canada week : vancouver island part II

One of our best purchases this holiday was a cable to feed the iPod into the car stereo because some of our journeys were long and the children loved taking it in turns to play DJ. There is always a downside, of course, and now the husband and I could probably compete on Mastermind. Specialist subject: All songs by Lady Gaga! They're pretty good actually, don't you think? Oh, and Adele too!

After three nights in Tofino we headed further north to Telegraph Cove. The closer we got to it the more remote it became, only occasionally was the scenery marred by evidence of logging. Throughout Canada we saw trains with well over a hundred wagons transporting grains or oil but up there, it was logs. We also saw them sitting in rivers, waiting to be floated downstream and eventually made into furniture or paper.

The experience of Telegraph Cove will remain with me forever. Originally a sawmill and cannery community it's name came from the first telegraph operator who set up there in 1911. This gorgeous, cosy cottage (No 8) was where we stayed and was originally built by a Mr Ogawa in 1931. He worked in the cove building boxes to hold the salted dog salmon but during World War II Mr Ogawa was interned along with other Japanese citizens and his home was used for accommodation by various sawmill employees.

{No 8}

{the view from No 8}

Telegraph Cove has been preserved as much as possible and although there is a car park as soon as you arrive in the resort, the only way to get around is on a boardwalk that runs alongside the harbour and to the various cabins right the way to the end of the jetty.

Because the cove is renowned for its wild salmon fishing, the harbour has frequent visits from river otters. And bears! One evening we were walking along the boardwalk talking about a notice we had seen advising people never to go out walking in the nearby woods without taking 'bear spray' when our boy suddenly called out that he had seen one. Of course we thought he was joking but when we caught up with him, we could see a fairly large black bear standing behind a fairly small bush only a couple of metres or so away. We could see the whites of its eyes as it watched us and I tell you, I couldn't get us away fast enough. Needless to say, the children rate that as their favourite part of the holiday!

The Cove is most renowned for being the best place to go whale watching, in particular Orcas (killer whales) and Humpbacks. Our whale watching trip wasn't so great in Tofino, namely because the weather was rough and the children were seasick but here in TC it was completely different. The water was flat calm because we didn't go out onto the open sea and we had fantastic and exciting views of several Humpback whales and three different families of Orcas. It was so peaceful watching them and everyone on the boat was silent, taking in the experience. There was only the intermittent sound of an orca exhaling and it was really very special.

{Humpback}

{Orcas}

And as we left Telegraph Cove for the long drive and ferry crossing back to Vancouver, we saw this little family of black bears on the side of the road. In no hurry whatsoever.

hotels stayed in :

Telegraph Cove : No 8

AMAZING!