We were gifted a great In-Between today where there was sunshine, and warm temps of 10C so we took advantage of it. We found a hike on this side of Nanaimo that goes along the peninsula from where the the Duke Point ferry to Vancouver leaves. We were not sure what to expect. One of Nicky’s friends had labelled it as ‘boring’ which was a possibility since we knew there was quite a bit of industrial lands and buildings in that area. Well, the hike was anything but boring. It was lovely. Yes, the weather helped but it was a beautiful walk by the water.

We had views over the water of the Nanaimo Estuary towards downtown Nanaimo and the mountains behind it. Yes, on the other side of the hedge and cliffs we knew the ferry traffic flowed, the sawmill was busy and all kinds of other stuff, but we never saw it beyond the first bit of the hike. So we just looked to the one side that had great things to offer. We hiked through trees, around tiny coves, up stairs and landed up and the end of the peninsula overlooking the Strait of Georgia, with views of Nanaimo, Protection Island and Gabriola Island. If the skies were more clear we would have had a great view of the coastal mountains on the mainland. That will wait for another day. But it was a fine view anyway and the seals added to the ambience!

So this is what we were treated to along the way:

We saw ‘wildlife’: Owls in trees, fish on stones and crocodiles by the shore!

Beautiful water views:

And of course, classic sandstone waterlines and cliffs:

This trail is well-loved because there were several memorial benches in key spots.

So we really enjoyed our impromptu “In-Between” hike and found it anything but boring!