The North Gulf Islands Explorer (28.35)

Itinerary

• Day
  1

  All participants meet at the Cedar by the Sea boat launch/beach at the end of Fawcett Road in Cedar by the Sea at 10:30 am. on Day#1 (10 mins. south of Nanaimo...map provided in your Expedition Package). Here the guides will assign you to a kayak and help you get your personal gear stowed away. When everyone is ready, we'll go over some basic paddling fundamentals and a safety orientation and then launch into the waters of Stuart Channel. With helpful advice and instruction from your guides, it won't take long till you feel you're getting the "hang of it" as we paddle through a maze of islands making up the DeCourcey Archipelago. These waters are home to inquisitive river otters and harbour seals, and it is not uncommon for us to encounter these playful mammals within the first few hours of our day. After a couple of hours, we'll land on one of the gorgeous islet beaches and you can sit back and enjoy a delicious lunch the guides will prepare. After lunch we'll launch the kayaks and make our way across Pyladdes Channel to the coastline of Valdez Island where we’ll camp for the next 2 nights. After landing the kayaks, having a tour of the area and getting your tent site picked out, your free to unpack and explore the area, go for a swim or just lie back with a book and enjoy. For those wanting to use their leg muscles, several gorgeous hikes through a maze of trails on the Island is an option. A sumptuous dinner, roaring fire and a canopy of stars above is the evenings entertainment.

  Meals: Lunch, Dinner

  Accomodation: Camping
• Day
  2

  After a delicous breakfast, we’ll pack up a lunch for the day and set out into the spectacular Pyladdes and Trincomali Channels. We’ll enjoy another great day of paddling, lunch on gorgeous Blackberry beach and for the intrepid adventurer, we can climb/scramble to the highest peak on Valdez, Mexicana Hill, where an awesome view of the entire Channels and Islands of the Strait is visible. We’ll return to our site later in the day. Time to relax those muscles with a swim, sip a glass of wine and relive the day’s adventures over some refreshments.

  Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  Accomodation: Camping
• Day
  3

  We'll wake to the aroma's of coffee, cooked breakfast and the sounds of the lapping waves for our final day in the gorgeous Gulf Islands. After breakfast, we'll break “camp” and load up all the kayaks with our gear..."this stuff should all fit, shouldn't it?". We’ll then bid good bye to our lovely Valdez Island and make our way back. Along the gorgeous route back, we may be spoilt again with a “show” of otters, ever curious seals following behind or an eagle perched above. We’ll stop on one of the beaches along the way for another great lunch. With the tides in our favour and sunshine and warm breezes on our faces, we should arrive back at our embarkation point of Cedar by the Sea between 2:30pm and 3:30pm.

  Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

  Accomodation: Accommodation by Customer