| Travelling from the lower mainland of BC to the | | | | then for my buck the ferries are certainly the way to |
| magnificent Vancouver Island, travellers have | | | | go. From the minute to arrive at what ever Terminal |
| numerous choices on how to get there, depending of | | | | you choose to depart from, they are very well |
| course on where they want to be when they land on | | | | organized and almost regimental in everything they do |
| the Island. I have sailed on BC Ferries from | | | | to make your trip less stressful. Their staff is |
| Tsawassan Terminal to Swartz Bay, as I wanted to | | | | extremely friendly and helpful and they will guide you |
| visit the Capital City of Victoria and last week, I sailed | | | | and your car right on to the ship, showing you were to |
| from Horseshoe Bay over to Duke Point in Nanaimo | | | | park and how to find your way back there later. Once |
| as that was my chosen destination for that particular | | | | you leave your vehicle and enter the stairway, a new |
| trip. On both occasions I have to say that I found the | | | | world of exploration awaits you throughout the various |
| Ferries to be great value. They are all very | | | | levels from bow to stern. They have excellent snack |
| comfortable, well equipped and basically have | | | | areas and a great restaurant too, so you can have a |
| something for everyone to pass their time during the | | | | full breakfast or maybe just a cup of freshly made |
| two hour trip. | | | | coffee to start you on your voyage. Amidships you will |
| For those who want to get there faster or perhaps | | | | find a section of little cubicles where you can instantly |
| are a little more affluent, you can choose from a range | | | | connect to the internet and do some business on your |
| of small float planes which fly continually back and | | | | laptop. There is a play room for kids and a video |
| forth to various destinations on the Island. For a little | | | | games room for the older kids and all in all, the whole |
| more money, you can even choose to fly by | | | | ship is well presented, clean and comfortable |
| helicopter if that's what makes you tick. For me, the | | | | everywhere you go. Unlike the majority of ship I have |
| thought of a short sea voyage in itself provides a thrill | | | | sail on, the ferries did not display the usual amount of |
| and of course, some subdued thoughts of the famous | | | | seagulls hovering over her as she departed the |
| Titanic on its fateful maiden voyage. Seriously, we | | | | terminal. May be the BC seagulls don't get to see |
| have advanced dramatically in technology since those | | | | much of that yummy food on the ships and therefore, |
| days and BC Ferries are a sound example of modern | | | | they tend to stay away. At least they did on the times |
| maritime engineering. En-route for the Island by ferry, | | | | I have sailed over to the Island. |
| there are many sights to see and many pictures well | | | | If you have never visited Vancouver Island, then |
| worth taking with your digital camera. For the lucky | | | | where ever you decide to disembark the ship, you will |
| travellers, it is apparently a regular occurrence to see a | | | | instantly notice the quality of air, the lush vegetation |
| school of Whales as they travel down between the | | | | which abounds everywhere and the friendliness and |
| Gulf Islands and the Georgia Straight on their way to | | | | very laid back style of the people who live there. The |
| far off places. Also, depending on what time of day | | | | Island has everything you could ever want in any |
| you decide to travel, you can savour the opportunity to | | | | destination and no matter which direction you may |
| see some of the most marvellous and awe inspiring | | | | drive, the scenery just continued to get better all the |
| sunsets you are likely to find anywhere. Normally, I try | | | | time. Ocean and rugged mountain views. Smaller |
| to time my return trip back to the mainland to coincide | | | | Islands speckled endlessly on serene blue waters. |
| with the sunset time and this way, I can capture a new | | | | Eagles soaring above and extremely tame deer |
| range of images and endless shades of colour with | | | | roaming almost everywhere you go. It is indeed a |
| my camera. | | | | wonderful place and in my humble opinion, it could well |
| If you are in no great rush to get to Vancouver Island, | | | | be a little piece of heaven on Earth. |
