Ashley’s adventures continue with his visit to beautiful Vancouver and Vancouver Island.
Vancouver is a culturally diverse city with a buzzing nightlife and great sightseeing. I stayed at the Fairmont Vancouver which is centrally located to shopping and dining locations. A really interesting area you must visit in Vancouver is Gastown. This cobbled old town district has been transformed into a trendy bar and restaurant scene.
My last destination was Victoria which was the perfect way to end my Canadian adventure. Victoria sits on the craggy southern end of Vancouver Island which is famous for its natural beauty and stunning harbour. I stayed at the beautiful Fairmont Empress which is perfectly located to enjoy the bohemian shops, boutique breweries and innovative restaurants.
You can’t go to Victoria without visiting the beautiful Butchart Gardens. The gardens are set over 55 acres and offer a relaxing atmosphere where you will be captivated by the colours and smells of the different varieties of plants and flowers. The gardens were created by Jennie Butchart over 100 years ago and today are open to the public, hosting around a million visitors each year. The gardens are for all ages and whether you have green fingers or not is definitely worth a visit.
After a relaxing morning of gardens and high tea it was time to get the adrenalin pumping with a whale watching cruise by high speed zodiac. I was lucky enough to see dozens of killer whales feeding and breaching. It was an amazing experience that I will never forget.
Vancouver Island is approximately 100km west of Vancouver and 100km north of Seattle. There are daily ferry services from both cities and it is a very popular destination. Victoria is the capital of British Columbia and home to the British Columbia Parliament. The parliament buildings are very impressive, built in 1897 at a cost of $923,000.
The Vancouver Island locals are a friendly bunch, proud of their region and its distinct differences to the mainland. But don’t make the mistake of referring to the place as ‘Victoria Island!’
Canada is an awe-inspiring destination with mind blowing scenery and so many captivating experiences. I will definitely be back!
This article was published in the Coffs Coast Advocate on Saturday 18 November 2018.
