor market), before walking back north towards downtown, and returned to our hotel.

Day 32 - Vancouver - 02/09/13

We awoke early to ensure that we had everything packed and the camper van was emptied of unwanted items within our allotted time. Once this task was completed we headed towards the Canadream office in Vancouver. Our final drive took us along Highway 99 (Sea to Sky highway) which we had used previously from our trips to the ferry port at Horseshoe Bay, and through the outskirts of Vancouver.

It started raining just as soon as we had set off. After a couple of hours we arrived at the office where we signed in our camper van and said our sad, final goodbyes. 

We took a taxi into Downtown Vancouver and checked into our hotel to discover we have been given a deluxe king room! The concierge took our baggage to our room for us. Upon arriving in our room, it felt very luxurious - even the bathroom is bigger than the camper we spent the last month in. It had good views of surrounding Metropolitan Vancouver, and the distant mountains beyond.

We decided to head into the city for a quick nosey and for an early tea. The city of Vancouver seems to be much busier and larger than Calgary, though today was also Labor Day - a major public holiday.

After a quick wander we headed back to the sanctuary of our hotel room to take our first shower that was not timed by using a Loonie (a one dollar coin). The other luxuries, such as being able to stand up straight in the bathroom, being able to walk around without edging around each other, and being able to get out of bed without climbing over each other would also take some getting used to!

Day 31 - Brohm Lake - 01/09/13

Today was our last day with our RV, and yet it was the first day we went for a hike without having to first drive somewhere!

Leaving our RV behind to have a well earned rest, we set off walking from our campground towards Brohm Lake. This lake was atop the hills that surrounded the area, and followed a stream that was still an active salmon run. This was obvious in the first stream that we crossed - it was filled with salmon, furiously swimming against the current, and jumping out of water. In fact, we heard the sloshing of the fish long before we caught sight of the stream.

Continuing on, we reached the foot of a very steep and rocky hill. This was the trail. We began our climb, which was certainly the most exhausting yet. On reaching the top, the trail levelled off into a much more forgiving walk through the forests which eventually opened up to reveal Brohm Lake.

The lake was being used by many people who were sat around its shores and some which had gone for a swim. Given our punishing trek to get here, we'd love to have said we joined them but unfortunately we didn't take our swimming stuff. Instead, we sat on the shore and had a quick something to eat before continuing on.

The remainder of the walk took us around the perimeter of the lake, and followed the trail back down the steep hillside we'd climb earlier.

We arrived back at the campground quite early, but we weren't yet done for the day. Tomorrow we would be driving to Vancouver to say goodbye to our RV, so tonight we had to pack up and give it a thorough clean. We also wanted to do our last lot of laundry, but after driving to the two local laundrettes, we found them both closed!

We did most of the packing and cleaning, but after a tiring day we decided to save some for the morning. We settled in for our final night with our newfound home.

Day 30 - Return to the Mainland - 31/08/13

After two days of rain, our last morning at Tofino saw the sun finally the emerge. We had many miles to drive to catch our afternoon ferry, so we got up early to get a head start. We made a brief stop off at Long Beach to see what the area looked like in the sun before continuing east towards Nanaimo.

Our journey took us down the same road we'd taken to Tofino, and since we had some extra time to play with, we took the opportunity to stop off at some of the view points we'd seen days before. We arrived at the ferry port quite early, but thankfully we were able to check in and queue up our vehicle before looking around the shops at the ferry port and getting something to eat.

One ferry journey later, we headed back north towards our next - and last - campground at Paradise Valley. Before that however, we took a big detour by first returning to Whistler for a final look around and to revisit some of the shops.

After another exhausting day of driving, we arrived late at our campgrounds and settled down for the night.

Day 29 - Wild Pacific Trail & Ucluelet - 30/08/13

After having a relatively early night we awoke to yet again the sound of rain. Instead of opting to stay in the nice warm shelter of the camper we decided to again layer up and head out onto a walk called the Wild Pacific Trail which would take us along the island's Pacific Coast and passed a century-old lighthouse.

On our way to our destination the heavens again opened up and the rain seemed to get heavier. We arrived at the car park and the headed off onto the trail. We were not even a few hundred yards when things started to get a bit brighter and the rain stopped. 

With the new found warmth and sun we ended up walking the trail whilst carrying our rain coats. The trail itself wasn't a long one but took quite a while as there were so many places to stop to take photos. It was an extremely scenic route which followed the coastline all along the outside of the island head. 

The first point of interest on the trail was the Amphitrite Lighthouse - a particularly short building that didn't look like it'd perform it's function as well as the more familiar, taller versions! The lighthouse was built in the early 20th century after its predecessor - a wooden tower - was built and subsequently washed away a year before. It is surrounded by a cluster of large rocks that the huge waves of the Pacific continually crashed against, which we happily sat and watched for a while.

We saw a number of bald eagles on the walk, usually perched high atop the tallest trees and occasionally taking to the skies to soar above the ocean. Later, we spotted an even more bizarre bird high atop a tree. After agreeing that it looked like a chicken that'd somehow found its way up there we eventually used the camera to confirm what it actually was. It was a stick!

Once we finished the trail walk we had a little meander through the centre of Ucluelet. On our way back, we stopped off at Long Beach (a long beach) for a quick walk before calling for some tea at an oceanfront restaurant next to our campgrounds before heading back to settle in for the night ahead of our early start tomorrow where we'll be driving back to Nanaimo to catch the ferry back to the mainland.

Day 28 - Pacific Rim Rainforest and Tofino - 29/08/13

Waking up to sound of torrential rain on the roof of our camper, we first considered our options; a coastal walk, or a jaunt into the nearby rainforest. Hoping it'd provide some shelter, and because it seemed more apt, we headed a few miles south to the rainforest.

The Pacific Rim National Park contains one of the few temperate rainforests in the world. It begins at the foot of the mountainous centre of Vancouver Island and ends abruptly at the Pacific Ocean. We had glimpse into an impassable section of the forest yesterday, but today we would be walking around the constructed boardwalks built through a slightly more open part of the forest.

Upon arrival, we layered up with thermals and waterproofs before heading out. The rainforest was dense with all kinds of plant life. Unlike the fir tree forests we were more used to, which tend to dominate all other plants, the rainforest was packed with a range of varied plant life which seemed to pervade every nook and cranny. There was little in the way of visible fauna, aside from a lot of slugs that were making the most of the wet weather!

After making our way around the two rainforest trials, and getting drenched in the process, we returned to our vehicle to head to our hopefully more sheltered destination - the town of Tofino. If anything, the weather worsened on our arrival so our walk around this probably quite scenic town mostly consisted of nipping in and out of tourist-oriented shops.

Eventually, we surrendered to the elements and after getting some lunch at a nearby restaurant, we returned to our campground in the early evening for a relaxing few hours before bed.

Day 27 - Drive to Tofino - 28/08/13

On another rainy morning, we left Telegraph Cove to head to our penultimate campground at Tofino. This was meant to be another stop off (albeit a longer one than usual) to break up the journey back to Nanaimo. However, as mentioned before, the roads are so sparse in Canada that what looked to be a well located halfway point turned out to be a huge detour that'd add a considerable distance both to there and from there.

The journey was about 290 miles, and took us back down through Campbell River. We noticed some of the autumn colours had begun to set in, and the weather had certainly gotten distinctly un-summery. The rain worsened just as we passed our halfway point and began heading west through the central part of Vancouver Island, stopping briefly at Alberni to get our food and internet fix from precious free wifi while taking a break from the hours on the road.

From there, we continued west into a rainforest region, including the Pacific Rim National Park that we plan to visit during our next few days. The forest itself had changed dramatically by this point - the trees were huge, tall, and tightly packed together. The canopy was also extremely thick, which made peering into the forest seem like looking a dark cave.

After a considerable amount of driving, we finally arrived at Tofino and caught on our first glimpse of the actual, uninterrupted Pacific Ocean. We checked into our campground, which is sat on the coast - our plot being a few seconds walk from the beach front, which has a great view of the ocean to the west. Despite being the perfect location, the still drizzly weather and overcast skies meant we wouldn't be seeing a sunset tonight. The forecast is currently suggesting more of the same, so it seems our luck with the weather may have finally run out after all!

Day 26 - Grizzly Bear Viewing Tour - 27/08/13

As we've mentioned before, we've had some great weather on our holiday so far. Virtually every day we've been given bright blue skies, or the occasional shower that quickly dispersed. Today was the day that our luck ran out.

Waking up to a rainy start, we headed down to the marina to check in with our tour guide for the day. We were given some rainproof leg covers, and were divided into three groups, ours consisting of eleven people, and led to our boat. Thankfully our boat was covered.

The boat led us towards Knight Inlet. On the way, we were able to see the blowback and tails of humpback whales in the far distance. We also spotted a black bear chewing on some bark at the water's edge.

We arrived at an estuary within Knight Inlet where, after obeying orders to eat as much of the provided food as possible, we were led onto the next boat. This boat wasn't covered. It was a flat-bottomed boat with a small raised viewing platform. It was very exposed, and we would be spending the day on there in still-worsening weather!

We were pushed up the shallow estuary waterway by our two guides who were wearing waders. This was to avoid scaring any wildlife with engine noise. The start of the tour was promising as we spotted a group of grizzlys (presumably a mother and cubs) at the far shore of the estuary. We gradually made our way forward, but unfortunately this was the last we'd see of them.

Instead, we had the other wildlife to watch - mainly seagulls and bald eagles eating carcasses of salmon, as well as a few lingering live ones which could be seen in the water. Randomly, one of our tour guides tried to catch one of the salmon in her arms and surprised herself by succeeding!
As we got further towards the end of the accessible waterway, some deer emerged from the woods followed by a surprise - a wolf! At one point, one of the deer we'd been watching calmly grazing suddenly bounded across the field, shortly followed by a single wolf that tried (and failed) to catch it. Thankfully the wolf stayed behind for a while and even tried jumping into the air to catch a low flying crow (again unsuccessfully, unsurprisingly). It was close enough to get some photos, but far enough for us to be cursing our camera's paltry 16x zoom!

As it got late, and without any further bear sightings, we were led back to the first boat. We had been stood out in the pouring rain for the past 5 hours so were happy for bit of shelter. We had a very brief stop off at a tiny marina on one of the islands to refuel, and shortly after we were back at Telegraph Cove just in time to see the first bit of sun of the day... just before sunset.

We were a bit disappointed not to see any grizzly bears up close today, but the (apparently very rare) sighting of the wolf made up for it. We were even given a voucher for a free day (with no expiry date), which will give us even more of an excuse to return to Canada one day!

Day 25 - Elk Falls Provincial Park & Drive to Telegraph Cove - 26/08/13

We awoke from a very good nights sleep to head further north to Telegraph Cove, before we hit the highway we first decided to go and do a bit of exploring after looking at some maps within the campground reception. There was one of the region within it was the area of Elk Falls Provincial Park we decided to have a nosey. 

After arriving at the car park (after taking a few wrong turns) we set off packed up ready for  another adventure, we decided to take a trail that would lead us along the Campbell River and three waterfalls all named after animals (deer, moose and elk).  Within minutes we arrived at the end water side and noticed the first waterfall (Deer). Unlike areas in Alberta, people were able to climb on the rocks around and swim in the collection of water at the bottom known as Dolphin Pond. 

We continued along the route and again, within a kilometre, we arrived at the second waterfall we quickly realised that this would be a quick walk.  We got to the last one which was a lot more dramatic we slowly edged our way out the the side of the falls where a very steep drop was waiting for us at the other side. 

After our relatively quick walk we jumped into the camper and headed North to Telegraph Cove. Just as the rain clouds came in. After a 3 hour drive we checked into the campground which was to be home for the next few days (we were given a bay which had beautiful view of the water within the Johnstone Strait). We went for a walk around and also to check in at the office of our Grizzly Bear tour the next morning where we were told that we had to arrive 15 min early.  We were also told that as they have to work with the tide within the Knight Inlet we wouldn't be setting off until 9am instead of the originally advised 7am. 

We then headed to the local restaurant (The Killer Whale Cafe) to sample the food and then settled in for the night.