Disclaimer: BC Ferries and Camping and RVing in BC sponsored our travels.
Craggy shoreline, scooped out little coves lined with shells. Sometimes, it’s all smooth pebbles, other times, ground up shells with bits of purple from the mussels. The water has been glassy and green black, the sky gray to blue as the rain cleared out. It’s been quiet, really really quiet, and there’s been a funny sort of hooting early in the morning, in triples, hoot hoot hoot, pause, hoot hoot hoot, pause.
Our campgrounds have been forested and fern covered, big mossy cedar trees towering over us. The rain left the reddish ground muddy. The campgrounds are mostly empty, a few late season campers in tents, a handful of Germans using up their excessive amounts of vacation.
The islands we visited — Pender and Galiano — were a tiny network of hilly two lane roads, narrow and tree-lined, ending in harbors or yet another cove of beach. Pender has 2000 residents, Galiano just over 1200. Both had little business centers — coffee places, book stores, a gas station, a few gift and gallery shops.
We spent most of our time beach combing, picking tiny bits of beach glass out of the sand, marveling at the big purple starfish — and one tiny red one. I watched two types of jellyfish swim in a protected pool, one variety the color of the inside of a blood orange, the other, little transparent lanterns with a four square division across the top. A rocky point just out of reach was covered with seals sunning themselves, their silvery bellies turned upwards.
I haven’t been to New Zealand, but yesterday as we stood on the beach at Gowlland Point, I imagined myself there. It’s not that I wanted to be elsewhere, it’s just that I’ve long wanted to make the trek all the way out to the opposite edge of the planet. I hear, however, and have seen in photos, that it looks an awful lot like the Pacific Northwest. It took us less than a day — by land and ferry — to get to this New Zealand landscape and didn’t cost anywhere near the price of a plane ticket to Auckland.
Great pictures of the marine life! I had no idea there was anything that colorful that far north.
Isn’t it a beautiful area? Each of the Gulf Islands has its own unique character. My parents had a little house on Galiano for a few years so we visited several times.
@joanna: oh, we’re rich with marine life here and yep, it’s got color. didja see the pictures of the big purple starfish? there are anemones too, green ones. though i haven’t seen any on this trip, I have seen them at low tide near my house.
Yep! It’s a lot like here, only with slightly nicer weather and a lot fewer people.
Your writing is as beautiful and colorful as the sealife. A model for travel writers. Go girl!
As usual, Pam, I LOVE your photography. Gorgeous!
You must promise, if you ever make that trek to New Zealand, you’ll let me know. I’ll try and hook you up with some really good people, give you some ideas of what I love (which you can entirely discard) 🙂 and let you know if I’m going to be there.
Beautiful trip going on here! Thanks for sharing it all.