Vancouver Island

(Orcas, Beaches and Islands)

August 2023

(Note: trip expenses broken out at bottom of blog)

Day 1

(* picture descriptions at bottom of blog)

Vancouver Island was in our sights. We had never been there before as we’d always travelled to the other island on the eastern side of Canada in prior years – Prince Edward Island. That’s where all my family was from and where we have a family summer beach cottage.

Time to try something different! So we hopped onto a Westjet flight and took off into the skies on August 6 to enjoy a new adventure on the West Coast. Our whole family of five were involved, plus Linnea (the girlfriend of our oldest child).

The flight was uneventful and pretty quick – just an hour and twenty minutes from Calgary over the Rockies. After landing in Victoria, I took an Uber for about 30 minutes to pick up the rental – Dodge Durango SUV – at an Enterprise in the south (we were saving ourselves about $700 by renting at a different location b/c the same Durango model would’ve cost us $700 more if we had rented at the airport). There’s a bit of a back story to this because the rental vehicle actually dictated where we were going to fly into. Originally, it was just the five of us and, because we were going to spend a few days in Campbell River in the north, we figured we’d fly into Courtney (near Campbell River) because they had five-seater vehicles for rent there. But once our plans changed to six people, there were no 6-seater rentals available anywhere except for Victoria. So, Victoria became our arrival. No big deal because we were hoping to explore Victoria on our trip at some point, anyway.

The rental pickup at Enterprise was quick and easy – just a walk around the vehicle for the inspection, an eSignature, and I was on my way. The Durango was so spacious – was going to work nicely! I drove back to the airport and picked the crew up and then we were off down the #17 highway before veering west onto the TransCanada that would take us all the way up the eastern coastline.

Right away we noticed things were more expensive on the island. When I was driving in the Uber to get the rental, we had passed a few gas stations showing $2/liter gas prices. The uber driver commented he wouldn’t be able to afford his Uber job much longer because of the high gas prices eating into his bottom line. He and his wife were already making plans to move off the island. Very unfortunate, for sure. In the current Canadian economic climate of high interest rates and inflation, it’s very tough for so many people.

Driving up the coast, we were immediately struck by the beauty. The mountains, the ocean, the greenery… eye-catching. Meanwhile, the traffic was busy but not too bad – mind you, it was Sunday morning. And the roads were twisty for the first part of the drive, but as we advanced toward Nanaimo (111 kilometers from Victoria), the highway opened up and got less congested (after Nanaimo, we didn’t experience any traffic woes). We had stopped for groceries and snacks at times and the 3-hr drive to Campbell River was rather relaxing… but I couldn’t wait for a rest on the bed!

Then it came into view – the Painter’s Lodge in Campbell River, situated along the ocean front. Very rustic – a rugged beauty, like how the whole town felt. The Lodge itself had tidy grounds and clean (generally) units – ours was a two-bedroom with a loft and kitchen. Worked great for our purposes. But there was also a general reception building for check-ins which included a restaurant and reading area.

We got settled in, had a little rest and then took off in search of a restaurant for dinner – the Fifty Parallel Tap and Grill would do! We were hungry! And the place did not disappoint. Highly recommended! Located right by the water (Straight of Georgia), we gorged ourselves then hung out outside by the water taking some pictures. But I was exhausted at this point. Been a long one! We drove back to the Lodge and called it a day.

Day 2

During our two mornings in Campbell River, I was the first one up. In both cases, I headed down to the main lodge area for the breakfast. They had huge picture windows with a view of the Straight – very picturesque and relaxing.

On this day we thought we’d be relaxing quite a bit, but no rest for the wicked! The plans changed quickly when Linnea’s cousin (Eric, early twenties) unexpectedly showed up from Courtney with his pickup truck. He had some ideas for us – a back-roading tour of the Medicine Bowls (beautiful, pristine swimming holes) and some late night fireworks in Courtney! We were all for it. I love when spontaneity grabs hold.

We got organized and jumped into the Durango. We followed Eric back to Courtney before veering off into the back roads and then the dirt roads. For the last 10 minutes of driving, it was covering some serious potholes and rocky terrain. Cars and SUVs wouldn’t make it over this stretch so we jumped into the back bed of Eric’s truck and he ventured forth… luckily he had a high undercarriage! Was a wild ride, but we made it. And the pools did not disappoint – so cool as one flowed into the next. Lots of swims and dives! (deep, pristine pools carved out of the rocky landscape)

After an hour or two, we got dried off and made our way back to the truck. When we go there, a transient had been camping in the area and was sitting in a lawn chair. He asked if he could hitch a ride back down the hill. He was a bit sketchy – talking endlessly about political issues and how he was trying to save British Columbia from the political evils. I got tired of him within minutes – you could tell he wasn’t on-the-level. We gave him a drive in the back of the truck, nonetheless. And he talked the whole way down… ugh! I was happy to see him leave when we got back into our vehicle.

We made our way into Courtney where a summer festival was playing out – good timing! Lots of fun and games going on in a huge park near the harbour. We all grabbed some food and relaxed in the sun. Lovely afternoon! Later on, we took in the fireworks display over the water – was beautiful! A large crowd too… took forever to drive out of there with all the traffic but eventually we made it back onto the highway to Campbell River. Another jam-packed day.

Day 3

No rest on this day either. We were scheduled for an Orca boat tour at 10:45am! It was going to be an all-day affair – six hours. I’ve always wanted to see Orcas in the wild and this was the place to do it. I had my fingers crossed.

The tour guide was excellent – a fellow from Australia (Dean Parsonage, 50 North Adventures) who had moved to Campbell River many years ago with his wife. He took us out and had us cruising around many islands (they are endless up there… if you didn’t know the area, you could easily get lost in the maze) – Quadra Island, Cortez Island, Redonda Island, and so forth. They were all so beautiful – looking untouched by humans, each with their own unique look. And, of course, we came across the whales. First, the humpbacks, then a family pod of Orcas. They were majestic to watch – the younger, smaller Orcas playing around in the water while the parents watched on nearby. And they were curious about us too! They were a hundred yards off (they had rules on how close boats can get to them) with the bigger Orcas often popping their heads up out of the water in a vertical motion, checking us out (called a Spyhop). Was kinda eerie in a way, as if they were human, but so cool.

At lunch time we sped toward Refuge Cove, Desolation Sound – an outpost in the middle of nowhere on West Redunda Island. There were actually a handful of families living in this area with just dirt pathways between them (no roads). There was also a little store and a restaurant – all surrounding a lonely pier where the boats and floatplanes docked. No other way to get to this island. We sat down to some yummy cheeseburgers and fries – but the price! Very expensive (I recall about $30 for the burger and fries) being out in the middle of nowhere and all. No other food choices. But it was a fun experience. All the while, it was pouring rain but in my opinion it added to the mystique of the area – rugged beauty. Was awesome….

We’d make our way back to Campbell River eventually – a wonderful tour! Two thumbs up!

Day 4

The time had come to check out to begin our retreat back down the coast. We were off to Tofino!! So we thought. That would’ve been a big highlight but when we reached Parksville and headed west on the #4 highway (stretches across the width of the Island), we came upon a roadblock. An official came to my window and explained that the #4A had been closed down overnight due to a landslide! Ugh… they weren’t sure when it would reopen – days, weeks. Darn… I couldn’t believe it. There was no other way to get to Tofino unless you wanted to travel many more hours along dangerous logging roads. I didn’t have the motivation or time for that. So Plan B – we’d just stay in Parksville for the next two nights. The problem – we were at the height of vacation season and we were fairly confident there wouldn’t be any accommodations available in such a touristy town. Everything would be booked solid. I wasn’t quite sure what to do. Would we have to travel far to find some beds? We didn’t know. And everyone was getting hungry – we were close to noon. I felt totally deflated as I drove the crew back into Parksville for a bite to eat. The sights were nice, though – a very picturesque town! Clean, flowery, bright colors. We found a cafe and grocery store and piled up on the food. Meanwhile, Catharine and I began some Google searches – nothing. Everything was booked. But then Catharine came across an opportunity – I mean, we couldn’t have timed this (unintentionally) any better. There was a brand new 4-bedroom condo unit, newly refurbished, coming on the rental market that morning at the Ocean Trails Resort, next to the famous Rathtrevor Provincial Park. They were just about to put it out there on the airwaves… and Catharine just happened to call them about vacancies. They offered it up and we jumped on it. Before long, we were heading to the place. It was beautiful ! Modern looking, fresh – and the resort had a pool, hot tub (my favorite) – all just a short walk from the beach with the famous tides… where you can walk out about a kilometer or two on the sand when the tide is out each day. We got very lucky. On the flipside, though – I wasn’t sure I’d be able to recoup the money from the Tofino accommodations. And that was an expensive rental – Tofino does not come cheap! Especially when you were late with booking things, which I was. (the house in Tofino we had booked was $800/n – only because we couldn’t find anything else at such a late date) I had booked it all through Airbnb and I was anticipating a long, drawn-out battle to recoup our fees. First off, I emailed the home owners and explained the predicament – they were 100% understanding of it all and said they supported a full refund. But they weren’t the ones approving the refund. It’s Airbnb. So, next, I emailed Airbnb and ended up, through various clicks and phone navigatings, chatting with their customer service dept. Surprisingly, the money situation got resolved in minutes. I was a bit shocked, to be honest, because trying to recoup costs usually takes time with service companies. But the Airbnb rep walked me through it all, said the landslide was an “act of God”, and per the policy, we’d get a full refund. I was so thankful. Within days the money would be back on our Mastercard. Whew. Next up – some R&R at the pool and hot tub after a stressful morning!

Day 5

Ocean Trails Resort did not disappoint. We had a great time there with walks on the beach, mini-golf, the pool and hot tub and just generally resting and recharging for two days after our busy time in Campbell River and Courtney.

Day 6

Our time was brief in Parksville and, now, it was time to pack up and head on to the next segment of the trip – we’d be living on a different Island for a few days! More on that later. In the meantime, we wanted to take in a few more local activities before heading south to Nanaimo. First up – the international Sand Castle Competition. The sculptures (on display for the summer) were amazing – I don’t know how anyone could create such designs out of sand. And then we took off to the Englishman River Falls Provincial Park (I think that’s what it was called). Beautiful spot! It involved an hour-long hike through forests with massive trees (Douglas Firs, Redcedars, spruce) and over an assortment of falls. Breath-taking, really.

We couldn’t stay long though, because we had to rush down toward Nanaimo, 40 kilometers away, for the ferry ride to Protection Island, about a kilometer or two off the coast of Vancouver Island. We had a cottage booked there and wanted to get settled in before dinner-time. After arriving at the harbour, we unloaded our bags (the ferry was only a “walk-on” – no vehicles. So we needed to carry everything over to the island) and then I parked the Durango in a nearby underground public parkade – 5 min walk from harbour- at a cheap daily rate ($9/d).

The ferry left the dock every hour so it wasn’t long before it arrived for boarding. They only took cash and luckily we had some in our pockets – $14/person, return trip. We all piled in – a full house! About 20-25 people on board. The skipper was an entertaining fellow – lots of fun bantering and he had some great music playing during the 10-15 minute ride. We sailed up to the Dingy Dock Pub dock where a floating pub and restaurant is located (the only registered floating pub in Canada).  From there we disembarked and headed up the stairs onto the island. It was small – about 0.6 square kilometers with 350 year-round residents. There are no paved roads on the island – all dirt roads and pathways. The general mode of transportation for the residents is either golf carts or walking. We settled into a very cozy, rustic cottage right off the shore on Pirate’s Lane. It was beautiful – just what we were hoping for. We quickly cooked up some pizzas bought in Nanaimo. The kids enjoyed the feast and then we were all hitting the sack early after another busy day of adventures.

Day 7

Catharine and I awoke early and decided to get some fresh air. We walked around the circumference of the island along the dirt roads. Took about an hour. There was such an eclectic collection of homes and cottages – from run down shanties to beautifully manicured lawns and mansions. We will definitely come back here again some day – you really felt like you were off the grid – no traffic, no noise, just the woods, the water, some residents and racoons! We saw quite a few during our stay but they kept their distance and were not in our space.

Once the kids awoke later on that morning, we retrieved the kayaks on the premises and kayaked around the island. Invigorating! Once we got into the north side, the swells were rolling a little higher but it was fun, whereas the south side was more calm, more sheltered. And some seals were playing about on the south side. Their heads would pop up out of the water a hundred feet away or so, checking us out, keeping an eye on us while the sun beat down (we had great weather except for a day back in Campbell River when it rained quite a bit).

We enjoyed some R&R back at the cottage before heading down to the Dingy Dock Pub for supper. Yum! We filled the gullets and then it was back to the cottage where the kids watched The Notebook. I was out like a light – in my older years, I find it tough to stay awake beyond 10pm. I tried reading a book but lasted about 2 pages… zzzz

Day 8

Our last day on Vancouver Island! What a trip so far… we packed alot in but we had a bit more to go as our flight wasn’t departing until the evening. We packed up at the cottage and headed out. But as walked through the front lawn, I stepped on a wasp (I was wearing sandals) and the bugger stung me… a world of hurt ! Part of my foot swelled up quite a bit but I soldiered on. We got back on the ferry and then arrived in Nanaimo 15 minutes later. Back into the Durango we went and we headed south once again… next stop – Victoria!

The traffic was much more congested heading south – stop and go at some points, but we made it into the city and continued on to the university of Victoria. Andrew and Linnea had some friends there and they wanted to take a quick tour of the grounds to check things out. A beautiful campus. We also enjoyed some lunch there – the kids were never far from feeling hungry on the road! Growing bodies… Afterward, we drove into the downtown area and walked around, checking out the stores. Lots of cool shops as we browsed and shopped about. But the clock was ticking – we returned to the vehicle and headed north to the airport. Not too far away. I dropped them off and then drove the Durango back to the Enterprise for the drop off, then Uber’d back to the airport. With the sun going down, we boarded the plane and took off into the skies back east over the Rockies.

Overall we enjoyed the trip immensely. So much to do on the island ! If only we had more time…

Expenses

Regarding the expenses – we spent about $11,178 (Cdn$)… a bit more than what we were budgeting but it’s just an expensive place to visit – and the Orca trip alone was around $1,700. Not cheap! Nor was the rental vehicle – about $1,300 for the 8 days. And it would’ve been $700 more if we had rented it from the Victoria airport. It pays to do some research, to compare and review. You never know where you can save some money here and there while still achieving a meaningful adventure.  And the accommodations averaged out to about $352/n. Again, not cheap, but there were 6 of us, so we needed sizeable accommodations at each location and we didn’t want to skimp too much on amenities.

Here’s the breakdown of the actuals:

(1) Flights (Calgary to Victoria) – $2,284

(2) Rental vehicle – $1,273

(3) Uber (airports in Victoria and Calgary) – $298

(4) Gasoline – $199

(5)  Accommodations (Campbell River) – $1,414

(6) Accommodations (Parksville) – $1,071

(7) Accommodations (Protection Island) – $1,053

(8) Nanaimo Ferry + Parking – $102

(9) Meals & groceries – $1,246

(10) Dog-sitting (our little Una in Calgary) – $400

(11) Events (mini-golf) – $113

(12) Events (Orca day tour) – $1,725

Picture 1: After a nice seafood dinner up north at Campbell River. Andrew & Linnea trying to avoid the water!

Picture 2: A bit rainy! Our family on the boat up around the northerly tip of Cortes Island checking out this beautiful bay and waterfall

Picture 3: All of us backroadin’ on an old Ford pickup. We needed it to get us to the Medicine Bowls (set of waterfalls/swimming holes) in the backwoods near Courtney

Picture 4: Jumping into the Medicine Bowls… stunning place

Picture 5: Ryan pointing to the signs at Refuge Cove on West Redonda Island. Very cool outpost in the middle of nowhere (accessible only by bushplane or boat). Lots of rain that day but it added to the mystique of the place. Loved it

Picture 6: Visiting Parksville and the international sandcastle competition. Personally I thought this one shoulda won (The King!)

Picture 7: We rented a place (view out toward the water) for part of our trip on a 0.6 square kilometer island called Protection Island. Was so peaceful and relaxing

Picture 8: Jenna, Andrew, Linnea & Ryan enjoying the last night of holidays

Picture 9: Kayaking around Protection Island. The seals were keeping an eye on us in areas! Cute animals