Vancouver Island, B.C. – Nanaimo, Parksville, Campbell River

After driving over 1,400 kms through Alberta and BC, the Boom Bus has finally made it to what I like to call my second home – Vancouver Island. I’ve only visited the island a hand full of times but every time I’m out here I’m reminded of what makes this the best island in the world.

1. Awesome people.
No where else in the world will you find a more laid-back and genuine group of people. You can sense a humble pride and appreciation they have for the beauty around them. I’ve talked to dozens of locals who ask me about the tour. They are always excited to share some hidden gem, upcoming festival or interesting place for me to visit on the island.  To describe a Vancouver Island resident in 3 words I’d say friendly, easy going, and generally very active… which brings us to…

2. You can snowboard and hit world class surfing in the same day. (Mt. Washington and Tofino) It doesn’t end there though… golf, windsurfing, mountain biking, rock climbing, paragliding, whale watching, salmon fishing… this place is a true mecca for the outdoors man.

It’s hard to cram all these activities into 2 weeks and I know next year I’m going to have to spend at least a month on the Island. So far I’ve checked out all the main beaches between Nanaimo and Campbell River, fished for river salmong, mini golfed Riptide Lagoon in Parksville, and golfed Brigadoon (a fun, laid back little par 3-4 in Parksville. Especially excellent if you team up with a couple hilarious locals – Allen & Cooter)

Vancouver Island Beaches done so far:

-Rathtrevor Beach & Provincial Park – medium rocky beach, $30/night camping (very busy in summer), 3$/day parking for beach visit.

-Parksville beach – a couple kms west of Rathtrevor (Beachside Dr.) , also medium rocky beach, tide goes out a lot (very shallow for 100+ meters), free parking.

-Qualicum Beach – on route to Campbell River from Nanaimo. Cute little town, beautiful view from beach. Pretty quiet and same kind of rockier shore.

Nanaimo is often known as the “Hub, Tub, and Pub City” and holds the title of “Bathtub Racing Capital of the World” (what’s this?).  The annual event is held on the last weekend of July every year. “Hub” comes from Nanaimo’s central location on the island and “pub” – the numerous watering holes. You can check out Protection Island and grab a bite and beer at the Dinghy Dock Pub while you’re there (you take a small ferry from downtown Nanaimo to get there -$9)

Campbell River (about an hour and a half north of Nanaimo) is home to some of the best salmon fishing in the world. You can watch the salmon take the hook right from the side of the river that runs through town. The salmon run is usually end of Sep. / early Oct. but even now (end of August) they were biting and jumping out of the water like crazy. An 8 day BC freshwater fishing license – $40. All your gear ~$40
Fishing tip: After talking with several local fishers I used a two foot lead hook with 1/4 oz. weight and pink yarn (1 inch) for lure. Other popular hooks are the Buzz Bomb and Dirty Dick.

Snorkeling with the Salmon on the Campbell River

There’s no better vantage point to watch the salmon spawning run than from right in the water. You can float down with the current and watch hundreds of fish a few feet beneath you.  A few different spots in town will rent out a mask, snorkel and wetsuit. You can also pick up a snorkel set at Walmart if you want to brave the waters without a wetsuit. I found this on Beaver Aquatics website…

The logging bridge at Detweiler and Highway 28 is the preferred entry. There’s lots of room for parking and easy access to the water from a sandy shoreline. Gear up on the beach above the bridge, adjust your outfit in the shallow water, then float through the centre span and you’re on your way.

You’ll see more fish if you lie quietly in the water and let the current carry you along. Splashing and diving will scare the salmon and disturb the fly fishermen who are also using the river. Watch out for Spring Salmon, Pinks, Coho and Chum; you’ll also see trout and crayfish. Sometimes you’ll find seals hunting near the exit point.

As you approach the highway bridges, stay to the right. The left bank is very shallow. There are a few short stretches of faster water, studded with boulders over which the river rushes. Relax and enjoy the ride. In a wetsuit, you’ll float high in the water and be carried over and around obstacles.

The best exit point is at the dead end of Maple Street, (behind the Quinsam Hotel). Take a look at the spot before you drive up to the logging bridge, so that you’ll recognise it easily from the water. A steep bank of tumbled rock enters the water at the end of Maple Street. Just down river, a path and much lower rocky shoreline offers a good place to climb out. A back eddy here makes it easy. There’s plenty of room to park a pick up vehicle at the end of the road. Load up your gear and head back to the logging bridge; one run is never enough.

You can rent the gear to float the river from Beaver Aquatics. We provide a four-hour rental of wetsuit, mask, snorkel and fins, for $30.00 (plus tax) per person.



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Tags: vancouver island

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 26th, 2010 at 9:13 pm and is filed under vancouver-island. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.