Last words on the north island, unless you are speaking with me and then I'll probably go on and on....
Here are a few fun images from Alert Bay, Cormorant Island:
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| apparently some English bloke has great plans for these |
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| this structure does not instill confidence |
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| "twee" doesn't quite describe it |
On to Sointula (Place of Harmony in Finnish), on Malcolm Island, famous for a Finnish utopian settlement in the early 1900s. The group was working in the coal mines in Nanaimo, and being persecuted, so decided to row north to find a new home. Yes, I said ROW. A boat. Through the most ridiculous tides and currents you can imagine. Yikes. Somehow they made it and recruited a guru from Finland to lead the community. Utopia lasted only a few years but the community hung on and prospered in resource industries until that bubble burst with the decline of forestry and fishing. The general store, co-op, is the oldest cooperative in British Columbia, begun in 1909.
I hoped for more evidence of the Finns but other than the chaotic museum and blond children there isn't much to suggest northern Europe.
Malcolm Island is quite large, still has active logging (we got onto a logging road and it was a bit scary to think a truck might come barrelling around a corner at high speed) and is home to Beautiful Bay which is a whale rubbing beach. Sadly, no whales were in sight the day we were there.
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| looking back to Port McNeil |
On our last full day we went to Telegraph Cove, not on another island so not requiring a ferry trip. Once upon a time, Telegraph Cove was a fishing and logging village but now it is virtually a hotel. Half the "community" is owned by a local family who turned all the little original houses, stores, warehouses, into rental accommodations and restaurants; from one room suites to four bedroom houses. Rustic and fun and all connected by the boardwalk/dock. At the end of the boardwalk is an interesting whale interpretive centre. One of the young women we spoke with, passionate about octopi, which creep me out having seen too many black and white sea monster movies in my childhood, is the niece of the owner. While just finished grade 10, she was a wealth of knowledge. In fact we met amazing people all over the place.
The other half of TC, it's an almost circular cove with a narrow opening, is an American owned resort. Next time, if we ever go that way again, I want to stay in one of the old houses and take a day excursion up Kingcome Inlet to see grizzly bears. It's expensive @ $300.00 each for the day, but still...
We went on a very short walk to a local beach, the alternative being a 3 hour "strenuous" one, and were advised to carry a walking stick in case we encountered bear or cougar. We didn't.
