Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dreamscapes.ca/i/679293
oh-so close to nature. At the shore an oys- tercatcher and a long-legged blue heron patrolled for dinner. Purple and orange starfish were attached to rocks like glue. Seals basked on a small islet, their watery, large eyes solemnly watching our progress. We looked for the black and white orcas, a.k.a. killer whales. Three pods of about 90 orcas live here and the ultimate thrill, we had heard, is to kayak amongst them, their tall dorsal fins towering over you. SALT SPRING ISLAND We were lured to Salt Spring Island, the largest and most populated of the islands, by its renowned Saturday Market. Once off the ferry, we drove through bucolic farmland dotted with sheep to Ganges, the main town. The market was abuzz with paintings, carv- ings, sculptures, fresh farm produce, stained glass and blackberry jam. A potter, his greying hair in a ponytail, said, "I moved here in 1980 and fell in love with the deep quiet and the balance between human beings and the land." He's not alone. Since non-aboriginal settlement began in 1859, the Gulf Islands have been a refuge for those seeking a laid-back life including draft dodgers, hippie farmers, eccentrics, solitude seekers, artists, as well as the well-to-do and their glitzy waterfront cottages. We hiked a trail toward the summit of Mount Erskine. Suddenly Allyson pointed and gasped, "Look, there's a little door leading into the rock. Elves must live here." We had stumbled upon some of the fairy doors created by an eccentric islander. MAYNE ISLAND A few hot summer days later found us on the deck of the Springwater Lodge on Mayne Island sipping cool ales. Sailboats lay at anchor in Miners Bay, kids squealed as they jumped off the wharf into the cold water and gleaming white super ferries sounded deep throaty warnings. It felt so deliciously nautical. I also felt a shiver for this is the oldest continuously operating hostelry in British Columbia (established 1892) and is