Three Vancouver Island Adventures - Part II

Kayaking on Quadra Island

Quadra Island is one of the Discovery Islands that dot the inland passage between Vancouver Island and mainland British Columbia. One way to think of them is the Canadian counterpart of the San Juan Islands further south.

Looking out at Quadra Island's lighthouse from Campbell River.

 After lunch we loaded the Subaru and the kayaks on the ferry in Campbell River, no reservations required, and were pulling into Quathiaski Cove ten minutes later.

Arriving at Quathiaski Cove on the Ferry 

Rebecca Spit

 The drive to the east side of the island took about the same amount of time. We were heading for Rebecca Spit, a Provincial Park, that provides some protection for Heriot Bay. We are not expert kayakers by any means, and so we were looking for some safe flat water. We definitely found it. The wind and water were both very quiet and the temperature was comfortably warm when we started out.

View of the mainland from Rebecca Spit

On Heriot Bay, inside Rebecca Spit

We paddled across Heriot Bay, spotted some sea stars on the rocks, looked at the boats in the marina, then headed back. The wind began to pick up and by the time we got back I was paddling kind of hard.  (Rick however was gliding effortlessly through the waves. We have two very different kinds of kayaks.) After packing everything back into and onto the car we got a burger and falafel (both excellent) at the Raving Raven, a small native run establishment on the road back to the ferry.  Great timing - we caught the 6:30 ferry back to Campbell River.  "Rush hour" was clearly over; no one even took our return trip ticket.

Next: Our overnight to Tofino.