 BRITISH
COLUMBIA   June 26th - July 5th:
I saw the attraction  almost immediately - scenic vistas of the Rocky Mountains,
lakes, rivers, waterfalls, abundant wildlife... oh yes, did I mention the
magnificent golf course there? I believe the fishing is excellent too, although
we never got around to doing any fishing, simply ran out of time.... Sure would
have liked to wet a line at the promising fishing "holes" in the area. I guess
to fully appreciate the beauty of this beautiful peaceful region and the
various outdoor activities available, we should have given ourselves more
time... and more warm clothing, too. Quite unprepared  for the cooler than
expected weather, the only warm clothes we had were a couple of windcheaters
each and a light jacket.
Where
was I? Oh yes, the very next day after our arrival, our friends took us on a
short, easy hike to Quality Creek - (note the word, While
there, our friends took us to Dawson Creek (click on "Mile 0" on the left for
Copyright � 2004
OzLadyM |
I was filled with anticipation when
told that the bus would be stopping at a duty free store (if my memory serves
me right, it was West Coast Duty Free in Surrey, BC) so passengers would get a
chance to indulge in a few minutes of shopping. I gleefully hopped off the bus
and re-boarded shortly, triumphantly clutching a bag full of duty free goodies.
We went through the Canadian Customs checkpoint without any hassle but got
several quizzical looks when we said our Canadian destination is Tumbler Ridge.
Hopped off at Vancouver Bus Depot and
on to Greyhound Canada to continue on our journey. By the time we got to
Kamloops for another bus change, our bellies were growling somewhat but we
had overlooked getting some Canadian currency. Undaunted, my MOTH went ahead
and bought some sandwiches 
and drinks with US currency. We got back onboard and
started wolfing down our dinner. Halfway through my sandwich, I decided to use
the restroom while it was unoccupied, so I put down my half eaten egg and mayo
sandwich on my seat. Bad move! Upon my return, I promptly sat down on it,
resulting in a decorative smear across the backside of my pants! The rest of
the bus trip continued without a hitch with another bus change at Prince George
and a breakfast of fried chicken wings at Mackenzie before arriving in Chetwynd
in the late morning.
Our friends, Eric and Prudence, were waiting for us at the bus depot there and
after a much needed cup of coffee (Tim Hortons, of course!), we travelled on in
their vehicle to Tumbler Ridge. The small town of Tumbler Ridge is a fairly new
one, built in the
"easy") Yeah, right! Easy,
my foot! The way there was fun, had a fire happening, cooked beef franks on
sticks and cooled our drinks in the icy cold waterfall nearby. Then it was time
to head back - that was when the word "easy" got misunderstood by my brain. It
was like climbing the Himalayas, if you asked me! Needless to say, there were
no more suggestions of future hikes after hearing my wheezy gasping pleas to
slow down some.
larger image), Fort St John, the awesome Kinuseo Falls, Monkman Park (where
they serve as voluntary rangers), Quintette Mine and various other interesting
places. As a wee gesture of my appreciation, I cooked a pot of chicken curry
for our hosts and threw in a free hair cut as well 
(during a friends get 
together bbq at Moose Lake). I had my first taste of a
moose roast one night - it was okay but I made a point of not having seconds
though. Give me a roast lamb dinner any time!
so
missed some good shots of the fireworks. My MOTH's birthday the next day was
celebrated with our friends - Prudence whipped up a very yummy rum cake
while Eric did a magnificent job of preparing an Indonesian feast.
The
next couple of days were spent sight-seeing, with me desperately longing to
snap photos of bears and moose in the wild, while trying to absorb as much of
the beautiful sights as I possibly could. I knew for a fact that there were
bears aplenty as I had seen their poo in the middle of the road! More proof of
elks, too - I got a photo of elk poo in my collection now, together with many,
many photos of the native flora. I marvelled at the size of the native
bird - 
the mosquito! I wish our Aussie mozzies are that big - far easier to see
and swat, I reckon. If not for the fact that my family are all in Melbourne, I
would seriously consider moving to Tumbler Ridge. I'll bet I'd have some
fishing tales to share, not to mention encounters with a bear or two!
All too soon, it was time to
say goodbye to our dear friends at the bus depot in Chetwynd. After a tearful
farewell, 
we got on a Greyhound Canada
bus to begin our long journey back to Vancouver, then on to Seattle. At
least we had the right currency this time and were able to enjoy lunch and
dinner. From within the bus, I saw a glorious sunset that evening and then the
sunrise as we approached Vancouver the next morning. It was a pretty uneventful
ride as we spent our 17th wedding anniversary sitting up all night in the oh-so-
romantic atmosphere of a moving Greyhound bus....
