After five weeks back in the UK and after a van service, new tyres and a new windscreen we were back on the road in Canada. 

Although we spent a week or so in the Vancouver area, circumstances meant that we didn’t have time to visit the city and we didn’t really start travelling properly until we got to Vancouver Island.  Up until now the roads had been pretty quiet but now the holiday season was beginning and there were an amazing number of RVs on the road! 

We took the two hour ferry from Tsawwassen to Nanaimo and headed straight out to the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve on the west coast where we did a couple of the shorter walks near Wickaninnish Beach and Tofino.  There are a few long sandy beaches broken up by small rocky coves but the strong tides mean swimming is not advised, but a paddle had to be done.

We then headed back across the island to make our way up the east coast to catch another ferry to take us further up the coast of the mainland.  On our way we caught up with fellow UK travellers Ceri and Dwayne (aka @roamingramidodger) over a pizza and a beer.  They have some exciting times ahead as they have just bought an old school bus to convert.

Telegraph Cove was our final stop on the island and an interesting place to visit.  It’s a former fishing and cannery village which has now become a centre for eco-tourism with the old buildings being restored as restaurants, gift shops and visitor accommodation.

Our second ferry was a 17.5 hour journey from Port Hardy to Prince Rupert through the Inside Passage.  It was a smooth sailing and the scenery was stunning but sadly we didn’t see much wildlife on the way.

We quite a few more photos on our Facebook page ClewleysOnTour

Motorhoming 

We only used one campsite the island, Lost Shoe Campground, a pretty basic site with just water and pit toilets and which cost CAD42 per night (approximately £24) which was the cheapest we found on the west coast.  We also spent one night in Port Hardy ferry terminal (CAD22) ahead of an early start for the ferry.

BC Ferries run frequently to Nanaimo and Victoria from Vancouver.  We booked a couple of days ahead and it cost CAD148.60 (£85).  We booked the longer ferry from Port Hardy to Prince Rupert about six weeks ahead.  The trip cost CAD1,062.75 (£608) which included CAD80 for seat reservations in the lounge which we felt was worth it for the 17.5 hour journey; cabins are also available but at a cost.  On this trip they allow access to vehicles for a short period every few hours, mostly for people to attend to their pets which are not allowed on the main decks, but we used the time to pick up food and snacks – there was a restaurant on board but it would have been costly to have eaten and drunk there all day.

The whole process of booking, checking in, embarking and disembarking for both these trips was smooth and without any hiccups.  We used the BC Ferries website and app and both were easy to navigate.

We’re using iOverlander on a daily basis to find park ups, water, dumps and laundromats.

LPG, or propane, is easy to get and prices are pretty much as they are at home.