Jasper via Icefields Parkway to Banff...

Shot of the day...... Our Tour Director..... seriously...!!!

Well what can I say.... I have travelled pretty much most of the South Island of New Zealand and I have also seen the mountains of Austria and Switzerland, but nothing I have ever seen compares to what we saw today as we journeyed the length of the Icefields Parkway in Alberta Canada. The Icefields Parkway is a 230 kilometre stretch of unparalleled majestic mountain scenery on both sides of the road. As you pass one mountain range, the next is right there next to you, and they were all covered from head to toe in ice and snow. The journey takes you past 7 viewable glaciers, the biggest of which is the Columbia Icefield being 200 square kilometres of glacial ice. It was here that we boarded the big wheeled buses that drive onto the ice. Today we were once again blessed with spectacular weather and to top it all off, while on the Columbia Icefield we witnessed a full blown avalanche. First we all heard a cracking sound like thunder and we all turned our heads just in time to see what seemed like a whole piece of the mountain break away and cascade its way down into the valley. The sheer size of the mountain ranges and glaciers is hard to describe and even difficult to capture in photo, it is just so big. I had seen pictures of this area before, but to see it in reality is just unbelievably awesome. We arrived in Banff about 5pm and as we walked the streets of Banff it started to snow. It has been snowing off and on since we arrived, but we are hoping it will clear for tomorrow as we have a scenic Helicopter ride scheduled for tomorrow morning, and the Sulphur mountain Gondola after that. (somewhere in between we also hope to have a scenic tour to the Laundromat..!!) The Fairmont Banff Springs is a magnificent Hotel built like a castle, and tonight we had a magnificent meal fit for a King and our room is lovely also. Tomorrow we hope to explore the place a little bit more and capture a few photos. So far on this trip I have only taken about 900..!!

Canyons and Coyotes...

Favourite shot of the day... A Coyote... appeared out of nowhere and took off just as quick...

Last night was the first night we slept right through and when the alarm went off at 6:30am this morning, both of us were dead to the world.

After breakfast our day started with a trip by bus to Maligne Canyon and Lakes. The canyon has been carved out of limestone over a period of thousands or millions or billions or trillions of years (who really knows, our tour guide spoke as if he actually witnessed it all begin, but he only looked 35-40 years old so I guess he can’t have been there at all back then, and that means his figures could be out by a few squillion years or so...) The river in the canyon below was totally frozen over and I had hoped we would be walking on it, but unfortunately it had started to thaw in parts and was not stable enough for us to do so at this time of year. However we did see the frozen waterfalls and they looked amazing, it really looked as if a “moment” had just been “frozen” in time. (excuse the pun)

We also visited the lake systems that fed the canyon river and these were partially frozen or completely covered in snow and made for awesome scenery and beautiful photos. We then booked a tour on the Jasper Tramway. This is an eight minute ride in a cable car to the top of Whistlers Mountain and enables you to get a view of the whole valley around Jasper National Park and the ranges that surround. The day was perfect with visibility to 75 miles (for those with good eyesight... I used binoculars..!!) On the way to the Tramway our guide took us to a place called Fort Pointe and while we wandered about taking photos, a coyote suddenly appeared and trotted across the bridge nearby. I was quick enough to get a couple of great photos before he disappeared from view. From the top of Whistlers Mountain the view was unbelievable and the snow was 8-10 feet deep in places. The weather has been amazing with cloudless skies and sunshine all day. I am actually sunburned..!! For lunch today, Heather and I went to “Smittys Restaurant” in the Jasper Township. With a name like “Smittys” we just couldn’t resist. The food was great, reasonably priced and had a lovely friendly atmosphere, unlike the situation we faced tonight when we had dinner in one of the restaurants here at the Jasper Resort. It cost us our “Stimulus Package” just for one course each and a cup of tea. The food was awful and the service poor. We have discovered that sometimes 5 stars means 5 reasons to avoid. Unfortunately we were too far out of town to be able to go anywhere else, but fortunately it is only one of 2-3 times that we actually have to find our own meal, the rest are all included. (apart from lunches) None-the-less, today was truly a wonderful day and so worth all the effort. We should sleep well tonight...(famous last words..) Tomorrow we are off to the Athabascar Glacier and on to Banff. Boy... life is tough when you’re on tour...!!

Sun Peaks to Jasper...

Favourite shot of the day...

The drive today took us from Sun Peaks to Jasper with a stop for lunch at Mt Robson which stands at 3954 metres high and looked very impressive covered in snow. The peak was not visible due to some cloud, but it by no means took away from the power of its majesty.

Surrounding Mt Robson are a number of other peaks equally impressive even though they are quite a bit smaller in height. Our drive also took us past a few frozen lakes and partially frozen rivers. Snow abounded everywhere and I was fortunate enough to spot a couple of moose grazing amidst a clearing as we passed. Once we arrived in Jasper we were dropped off in the township itself for an hour or so and Heather and I both took the opportunity to purchase a warmer beanie to counter some of the wind chill factor that has been freezing our ears off.!!

It is expected to get to minus 10 deg overnight and that wouldn’t surprise me a bit as it really is bitterly cold if you are in the breeze. Having said that, we have picked the perfect time to see Canada according to the Tour Director and many of the locals we have spoken to. We have had no rain to speak of so far and nothing but lovely sunny days. The Fairmont Jasper Resort has a rustic mountain charm to it and Elk, deer and squirrels wander around the grounds quite freely. Tomorrow we have the first of our optional excursions, and we have a guided tour of Maligne Canyon which if my research serves me correct, should be spectacular indeed. We are both travelling well, although I seem to have picked up a slight head cold that probably came from one of many willing donors that coughed their way from Auckland to L.A. It is more of a nuisance than anything else and nothing that is going to slow me down.

Vancouver to Sun Peaks...

Favourite shot of the day... River near Sun Peaks...

Cherry Blossom at Hope on the way to Sun Peaks...

Today our wakeup call was at 6am and bags were packed and ready to go by 6:30am. After breakfast it was all aboard the bus for the first leg of the bus tour, and our first stop was the Capilano Suspension Bridge which of course we had already visited with Heathers Mum. Still, there was plenty more for us to see there again and this time we did the tree-top walk which we had not done the day before.

Then it was on to Sun Peaks, and on this part of the journey we really started to get above the snow line for the first time. The Delta Sun-Peaks Resort is our home for the night and while not quite the same quality as the 5 star Fairmont Vancouver that we have had the past 6 nights, the Delta Sun-Peaks is still very comfortable and warm and cosy. After dinner this evening we enjoyed a 45 minute informative lecture on how the fur trade has impacted the birth of Canada as a nation. It was an excellent lecture and the speaker was not only humorous but a great communicator. Today we often thought of our good friends Peter and Lorraine from Adelaide with whom we shared our journey to Europe in 2005. Travelling on the bus often brought back memories of the many laughs we then had along the way, so we often found ourselves wishing they were along with us to enjoy the same journey. The pace of this trip so far has certainly been slower than the trip we did to Europe with Trafalgar. This is not a complaint at all as we are actually enjoying the slower pace and finding more time to relax and enjoy. Tomorrow we head off to Jasper for a two night stay which will include a trip to Maligne Canyon, the which we were told today will still be frozen over, something that we were pleased to hear, in the hope of getting some awesome pictures of the frozen waterfalls.

Aquarium, Stanley Park & Lookout...

After a bit of a sleep-in and another awesome breakfast, we caught the “Big Bus” and got off at the Vancouver Aquarium in Stanley Park. The Vancouver Aquarium is home to a few Beluga Whales and Dolphins that put on a pretty good “training” show that was most impressive to watch.

Beluga Whale, Vancouver Aquarium...

After leaving the aquarium we wandered through Stanley Park which is looking awesome this time of year with all the spring flowers in full bloom.

Stanley Park Vancouver...

From there we caught the “Big Bus” again to Gastown to visit the Vancouver Lookout. This building is by no means the tallest in Vancouver, but due to its location there are tremendous views to be had of the city of Vancouver and right across to the Rockies. At the very top is a revolving restaurant and a full 360 degrees enclosed glass viewing platform that is accessed by glass lifts that cling to the side of the building. As you go up or down the lifts, the feeling of just hanging from the side of the building messes with your mind and vision a bit, but is a fun ride all the same.

Vancouver Lookout...

Tonight we finally kicked off our tour with a welcome dinner with all of the other members of the tour group and the Scenic Tour Director. There are 2 groups totalling 96 people ( 48 on each bus) all doing the same circuit. Heather and I were definitely the youngest ones in our group (made me feel like a teenager..!!) but all the same we met some lovely people, all from various parts of Australia and at least we wont have any trouble keeping up.!! Tomorrow it’s a 6:30am start for breakfast and then we head off to the Capilano Suspension bridge (which we have already visited) and then on the road to Sun Peaks for one night. We have already been told to expect snow by the time we get to Sun Peaks.

Laundry, Bath-tub Buses and Markets...

Shot of the day... Eagle nesting at Stanley Park... taken with zoom lens.

Today was Laundry day in preparation for the commencement of our tour on Monday Morning.
Thanks to a little internet research I did before leaving home, we were able to drop off our laundry to a place just a few blocks away from the Hotel. The owner was fantastic and her service was truly amazing. She insisted that we leave the laundry with her for the day and just go sight-seeing, so we did. She was so positive and cheerful about everything that you almost wished you had a bigger load of dirty laundry to give her. She also allowed us to leave our back packs with her for the day so we didn’t have to cart them around. All we had to do was leave everything there and pick it up later in the day - all washed, dried and folded without us having to lift a finger. Reminded me of when I used to live at home with my parents..... (oops... sorry Mum..!!)

We then trotted off down to a jetty and boarded the Aquabus for Granville Island. The Aquabus is basically just a bathtub with an outboard motor. They just built a bigger shower curtain around it than usual to keep out the weather.!! (see mode of transport pic No 10)
Granville Island is a large market come something else (not sure what.!!) and you can purchase local produce, local crafts and souvenirs and such. Pretty much an upmarket form of the Malaga Markets back in Perth really, the only differences being its size, type of products & produce and it seemed a lot cleaner and healthier looking than the markets back home.!!

Granville Island Markets...

View towards Vancouver from Granville Island...

We then caught the Big Bus (mode of transport No 11, pic yet to be posted) which is one of those “Hop on Hop off” buses that gives you a 2 day ticket to get on and off as many times as you like while it just keeps doing a big circuit of all the highlights of the city. We will use it again tomorrow to get to the Aquarium and Lookout Tower.
We are having a fantastic stretch of weather. It is cool, but sunny and very pleasant when you are doing lots of walking.

View to the left of Grouse Mountain

Fairmont Hotel Vancouver

Capilano Suspension Bridge & Grouse Mountain...

My favourite shot of the day...

Today we started with a full buffet breakfast again and then headed off to the Capilano Suspension Bridge and Grouse Mountain. The bridge is set in a beautiful deep canyon and is very scenic. The walk across the bridge is great, but nothing spectacular in itself as I have crossed many similar bridges before, but the setting for this one is particularly spectacular and beautiful. The Canadians have spent a lot of money making this a first class tourist attraction with wooden walkways around the canyon and in the treetops. We will actually be visiting this place again once we start our tour, but we wanted to take Heathers Mum there. I never expected her to cross the bridge as she has a walking stick, but she did it all on her own and people were watching her in amazement and gave her High Fives when she completed it.

Heathers Mum on the bridge... and yes it does sway....a lot..!!

Grouse Mountain is accessed by Cable Car, and man do they jam the people in. Seriously,there would have been close to 40 people in the car we went up in, complete with snowboards and skis. We were literally jammed up against one another with only room to breathe. Heather and I were stuck somewhere in the middle staring straight at the back of a snowboard so didn’t see too much going up. But coming down it wasn’t quite so packed and the view across to the Vancouver skyline was awesome.

We are still feeling a little jetlagged, so having an early night and a bit of a sleep in tomorrow before spending the afternoon with Heathers Mum for the last time before the tour.

Vancouver at last...

Okay... we finally made it to Vancouver. After being up all day Monday 20th, we departed at 15 mins past midnight on the 21st. Then 5 hrs to Sydney - 5 hr stopover, 3 hrs to Auckland – 3 hr stopover, 12 hours to Los Angeles – 2 hr stopover, 2.5 hrs to Vancouver, total of 22.5 hrs flying and 32.5 hrs total travelling time. After recommendations from friends who have my best interests at heart, I took 2 “Calmative” tablets to help me sleep just as we left Perth. 2hrs later I thought I was going to die.!! I was so sick I had to make intimate friends with the smallest room on the plane so I could donate the entire contents of my stomach in one fowl swoop.!! A further 2 hrs later I was feeling fine. To all of my friends that recommended the dose... I will not forget you.!!
The long haul from Auckland to LA is a killer, but all for a good cause in the end of course. The American Security system is second to none, for all the wrong reasons, and they now have prints and reprints of all and every one of my fingers yet again. (something even my home country does not yet have) I believe they have a five year plan to introduce the taking of toe prints next and progressing on to nose presses by the year 2014.!! Entry into Vancouver is a totally different experience, friendly fast and efficient. We were met at the Airport by a Scenic Tours director and it was then that the pampering began. (I sure wish Scenic Tours would take over the airlines)
We were promptly fixed up with a private limousine to take us to the Fairmont Hotel in downtown Vancouver and the leather seats in that vehicle were simply awesome, and when we reached the Hotel I didn’t really want to get out.!!
But I’m glad I did, cos our Hotel room is even more awesome. The Fairmont is an older era style Hotel with all of the charm of the early 1900’s, but has been very tastefully modernised as well. Our room is large and the bed is the size of a rugby field if you’re a Kiwi, and a tight pants footy field if you’re an Aussie.
We had trouble getting our Mobile phone to work, but after several calls to Optus in Australia they finally realised it wasn’t set to global roaming despite telling us in Perth and Auckland that it was.!!
Today (22nd April) we visited Gastown in the morning, wandered through a few thousand souvenir shops (purchased a beanie each – the wind chill factor is minus a hundred.!!) and then we visited Heathers Mum for the rest of the day. Tomorrow we are off to visit the Capalano Suspension bridge and Grouse Mountain. Hopefully we will keep you posted some more as and when we can. Love to you all.... well most of you.... I'm slowly warming again to those with advice on "calmative" pills...!!

Perth Observatory...

Still a few days before departure, and tonight we were scheduled for a tour of the Perth Observatory. After a whole week of cloudless skies, tonight was a different story altogether and the sky was covered in cloud, which of course prevented us from being able to do any star gazing. None the less, the tour guide showed us around the outbuildings and gave a general demonstration of a couple of the scopes which was interesting enough despite the disappointing cloud cover. He was also quite a character and a bit of a laugh at times which all helped to make the evening a most enjoyable one despite the lack of the expected viewing experience.

Tour Brochure and Booklets arrive...

Today our Scenic Tours package finally arrived. Contents icluded our tickets, transfers and tour booklet along with 2 great day packs just big enough to hold all the gear we need to take with us on the plane. The backpacks will also be ideal for holding our jackets and water bottle etc as we move about to the various places we will be visiting.