4 Cool Things to Do on Vancouver Island
We have been to Vancouver Island twice now. Do we know the island upside down? Well … no! This island is larger than our own little Belgian home country. Therefore after approximately two weeks of exploring, we’re nowhere near discovering all of its secrets. So whenever anyone asks us if we would like to go back, the answer is a straightforward YES!
To give you a glimpse of where our enthusiasm comes from, I’ll be sharing 4 personal memorable moments in a minute. Just know there are many more reasons why you should or might want to visit Vancouver Island. I’m quite sure I’ll be writing some more about this stunning area. Who knows, maybe after reading these four amazing activities, you’ll want to pack your things and head over there right now. I wouldn’t be surprised.
1. On the right track
If you’re afraid of heights, number one might not be for you, but if the idea of walking amongst the treetops seems appealing to you, then it’s a great suggestion.
How we came up with the idea of exploring an abandoned railway trestle? Our good friend Instagram of course. Inspired by a few pictures of online storytellers, it seemed a nice adventure and a great photo opportunity to us.
Goldstream Provincial Park fitted perfectly into our road itinerary. From the campsite, there’s a hike that leads straight up to the trestle. The hike isn’t all that memorable. We especially disliked hearing cars drive by the entire walk up there. But on the other hand, it’s convenient to have a loop that starts and ends right at your tent site.
Once we reached the trestle it became clear we needed to watch our steps. Like with any abandoned and old site, there were quite a few dangers. So we walked slowly and carefully. Safely in the middle, dodging the rather large gaps. I remember thinking: How durable are those beams exactly? And then little by little we approached the edge, took a peek down and realised: ‘Ok, this is hiiiiiiiiigh!’
After a while, we started to feel more at ease. We chilled for a little while enjoying the fact that we were surrounded by treetops. We observed a few dare-devils who got lucky pulling off some crazy stunts on the wrong side of the railing. Oh … and we crashed our brand-new drone.
Unaware (as newbies to flying a drone) that the metal of the trestle interfered with the calibration of the drone. I knew something was off when I saw all the lights turning red. But it was too late. The thing literally went crazy and took a deep dive. Luckily it got stuck in a tree where we could still reach it. If it had fallen one meter further, it would have gone straight into the river where we would never have been able to recover it.
2. Beachswings at sundown
Do you want to experience one of those idyllic swing experiences at the beach? Then you don’t need to go to some paradise island in the Caribbean. At Mystic Beach (Which even sounds every bit as exotic as the Caribbean Islands) you can enjoy similar swing adventures. Including the sand between your toes, a sea breeze gently caressing your hair and the sun kissing your face.
In the late afternoon, the beach might get slightly more crowded. It did when we were there. But by the time sunset kicked in, we had the place to ourselves. And what do you think of this bonus: There are actually two different swings at Mystic Beach!
Sounds like the most fairy-like ending of your day, right? And it is. Or it was. Those ten first swings for me anyway. After that, my poor equilibrium made it very clear it was better to stop if I didn’t want to see my lunch back. But if flying airplanes, going on rollercoaster rides and turning upside down doesn’t upset your stomach, you’ll be having the time of your life here.
3. Standing under a hidden waterfall
Thanks to instagram, we found out there was this amazingly beautiful hidden waterfall on Sombrio Beach (another great beach along the Juan de Fuca Trail). We couldn’t help but notice that the people who posted pictures of it didn’t go into details about the exact location and quite a few people commented on those pictures that they’d been at the beach but hadn’t been able to find the waterfall.
That sounded like a real challenge…one we gladly accepted. And JACKPOT! After gathering all the tips we could find and a little common sense while scouring the beach, we finally managed to locate it.
This used to be a sacred spiritual place to the natives. It’s not hard to understand their worship. It’s an inspirational and stunningly beautiful location. Except for the disrespectful rock carvings that is. Why do people do this? I truly don’t understand.
We were prepared to -literally- get soaked by the magic this place has to offer. For a few minutes (felt like forever) we stood there, hesitating and shivering in our bathing suits. Up until that moment, we had been the only ones there. Of course, a few extra explorers showed up right at the exact moment we were debating who should be the first to get wet. They glanced at us and once they understood what we were up to, they frowned but encouraged us nonetheless.
Alright, now or never! Before we knew it, we both had a massive headache from the ice-cold water as well as a gigantic smile on our faces because we actually did it.
4. Orca spotting
Orcas are one of my favourite animals. The Free Willy movies might have something to do with it. Anyway, I will never forget the first time I saw them in the wild (upon our first visit to Canada). Oh, how I longed to see them again, roaming the deep blue waters of the ocean.
We were told to head over to a place called Telegraph Cove, as it’s stated to be one of the best locations to spot orcas. That is if you’re not visiting in June (which we were of course ) because in that month, sightings are significantly lower and there’s a big chance you won’t see a fin.
Finding out how little our chances were to spot one, I remember reacting firmly: ‘No way, we will at least see one orca on our day out on the water!’
In the end, it was with little hope I set foot on that Stubbs Island Whale Watching boat. Chances were small. The guides informed us that only whales and seals had been spotted up until that day.
But on holiday, luck often seems to be on our side. Halfway through our excursion, a radio message came in. They had just spotted the first orca. Was this a stunt from the organisation?
They wouldn’t dare, right? The joy and the astonishment of the marine biologist on board seemed so pure to me. No, this wasn’t staged. Her excitement was as real as it could be and we happened to be the (extremely early) utterly lucky birds who got to admire killer whales that season.
We got several glimpses of many members of the pod. We listened to their fascinating high squeaking sounds. Our entire holiday was already a high, but let me tell you, they made it even more special!
Please remember to stay safe when embarking on adventurous trips and to use your common sense at all times. Don’t ever put yourself or anyone else in danger.
Want to read some more? How about our hiking adventures in Namibia?
Or maybe you would like to see what an ice cave in Iceland might look like?
