Explore Your Own Back Yard – Vancouver Island

Now is the time to take the opportunity to explore Canada. Our low dollar and cheaper gas prices offer us an excellent chance to travel your own backyard.

Take a trip to Vancouver Island! The harbours present a wealth of history and are the largest Pacific Island east of New Zealand. The Island is separated from Vancouver by the Strait of Georgia and is a short ferry ride to various ports.  It is a very easy Island to drive around being only 460 kilometres in length and 80 kilometres in width at its widest point. Population is approximately 780,000 of which half of that figure lives in Greater Victoria.

The capital city of Victoria harbours a wealth of history in museums, a historic lighthouse, and many historic old buildings. It also has an abundant system of parks and trails for the more active visitors. Victoria sits on the southern point of the island and boosts a very mild climate. There is Butchart Gardens is 55 acres of amazing greenery year around. It has evening entertainment, subtle night illuminations and a Saturday firework show.  Beacon Hill Butterfly Gardens offers a rare opportunity to experience a tropical jungle in the northern hemisphere. On the drive from Victoria to Nanaimo stop at a place called Cowichan Bay. It is a colourful place filled with cafes and bistros serving local food along with blended teas and locally roasted coffee. The fish and chips are fabulous! Take home handcrafted preserves, pasta, cured meats, and even salt. Culinary tourism has been on the upswing here for years making a global impact. The food is known for making the taste buds sing!

Nanaimo has an island-sheltered harbour right in the centre of town and its busy waterfront is a popular spot to eat in the many restaurants or just sit and watch the seaplanes take off. The city offers great hiking, kayaking, biking, world class snorkelling, and scuba diving. Take a passenger ferry over to Protection Island and enjoy lunch in Canada’s only floating pub!

Parksville is a seaside community, just a thirty-minute drive from Nanaimo. With its sandy beaches this quaint resort has no shortage of outdoor adventures from golfing, biking, mini golfing, and bumper boats. Here you will find Rathtrevor Provincial Park, which is one of the Islands premiere vacation destinations. Englishman River Falls is just one of many amazing hikes to explore. Try an English pub for great food or one of the cute little cafes for lunch. The most popular spot along the Oceanside Highway is Qualicum Beach. It is home to artisans, lively restaurants, and is such a quaint little town. There are lots of old-fashioned bakeries and gift shops of homemade treasures. Enjoy beautiful beaches and gardens.

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Take the scenic road to Courtney and Comox. Stop at Fanny Bay where they farm fresh oysters, clams, scallops, and other seafood. You will likely catch a glimpse of the many sea lions sunny themselves on the rocks. Further up the Island is Campbell River, home to breathtaking scenery, and the promise of reeling in all five species of Pacific Salmon. A visit to the Marine Museum is a very interesting place to visit and most informative on the harbour development of creating a deep channel for the Alaska cruise ships to pass through.

Coombs is a short drive from Parksville. It is famous for the Coombs Country Market and the goats that live on its roof. It has freshly baked everything and seriously delicious ice cream! A must, is a stop at Cathedral Grove located on the highway to Tofino. The biggest Douglas fir trees in the grove are approximately 800 years old and 29 feet in circumference. The ecosystem is truly amazing and has to be seen to be believed.

Tofino is on the west coast of the Island and has approximately two thousand local residents. In the summer months the population triples so book ahead. The area is popular for surfing, whale, and bird watching. There is the Pacific Rim National Park for hiking and great little cafes in town for eating out.

Put Vancouver Island on your “bucket list” for either a winter long stay or a summer visit. This island has a very relaxing lifestyle. There is so much to see and do for all ages and levels of fitness. People are friendly and very informative. Visitor’s from across the globe enjoy this Island for what it has to offer with its warmer climate and diverse history. Just think, this island is in our very own backyard, just waiting to be explored. 

Lynda J Spriggs / Lobstick Travel and Tours

Prince Albert, SK