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.
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