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Additional Exposure
Who We Are
Sunshine Coast Excursions
There's
so much to do on
the Sunshine Coast!
Whether you've got a hankering to head for the hills or water, browse through shops, see what's on for Arts & Entertainment, are looking for museums, we've got it all. Check out our feature tour and then the many links below..
FEATURED MARINE SIGHTSEEING COMPANIES |
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At A Place by the Sea, we offer private and personalized boat cruises year round. Hop aboard our 28 foot Carver Cruiser and spend the afternoon or day on the magnificent waters of Sechelt Inlet, sightseeing while listening to relaxing music and enjoying on board refreshments. [Read more] |
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The Inland Sea |
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Jedediah Island |
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Marine Sightseeing The Sunshine Coast is all about water. It’s all around us. While on the Coast you’re never more than walking distance from a major waterway of some sort. During your visit make sure to go on a sightseeing tour that will help you explore and appreciate our marine environment. [Read more - courtesy of Sunshine Coast Tours] |
| EVENTS CALENDAR | |
| Check out the Bigpacific Calendar of Events! | |
| DINING: | |
| Check out the Dining Section for great food info | |
| THINGS TO DO: | |
| For
some fun reading on the incredible outdoor experiences enjoyed here, help yourself to these excellent articles: |
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| ARTS & CULTURE | |
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Archives:
- A Place by the Sea Boat Tours
- Fine Travel Company - Luxury and Wilderness have a name
Picture yourself HERE . . . !
Are you looking for an exciting excursion on the Sunshine Coast? A fun-filled daytrip for the whole family, a quiet getaway just for the two of you - or perhaps a solo expedition into the beyond . . .
Whatever your taste in adventure, you're likely to find it here. All the trips listed on this page can be completed in less than a day, but there's lots to explore, so consider a longer stay. And please respect our beautiful area - pack out your garbage, practice low impact hiking and biking, obey fire restrictions. Be safe - have fun!
EXCURSIONS:
in Gibsons
in Pender Harbour & Garden Bay
KAYAKING,
CANOEING, SAILING
Of course, the best way to really appreciate the Sunshine Coast
is to travel by water. The countless inlets and islands are
perfect for kayaking, canoeing, sailing or pleasure cruising.
See Bigpacific's cruise page for power and sail cruises
of local inlets and popular marine attractions. Visit the
kayak page to rent a boat, take lessons or inquire
about the best routes. If you own your own boat, there are many
marinas and marine parks in the area - tie up
for a night or a month to enjoy the waterways of the Coast.
SCUBA
DIVING
The Sunshine Coast offers some of the best diving on the Pacific
Coast. We have giant Pacific octopus - the biggest in the world
- living right here. Coopers Green in the Halfmoon Bay area
offers easy offshore access to one of the best diving spots
around. Take Highway 101 north out of Sechelt for about 8km,
turn left on Redrooffs Road, follow it for approx 6km to Coopers
Green Park. Of special interest is the HMCS Chaudiere,
a former warship that now forms an artificial reef off Kunechin
Point at the mouth of Salmon Inlet, recognized as one of the
top four dives on the west coast of North America. Closest access
is from Tillicum Marina in Tuwanek, up Sechelt Inlet Road north
of Sechelt. Check out Bigpacific's list of diving
resources for more info on great dives and places to
rent equipment.
MOUNTAIN
BIKING & HIKING
Countless kilometres of excellent trails to bike or hike stretch
all across the Coast. Check out the biking page for detailed
route maps and descriptions. There are also acres of wilderness
area for the more adventurous to explore. For this month's featured
route, see the hiking
page.
GIBSONS
LANDING & MOLLY'S LANE
The lower part of the town of Gibsons is called (not surprisingly)
Lower Gibsons, or by its original name of Gibsons Landing. Here
you'll find a plethora of shops, galleries, restaurants and
amenities, including Molly's Reach restaurant (of TV series
The Beachcombers fame). Of particular interest to shop-browsers
is funky Molly's Lane - a collection of delightful retail stores
offering imported treasures from afar or hand-crafted local
goods. The Sunshine Coast Museum & Archives is another fabulous window into the Coast's early
pioneer history. Find out how Gibsons got its name or where
the first sauna bath on the Coast came from. Great photo archives.
Summer hours, Mon - Sat, 11am - 5pm, admission by donation (716
Winn Road, 604-886-8232). Or visit Stonehurst, a heritage home
built by Dr. Fred Inglis, the first doctor in Gibsons. It's
at the bottom of School Road hill. The Inglis Trail, with a
plaque commemorating the doctor, winds up the hill to connect
with Shaw Road and Highway 101. For a list of great places to
eat in Gibsons Landing (and elsewhere on the Coast), check out
the restaurant pages.
NAUTICAL
EXPLORATION
Gibsons Landing is also a very boaty place. From barnacle-encrusted
fishing trawlers to the sleekest of cruising yachts, you'll
find them tied up sooner or later at one of Gibsons wharves.
The busy government docks are right in downtown Gibsons, and
the Gibsons Marina is just along the shoreline. Both are in
active use by working and pleasure craft all along the Coast.
The nautically obsessed will be content for hours checking out
the rigging and chatting with the captains. Kids enjoy fishing
off the docks and discovering the colourful starfish and anemones
growing up the pilings. On the right day, you can find a great
deal on some freshly-caught prawns or halibut, sold right off
the boat that caught them. If you're into fishing yourself,
pick up a license and board the boat with any one of the
great fishing charter operators on the Coast!
HOWE
SOUND PULP & PAPER MILL
The Howe Sound Pulp and Paper Mill is the oldest operating mill
in BC, established in1908. Now a fully modern, computerized
site, it employs a good percentage of Sunshine Coast residents.
The mill is open for public tours - call 604-884-2575, fax 604-884-2181.
To get there, take the Port Mellon Highway from Langdale - turn
right as you leave the ferry terminal. Continue along this road
for approx. 13km until you come to the mill. See
details and history on this page.
KEATS
& GAMBIER ISLANDS
For an interesting sidetrack, catch the Dogwood Princess,
a passenger-only ferry travelling daily from the Langdale terminal
to Gambier Island or Keats Island, and spend the day exploring
one of these perfect spots. Gambier is the larger of the two
islands, offshore from Port Mellon to the north of Langdale.
Gambier is home to many talented artists and a general store
that's been around longer than most of the residents. It was
settled in the latter half of the 1800's (before Gibsons Landing
was) but it enjoys its relatively unchanged status as a small,
quiet community. Keats Island is just a jump from the town of
Gibsons - many Keats residents commute daily in rowboats, kayaks
or more conventional small motorized vessels.
GIBSONS & DISTRICT PUBLIC LIBRARY
Peruse the extensive new collection of book titles and their
audio & video collection. Terminals with inexpensive Internet
access. 470 South Fletcher Road, 604-886-2130.
ROBERTS
CREEK VILLAGE TOUR
Roberts Creek is a funky, family-oriented community, full of
quaint characters, great gardens and artisans galore. There's
plenty to do and see . . . the Heart of Roberts Creek is the
junction of Roberts Creek Road, Lower Road and Beach Avenue.
From this corner, you can head down to the wheelchair-accessible
pier to glory in a spectacular sunset, stroll along the beach
in either direction or enjoy an ice cream cone at the Roberts
Creek General Store. Don't miss the bulletin board outside the
store for a real view into the community.
If
you're hungry or need a soothing cup of herbal tea, try the
Gumboot Garden Cafe. Sit on the patio in the sun, or
inside where you can view the current display of local artworks.
For the more sophisticated palette, there's fine dining at The
Creek House restaurant. Check out the shops in the Village
Square, or let the children burn off steam at the school playground,
soccer field and basketball court just across the road. Just
across the Highway and slightly south from the top of Roberts
Creek Road is the Sunshine Coast Golf and Country Club.
Visitors are welcome to enjoy the 18-hole course. Or take a
terrific hike through Cliff Gilker Park with well-maintained
trails, towering cedars and tumbling creeks. There's also a
playground for the little guys, a picnic area and a ballfield.
Roberts Creek is also a great place to explore by bicycle. The
locals are used to giving cyclists the right-of-way, so even
your littlest biker can feel safe.
MOUNT
ELPHINSTONE
For off-road biking and hiking adventures, visit
Mount Elphinstone, rising above Roberts Creek to the east. (One
access is from the B&K logging road just to the south of
Cliff Gilker Park, off Highway 101.) It's a beautiful natural
forest - old growth cedar, stands of maple and hemlock, lush
ferns and a variety of rare mushroom species. There's a rugged
yet carefully maintained network of terrific trails - from quiet,
easy strolls to steep, advanced treks. For routes (that can
be biked or hiked) and maps, see Bigpacific's biking
page.
CHAPMAN
CREEK SALMON HATCHERY
For a rainy day adventure, visit the Chapman Creek Salmon Hatchery.
Learn about the life cycle of salmon and see the tiny fingerlings
ready to be released into the ocean. The hatchery has a fully-equipped
education centre with scheduled tours for schools and other
groups. Turn off Highway 101 in Wilson Creek up Field Road to
the top. Watch for the signs to the hatchery at 4381 Parkway.
Open seven days a week, 8am - 4pm. Call 604-885-4136.
BROOKMAN
PARK
Just beyond Wilson Creek toward Sechelt is Brookman Park, a
small greenspace with playground equipment and a picnic area.
A meandering trail winds from the park along the shore of Chapman
Creek - a great place to let Fido and the kids stretch. Watch
for local carver Terry Chapman's curious gnomes peeking out
from the trees - look carefully, they're well camouflaged. You
will see the salmon hatchery part way along the trail, although
unless you want to wade across the creek (dangerous in the spring),
you will need to access the hatchery by land (see above).
DAVIS
BAY
Another short hop down the highway (between Wilson Creek and
Sechelt) is Davis Bay, a tiny community that boasts the finest
sandy beach on the Coast. It's a great place to spend the day
sunning - or rent a kayak, relax over an iced cappuccino or
savour a salmon steak. Davis Bay beach is also the site of the
famous annual sand castle building contest, a kids' fishing
derby from the dock and the annual Polar Bear Swim on New Year's
Day. Construction is underway on this beautiful oceanfront site
for a first class tourist hotel.
PEBBLES
BEACH & SNICKETT PARK
Along the shore of the downtown area of Sechelt is a lovely
stretch of beach. You can walk from Snickett Park at the west
end along to the Sechelt Indian Band lands at the east end of
town. Snickett Park is a small seaside park with wonderful rock
formations lashed by crashing waves on stormy days. As you head
east, you'll come to Pebbles Beach, a gentle shoreline where
the kids can paddle and search for treasure. Stop in at Pebbles
Restaurant for a fine West Coast meal and watch the waves roll
in right up to the windows. Or continue on to the Sechelt Indian
Band lands (see below).
SECHELT
INDIAN BAND COMPLEX
The Sechelt Indian Band's administrative and cultural centre
at the east entrance to Sechelt includes the House of hewhiwus
(House of Chiefs), the Education Centre, the Social Development
building, the tems swiya Museum and the Raven's Cry Theatre.
The museum has been newly-remodeled and offers a rich collection
of Native art and artifacts chronicling the heritage of the
local shishalh nation, including an extensive basket
collection. Also visit the tsain ko Gift Shop for authentic
Native art, jewellery, crafts and collectibles. The Raven's
Cry Theatre is a popular local venue for both Native cultural
activities and regulation Hollywood offerings (call 88-MOVIE
for current show information). Museum: 604-885-8991, Gift Shop:
604-885-4592.
ROCKWOOD
LODGE
Rockwood Lodge, Sechelt's most prominent heritage building,
has been carefully preserved as a centre for community activities.
Its most famous event is the Annual Festival of the Written
Arts, a showcase for Canada's finest literary talent - writers,
poets, storytellers, journalists and songwriters - who gather
amiably to share their best. The pleasant rooms in the lodge
and the open-air amphitheatre serve as venue for many artistic
and cultural events throughout the year. The grounds are lovely,
with flowers and trees in bloom year-round. During December,
the gardens are lit with coloured lights.
SECHELT
& DISTRICT PUBLIC LIBRARY
Browse the shelves, curl up with a magazine, surf the Internet,
watch a video, listen to a music CD. Sechelt has a fine new
library facility perfect for a rainy afternoon. Internet access
is available for a minimal charge, and staff is eager to offer
tips. Of interest to history buffs is the extensive archives
compiled largely through the efforts of Helen Dawe, granddaughter
of one of Sechelt's first pioneers. Located at 5797 Cowrie Street,
604-885-3260.
SUNSHINE
COAST ARTS CENTRE
Another great rainy day activity is a visit to the Sunshine
Coast Arts Centre on the corner of Trail and Medusa. The have
a rotating display of fine local and off-Coast art works - everything
from brass sculpture to postage stamp art. The gallery built
of logs is an interesting work in itself, 604-885-5412. Sechelt
(like the rest of the Sunshine Coast) is famous for its artists,
crafters and otherwise talented folk, many of whom open their
home studios to the public. Check out the self-guided studio
tour information. If art and culture are your special interest,
visit the culture of this site for lots more.
SECHELT
MARSH
The Sechelt Marsh, once a beaver pond, is now a small sanctuary
and breeding grounds for waterfowl. To get there, turn right
(north) on Wharf Avenue as you enter Sechelt from the east and
drive until you are almost at the waters of Sechelt Inlet (only
1 km). A pleasant, easy stroll around the marsh will give birdwatchers
a chance to view many species, including buffleheads, redwing
blackbirds, Canada geese and friendly mallards. Just a step
closer to the Inlet are Keeper's Restaurant and the Lighthouse
Pub. Enjoy their decks looking out over the Inlet, or stroll
the government wharf where you can check out the fishing boats
and pleasure crafts moored there.
HACKETT
& KINNIKINNICK PARKS
Hackett Park near the downtown centre of Sechelt is a great
picnic area with playground equipment for the little ones, ball
diamonds and playing fields. It's also the site of the annual
Sunshine Coast Arts Council Craft Fair, a spectacular display
of local creativity. Kinnikinnick Park, at the top of Trail
Avenue, is another great picnic site close to the heart of Sechelt
with several easy trails. Right next door is the Sunshine
Coast Golf and Country Club, an 18-hole course with a friendly
clubhouse and driving range.
WAKEFIELD
INN
Wakefield Inn was originally built as a private mansion. Now
a neighbourhood pub, the original hand-hewn log construction
is one of its finest features. The view from the deck of the
Trail Islands and Georgia Strait is conducive to staying for
that second pint, and the food is some of the best on the Coast.
Live music happens most weekend nights, and there are rooms
for rent if you just can't bear to leave this relaxing rest
stop. A fine beach with public road access sits at the foot
of the Wakefield property.
PORPOISE
BAY PARK
Turn
right (north) at the light on Wharf Avenue as you come into
Sechelt from the east, then turn right again at East Porpoise
Bay Road. This turns into Sechelt Inlet Road - about 4.5 km
from town you'll come to Porpoise Bay Provincial Park.
A government campground with a great sandy beach, it's a terrific
place to spend the day or the week (reservations are a good
idea as they fill up fast in summer). For those wet days when
camping's not as fun as it might be, listen to an educational
seminar or fun event for kids presented by a park interpreter
in the amphitheatre. For more information, please see the BC Provincial Parks web site.
SECHELT
INDIAN BAND SALMON HATCHERY
Visit the Indian Band's hatchery near Porpoise Bay Park to learn
about their comprehensive enhancement program. This hatchery
annually releases millions of coho and chinook into Sechelt
Inlet. Open for public tours, seven days a week, 10am - 4pm,
6711 Sechelt Inlet Road, 604-885-5562.
HALFMOON
BAY VILLAGE TOUR
To get to Halfmoon Bay village, take Highway 101 north out of
Sechelt for approx. 16km. Turn left onto Redrooffs Road and
follow the signs. Halfmoon Bay Heritage General Store at Mintie
Road is a community gathering spot with a post office, liquor
sales outlet and great ice cream. It's located on the waterfront
in Halfmoon Bay near the government wharf (from which you can
see Anchor Rock, Whale Island and Coopers Green). There are
two art galleries in the village displaying local work. From
the General Store, you can access Redrooffs Trail, a gently
sloping forested walkway with rest benches and signage for historical
significance and nature interpretation. An easy 1 km walk, this
stretch of trail is all that remains of a once-extensive system
running all the way to Sechelt.
CAREN
RANGE
The Caren Range of mountains rises to the northeast of Sargeant
Bay and Secret Cove. Access is from the Halfmoon Bay Forestry
Road (from Trout Lake Road off Highway 101) and from several
areas in Madeira Park. Excellent hiking among 1800-year-old
trees, some of the most ancient in Canada. Several rare species
of birds make the Caren their home (marbled murrulet, Vaux swift,
Barrow's goldeneye) as does the extremely rare Bay lynx, a large
wildcat found only in the Caren and the Tetrahedron areas. Check
out the Friends of the Caren Range website for more information
about this natural wilderness. For more details, see bigpacific's
hiking page, or check out the excellent guidebook Sunshine
and Salt Air from Harbour Publishing for routes and
maps of other hikes in the area.
SARGEANT
BAY
Travel north out of Sechelt on Highway 101 for about 8km, turn
left onto Redrooffs Road. About 2km along Redrooffs, you'll
come to Sargeant Bay Provincial Park, noted for its abundance
of intertidal and marine wildlife. A not-too-strenuous hike
through a beautiful cedar forest will take you to one of the
prettiest little coves on the Coast with sand and pebble beaches
and fascinating tidal pools. Or take the Triangle Lake trail.
The name is a bit misleading, as it's not really a lake but
a swamp area with lily pad ponds, waterfowl and other marshy
delights.
WILDLIFE
REHABILITATION CENTRE
Tucked away in the forest, the rehab centre offers a sanctuary
to injured or abandoned birds and animals. The facility is run
solely by dedicated volunteers. Drive north on Highway 101,
past the north end of Redrooffs Road. You'll pass Trout Lake,
then the south entrance to Trout Lake Road. The road makes a
loop and meets the highway again at its north end - you can
turn right at the first access and take the loop, or continue
up the highway and turn right at the north end. The Wildlife
Centre is just a short way off the highway. Open to the public
10am - 4pm, 5783 Trout Lake Road.
MOUNT
DANIEL
Mount Daniel is a sacred site for the Native shishalh people of the Sunshine Coast. See the hiking page for details. The hike to the top is steep but not too difficult, and the view is incredible! You can see the complexity of coves, inlets and islands that make up the community of Pender Harbour, as well as Garden Bay Lake, Katherine Lake and Mixal Lake. Drive north along Highway 101 to Madeira Park. Continue through town and watch for Garden Bay Road, the first major intersection to the north. (There's a PetroCan gas station there.) Turn left and follow Garden Bay Road for 3.4 km (2 miles) to a wide opening and dirt road leading to the left. Park here. To get to the top, walk up the dirt road and take the first left fork. Continue up this road (ignore the right fork) until the road becomes a trail which winds upward rather steeply. Allow 1.5 hours up to the summit, less coming down. It's about 3-4 km (1.8-2.2 miles) each way.
PENDER
HILL
Pender Hill is also a great hike with a spectacular view. Once
a lookout point for shishalh sentries, it offers a panoramic
view of Pender Harbour, and the hike up is not as long or as
steep as Mount Daniel. The summit is covered with soft moss,
stands of arbutus trees with distinctive red bark and various
wild herbs - a perfect summer picnic site. Turn off Highway
101 onto Garden Bay Road north of Madeira Park. Garden Bay Road
becomes Irvines Landing Road - access the trail off this road
just after you pass Hotel Lake.
KATHERINE,
RUBY & KLEIN LAKES
The Pender Harbour area is called the Venice of the North because
of the complex maze of waterways, until very recently the chief
navigational routes. Visit any one of these lakes for a day
excursion or a week camping. Katherine Lake Regional Park, with
its still waters and gently sloping sandy beach, is a great
place to laze away a hot afternoon. The shore is safe and shallow,
ideal for small children. Access is from Garden Bay Road, off
Highway 101 north of Madeira Park. The Forest Service campsite
at Klein Lake is often very private, and the lake is home to
some fine, fat trout. The excellent Klein Lake - Ruby Lake hiking
and biking trail starts here. (If you start at the Klein Lake
end, it's more downhill.) At the other end, stay at Dan Bosch
Regional Park on Ruby Lake, with a nice beach and boat launch.
SKOOKUMCHUCK
NARROWS PARK
Near
Egmont, at the northern end of the Sunshine Coast, are the tidal
rapids at Skookumchuck Narrows, one of the most exciting sights
on the Coast. As tidal waters are forced through the narrow,
shallow channel between Jervis and Sechelt Inlets, the difference
in water levels can exceed two metres, causing currents of more
than 30 km per hour. Several unwary vessels have been lost in
the cavernous whirlpools. The word "skookum" is the
Sechelt Natives' term for strong, "chuck" means water
- an apt name for this impressive natural phenomenon. Skookumchuck
Narrows Park is just past Egmont. Follow the easy 4-km trail
in from the parking lot to this spectacular sight, but check
the tide tables first to ensure maximum viewing times.
PRINCESS
LOUISA INLET & CHATTERBOX FALLS
Check out the Cruises
page for trips offered by local operators!
Jervis Inlet, a fifty-mile-long fjord bounded by mile-high mountain
walls, divides the Sechelt Peninsula from the northern Sunshine
Coast and Powell River. Not a passage for careless boaters,
the waters of this inlet are to be respected. They are very
deep and often rough with typhoon-force winds termed the "Jervis
Express." The granite rock walls offer no shelter. Jervis
leads into Princess Lousa Inlet, called suivoolot
by the Natives. The Princess is famed for its awe-inspiring,
pristine beauty. Chatterbox Falls, at the head of the Inlet,
is a stunning natural wonder not to be missed on a cruise to
the area. You can see Indian petroglyphs (rock paintings) that
have lasted centuries. And look for Malibu Lodge at the entrance
to Princess Louisa. Originally built as a luxury resort for
Hollywood movie stars, it later became a summer youth camp.
For history buffs and story lovers, read the legend of Princess
Louisa Inlet.
