Re: Off on my jolly to BC soon :)
 

I have a question, why on gods green earth would anybody want to live in Port Hardly ? I dont no if I have been there on bad days/weeks but I just cant see it, it looks and feels like a booze driven wine shack, The fishing is good but everything else is just run down :unsure:

Can anybody tell me anything good about Port Hardly ? I would say its like east of hastings

Re: Off on my jolly to BC soon :)
 

Tofino bus rocks ........................if you jump the bus you will have friends before you get there, keep your tofino plans kinda loose as you will meet loads of surf dudes and you will most likely follow them to where ever they are going to pitch up, be warned any more than 2 or 3 days in Tofino and you will be getting a Tattoo or a piercing, Tofino has that effect on travellers of all ages (me 42) and even I found myself in the Tattoo Studio :confused:

Re: Off on my jolly to BC soon :)
 

ukcanuck - fab reply, thanks so much for taking the time to write that!

I've lived in Aberdeen (on the coast) all my life so living inland doesn't hold much appeal for me, it's the island I'd be seriously looking at moving to - I'm not interested in living in a big city but I like that Vancouver would be closeby for when I need a fix. Glad to hear how attached to the island your wife's become in a relatively short space of time, bodes well :thumbup:

One thing I've been wondering about - the BC Lonely Planet mentions the VIA Malahat Railway - goes between Victoria and Courtenay? It sounds like a good way to take in the scenery and a more pleasant way to travel (than on a bus), but don't suppose you know if you can jump on/jump off that line do you? I quite fancy going from one end of the line to the other, and back, but probably getting off at a couple of places and maybe even staying overnight depending on where it stops. Just wasn't sure if it'd end up being expensive buying each short section of journey individually or if I could buy the Victoria-Courtenay return.

Hard to scope these things out from afar!

Re: Off on my jolly to BC soon :)
 

I like the sound of this place already! :thumbsup: Just so long as I don't end up getting some footloose surfer's name inked at the base of my back.. :blink:

Re: Off on my jolly to BC soon :)
 

Happy to help with any Victoria queries...good relations with my local pharmacy too so maybe I can get some advice for you from my pharmacists. Wife and I would be happy to meet up for drink/lunch etc. We live right downtown so can meet up on short notice if you're near the Inner Harbour or International Youth Hostel on lower Yates. Drop me a PM if interested.

While here there are the reliable touristy things (Butchart Gardens, whale watching, Beacon Hill Park) and we also have a nice selection of brewpubs (Spinnakers, Canoe, Swans) within easy walking distance. If you rejig your schedule to free up a day or two, taking the ferry to one or more of the Gulf Islands off Victoria (Saltspring, Galiano, Pender, Mayne, Saturna) and hiking or riding bike on them is a beautiful experience - very West Coast BC :)

Re: Off on my jolly to BC soon :)
 

Having grown up there I would say that Port Hardy is a great place.

Most of its cons are also its pros - it all depends on what you want out of where you live. I like the small town vibe where people stop theor cars in the middle of the road to talk to each other and no one honks but actually join the conversation. I love living in nature not just near it.

I would say that is has no bigger problem than any small town in BC that is miles from any type of urbanisation.

It isn't like east hastings as there are very few if none (willing to be corrected) homeless and beggers. drugs are available anywhere you go now and alcohol is a problm no matter where you go.

I guess it is the type of place that you want to live in and actually live there before you see it in a different light other than the small town that has seen "better times" (when the mine/logging/fishing was wealthier).

I would move my family there if it was a bit closer to some shopping as my wife likes to have an afternoon out and that becomes a day out if going to Campbell River or a weekend to go to Van.

But then I guess I am biased........... I went to uni in Victoria but would not move my family there???? go figure

Re: Off on my jolly to BC soon :)
 

I tell all my friends that if I dissapear off the face of the planet there is only one place I will be "Tofino" Its a surf mecca and you will meet dudes who have been surfing in Aberdeen,Macrehanish,Tiree,peesbay, loads of people who surf & hangout all over the world are draw to Tofino, its a special place that keeps bringing you back, you can stay cheap if you camp and theres loads of beach partys, but the only way to get there as a solo traveller is on the Toffino bus, they have a few sizes of bus so book at a peak travel time (bigger bus load) so you meet more people on the trip up and get to scope out who ya like the look of.......................:wub:

Re: Off on my jolly to BC soon :)
 

The VIA rail train from Victoria to Courtenay is a cute little thing that goes fairly slowly. Good scenery, especially some of the bridges. You can get off partway and then catch it again on the way back down, but even that doesn't give you a lot of time. Best to come back a day later maybe. Warning - I haven't been on it for years and I'm not au courant with the fares and details.

Just looked and there is a youth discount...looks like $C33.60 return, all in, if you're going the whole way to Courtenay.

http://www.viarail.ca/en/trains/rock...oria-courtenay

Re: Off on my jolly to BC soon :)
 

We had such high expectations of Hardy, maybe thats why we felt so let down by it, that and the fact we drove onto the reservation and where met by some fairly hostile locals, then we went to the Mall and where met bye the guy in then tackle store with has huge sign saying "Business for sale, make me any offer" the mall was very bleak, I agree its a small town but for some reason it has a BIG name and I dont no why.:blink:

Re: Off on my jolly to BC soon :)
 

I'm booked onto a Moose backpacker bus tour - this is the tour I'm doing: http://www.moosenetwork.com/content.php?id=5 - if you click on itinerary you can see the route :thumbup: I'm doing the mainland leg first ie up to Whistler, then across to the Rockies and will be doing the Island last - I plan to bugger off and do my own thing on the island when we get back to Victoria (before heading back across the water to Vancouver). Will be staying 2 nights with my bus tour but from what you're saying I'll probably want to extend my stay, it's a hop on/hop off bus so I can just jump on the next bus passing through :) Will be staying in hostels (me + drink + tents hasn't gone down well in the past) but shouldn't think that'll infringe on any beach party opportunities :p

Re: Off on my jolly to BC soon :)
 

You can use the train and get off where you want but VIA does not do a pass for that train so you would have to purchase tickets for each leg eg Victoria to Duncan then Duncan to Qualicum then Qualicum to Courtney.

You do get one complimentary stop over for you ticket so you could break the trip once before continuing on to Courtney. Anything over that and you have to pay leg by leg.

As you are a student get a International Student ID Card and you will be able to get discounts on this and many other tickets and hostels. Check where you are going as to which card(s) they accept ie greyhound to get the lower prices.

You might find that the bus will allow more flexibility in getting on and off at different places.

Re: Off on my jolly to BC soon :)
 

Very kind offer, may take you and the wife up on that nearer to the time :thumbup: And I had hoped to interrogate a pharmacist or two while I was over but I wasn't sure if I'd get the opportunity on this trip! Do you think they would be willing to have a chat with me if I give them plenty of notice re: when I'll be in the neighbourhood? I managed to get in touch with a UK GP who's now working in the oncology research place on the Island but a real live pharmacist would be even better :thumbsup:

Cheers for the info on the railway too!

Re: Off on my jolly to BC soon :)
 

WOW what a whirl wind trip, you had better start eating now because you aint gona have time when your there, you had better take a spare set of eyeballs because you are going wear the first pair out :rofl:
I bet there will be people on your trip who are doing a bigger trip like you, there is bound to be the token aussie bunch who will def want to head up to surfland, every trip I plan allways goes to pot in the first week:zzz: Its a scots thing, you no, you start talking, you meet some people, you drink some beer and then before you no it your way off course and havin a ball.................I say tearn the life out of it and just go for it:thumbsup: ah to be 21 again :fingerscrossed:

Re: Off on my jolly to BC soon :)
 

Yeah I can see why you got that impression it is VERY run down from when I grew up there and I really notice the difference when I go back to see friends and family. If you drove onto the reserve that is close to town that is the not so pretty one of all the reserves in the area, having said that some good friends live there and I have been made to feel very welcome there. Drive onto a different one and you get a different welcome.

Making a living up there is very hard now and I honestly don't know what people do to make money as even the tourist dollar is very hit and miss as most just pass through on the ferry.

It does seem to have a big name and is mentioned in most of the tourist books and I always get a chuckle out of that:lol: Apart from the fact that it is close to Cape Scott, some great fishing and hiking, a ferry to Prince Rupert, and wildlife spotting not sure why else people would visit as a tourist. I still like it though and will be taking my in laws up there this summer to show them San Jose Bay and some great trout fishing.......

Re: Off on my jolly to BC soon :)
 

Thanks for that, at least I know what to expect. I booked my flights through STA Travel (geared towards students) and got an international students card thrown in so yeah I'm hoping to benefit from taking it with me! I'll need to look into prices/stop offs to see which mode of transport is going to be the most suitable..