Day 49

Heading back from Salt Spring via two ferries to Vancouver, it was time to return Jaffa to Mini Canada and prepare for our respective flights home to New Zealand and Montréal.

Nancy and the canola crops through Jaffa's rearview mirror.

As I've noted previously, showing a car regular TLC sometimes sounds a bit airy fairy if you think of it as just another inanimate object. As someone who's divested himself of virtually all his material possessions, it's ironic that those who possess a lot of them seem to treat them with the least respect. I on the other hand, am not only happy to have Jaffa washed and vacuumed out of respect for her, she was also still the property of Mini Canada who had lent her to us in the first place. Thus, returning her in as near new condition as possible is just common courtesy.

As a Kiwi, making a mobile outdoor fireplace from an old washing machine drum and a lawnmower base, really struck me as great "do it yourself" ingenuity.

But whether you concur with my philosophy or not, Jaffa had taken us over 19,000km's without incident and threaded us through a window in the great weather diversity of a Canadian summer with a 99.3% roof down record. We did in seven weeks what most people do in a year, me driving on the unfamiliar side of the road, and completed our voyage all in near perfect condition. Was it due to statistically quantifiable (but incredibly long odds) luck, or was it due to karma, protective angels or the hand of God?

Jaffa getting in good with the Big Guy.

The one advantage I have over those who believe I live in a fantasy world is that in my world, anything is possible. Don't believe me? Watch the children around you laugh and play their way through life if ever you need convincing that there are greater things at play in the machinations of this world than we know.

Thank you Mini, thank you Canada!

In March and April of 2011, Nancy and I will be touring New Zealand to meet the people and view the country from a great Kiwi (New Zealand) icon, the deck. Kiwis love the outdoors, love to have barbeques and love to entertain. And what better place to do that than the open alfresco nature of a deck (terrasse).

Until then, I hope some of you take up the opportunity to see the amazing country that is Canada. Remember tomorrow never comes, love and laughter - Shaun

Day 48

Following Prince George, we continued south to the Okanagan Valley and Kelowna; a veritable playground for  water sports enthusiasts. Even we, who chose to go horse riding, took the "ride and swim" option - it seeming both a pleasant way for us to escape the valley's dry heat and a more humane way to ride horses when it's approaching 50 degrees in their corral (in the sun).

Peter, "Lucy", Shaun and Nancy

Of more entertainment to me though was watching a young boy called Thomas partake in the same activity. The day prior he'd been out adventurimg on ATV's with dad, today it was mum's turn to take him horse riding. He looked very cute in his snake skin riding boots.

We tented the night at a sparse but quite adequate campground, dining in our usual culinary style just metres from the edge of Lake Okanagan. Despite the setting sun, there were still many keen boaties out wave surfing and biscuiting, the sounds of laughter adding to the balmy nature of the evening.

Departing before nine the next day, we were heading for Whistler to take the gondola ride across to the Blackcomb skifield. But prior to that we had some 420km's of new territory to cover, including a section down highway 99 and an impressive valley to Lillooet, now utilised by BC Hydro for power generation. Arriving at the Whistler gondola ticket office at exactly 5pm, it had unfortunately just closed. Although I suspect we missed a spectacular trip, everything happens for a reason. So after refreshments at one of the local establishments, we hit the road, now deciding to make for Vancouver.

 

Although Vancouver was technically our final destination, we had no intention of stopping there just yet. The next morning we drove and walked around Stanley Park, arguably the nicest, well appointed all round park I've been to anywhere in the world. And one well utilised by locals and tourists alike.

Getting lost or at least experiencing many occasions of deja vu was an integral and fun part of this whole trip, needless to say, driving back through Vancouver from Stanley Park we got lost - again, driving back around on ourselves - again! But eventually we found our way to the ferries at Tsawwassen and sailed over to Victoria.

A series of sculptures based on the laughing face of the artist, Yue Minjun.

The primary reason for going to Victory, besides it being a very clean and pretty provincial capital, was to visit the Butchart Gardens. I'd been there over Christmas to see them in all their snow and festive light glory, but figured they must be even more spectacular in the
summer. And we were not disappointed.

 

Taking one final short ferry ride, we left Vancouver Island to overnight in a gorgeous B&B on Salt Spring Island - Monivea

This afforded us the opportunity to take the short walk up to Reginald Pt in Fulford Harbour  where we watched the sun go down over Camembert, a baguette and a Pinot Gris. Another one of life's precious moments seared into long-term memory by a dipping sun.

The sun watching us . . .

. . . us watching the sun!