North Island Adventure - Day 2

It's now just past three o'clock and we are back at the camp site after a morning in Port Hardy. We woke up at 6:30, but snoozed again for a while before getting up. Coffee and porridge were the first order of the day, then we dressed and headed out on a hike into town.

The nature trail leaves right from the campground and for much of the time, follows along the Quatse River and the estuary. We saw eagles out on the estary (it was low tide):

as well as a fish processing plant, a sea plane dock:

and a marina. The walk took about a half hour or so. We trundled along Market Street to the Visitor Information Centre where we picked up a map of town, then followed the Harbour walk towards the western edge where they have a nice park and some cool old trees.

From the information centre we'd spied a couple of tall ships in dock

so they were our next destination. Up close they were very cool - I'm a sucker for all that shiny brass and wood :) Sean found out they belong to the S.A.L.T.S. programme.

I took lots of photos of them - here are just a few:

Sean in front of the Pacific Swift

Porthole detail


Pacific Grace


Detail shot of the rigging


Pacific Grace

We also saw a Haida canoe:

Following a quick trip to the mall (where we ended up not finding the groceries we needed), we stopped in at the Market Street Cafe for a yummy lunch. It's a funky little place with a mixture of seating - everything from regular tables and chairs, to booths, to comfy couches (our choice). The food was great.

By the time we emerged, the sun had started to poke its face through the low cloud. We visited another grocery store, bought what we needed then headed back to the campground by the same path, after a brief stop at a lookout.

Sean particularly liked the industrial art alongside the harbour walk, that took us through a little industrial park

Sean posing with a tree along the more scenic part of the harbour walk

Halfway back the sun came out fully, so we took the longer route, which took us down the other side of the Quatse River.

In town we saw a little pub that we heard is good, so we'll head back there for dinner in a little while. At least this way we'll burn off any calories we consume!

Tomorrow's plans include a trip to San Josef Bay. We'll drive about 90 minutes west of here, then hike the final 2.5 k into the bay. Sean went there as a teenager and says it's well worth seeing. There are some other cool spots to stop at on the way back, including a cedar snag where hikers hang their boots after completing the Cape Scott Trail.

For now, though, I'm sitting outside, enjoying the sun filtering through the trees and onto our site. It's pleasant enough, but certainly not hot, which is actually kinda nice because that way the camper stays comfortable. It's supposed to be hot when we get home on Wednesday, so I won't miss out on the really summery weather.

It's now after dinner. We enjoyed our meal and the walk to and from the pub. The tide was in when we were on our way there:

And already going out again as we walked back:

I love playing with my camera - trying things out. Above is a shot of a tree reflected in the water just as the sun is starting to set:

From Best of North Island Trip - August 2008

North Island Adventure - Day 1

So, here we are sitting beside our campfire at the Quatse River Campground just outside Port Hardy.

It's been a long day, but worth the 5am wake up call to get here in the light and in time to relax with a beer and corn chips after our trek from home.

We left at 6am to make sure we reached the Earl's Cove ferry terminal in plenty of time to make the 8:15 ferry to Saltery Bay. It was a gorgeous sunny morning for a drive, so I took the opportunity to take some pics along the way:

Trout Lake

Ruby Lake

The view at Earl's Cove was even more spectacular:

Looking out over Jervis Inlet

When the BC Ferries employee arrived to start his day, a black and white cat appeared at the office building, obviously thrilled to see his friend. Naturally, I had to go to meet this feline and take his photo:

He was very friendly, letting me pet him and rubbing up against my legs, alerted no doubt by the Chloe and Cleo fur already clinging to me that I am a cat person.



The ferry arrived in good time, the crossing was smooth:

and we headed to the Westview terminal for our next connection to Comox. After some momentary confusion surrounding the actual entrance to the terminal (it's nowhere near as clearly signed as in Gibsons), we pulled in in plenty of time to assure ourselves a spot on the noon ferry to the Island. That was a relief, given that the next crossing from Westview leaves at 5pm, which would have meant a very late arrival up here at the end of the highway.

I had never been to this ferry terminal before - the little marina next to it is very pretty:

The beautiful weather held, so our drive from Comox to Port Hardy was marked by gorgeous scenery. We made it in 3.5 hours, which, considering the windy roads and a couple of steep grades, was pretty good. Here's what we saw along the way:

The Comox valley


A lovely rest stop at Bigtree Creek


Rockcuts akin to those along the TransCanada in Northern Ontario


A row of campers


Deep blue lakes and


Snowcapped mountains

We easily found the turnoff for the campground

and pulled in fewer than ten minutes later. Sean was greeted by Shady the dog, who wanted him to throw a stick!

Being smart, we'd reserved a site

definitely worth the effort considering how crowded it is here. Few sites remain open. Our little area is getting late afternoon sun, Sean has started a roaring fire:

and we're relaxing (as I already mentioned) with a well-deserved beer.

We're still not sure if we'll go to San Josef Bay tomorrow or Tuesday. From our campground we can walk into Port Hardy (45 mins) - after a day of travelling that might be just the ticket, leaving the San Josef Bay visit till Tuesday. That decision we'll make in the morning.

For now, however, I'm going to finish up and enjoy the fire before contemplating cooking dinner (pasta with tomato sauce and veggies, if you're at all interested). And maybe some wine*g*. Possibly followed by smores, or the chocolate cake I baked to bring with us :)

It's now later in the evening, and we're just about to turn in - here's a view of the river beside the campground - isn't it gorgeous?

Stay tuned...

we're heading over the Vancouver Island in the next little while and I'll be busy snapping pics and blogging (via my AlphaSmart) about my first visit to Port Hardy and San Josef Bay, which means an update here by mid-August :)

We're very excited as we haven't had a chance in quite a while to take the camper anywhere. Sean is checking it over in preparation for the trip, while I'm arranging for cat/house sitting and planning meals etc.

Hope you're all having a lovely, relaxing summer (or winter, if you're reading this from the Southern hemisphere *g*).

Teresa