Day 27

Departing Niagara, we were en route primarily to visit some friends just outside of Regina in the middle of Saskatchewan. This would have been over 2500km's even if we'd gone the short way via Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota. But this is a trip across Canada, not the USA, so we went the long way via Sudbury, Thunder Bay and Winnipeg.

And not satisfied with that, we inadvertently got off highway 17 adding a further 350km's to our course, ending up in Timmins - home town of Shania Twain although she wasn't there when we called by. Ironically she has a property in my country, so perhaps she's in Wanaka enjoying a southern hemisphere winter. However everything happens for a reason, thus the detour proved fortuitous because to get back on course to Thunder Bay we took highway 11 and had a most bizarre day of encounters with big things.

After the big detour in the big province of Ontario in the big country of Canada we found:

- the big flying saucer at Moonbeam

- the big moose at Hearst along with a massive Irish Wolfhound who stopped to play

- the huge wood pile in a place we can't recall

- the big Longlac (Long Lake)
- then there was the big snowman in Beardmore

- the big stop sign in Thunder Bay
- another big dog in Thunder Bay
- and finally the big bright full moon that night

In Thunder Bay we met yet another young Mini fan. Funnily Blair hailed from Yellowknife and was heading to Halifax with his family, the converse of our plans.

We were warned that the prairies were long, flat and boring. Well as a piece of advice, two out of three isn't bad I suppose. The prairies are long and they are flat but they're far from boring. But I guess that depends upon your approach. It's a bit like the old saying "Some people walk in the rain and some people just get wet." Admittedly we strayed off the beaten track a bit every now and again, but some of the scenery is just outstanding. The colours of summer and the way clouds cast certain areas into shade makes for constant variation - that's assuming you're prepared to look and occasionally stop and smell the roses.

All cars have a personality if you give them one and Jaffa's no different. Here she makes like a lioness stalking prey in the on the African Savanna. In reality we're just some lost tourists crossing the Canada prairies on another long lonely highway - and what great fun it is.

I should take this opportunity to say that I've lost count of how many Canadians have said they've never seen their own country. Please, to all Canadians, you have a fantastic and beautiful country, get out and see it. It's never too late and nothing's impossible.