Gabriola Island, BC

The main reason I visited Gabriola was to see a dear friend, not realizing the island is chock full of natural sights, rock formations, lush forests, in no less than three Provincial Parks and a couple of Regional Parks, not to mention old Petroglyphs!  All on this 14km long and 4 km wide island. This is a selection of the places I visited in the three days on the island in between social visits, tea and dinner with welcoming neighbours and friends in the small vibrant community. 

The island is just a 20 minute ferry ride from Nanaimo or a 20 minute sea plane ride from Downtown Vancouver, but it's a world away. 

Our first stop was the Malaspina Galleries with its extraordinary rock formations, truly like a natural art gallery.  

Further along the north shore to Silva Bay, more rock formations and the Entrance Island Lighthouse offshore.

Entrance Island Lighthouse

On the south east tip of the island is Drumbeg Provincial Park, with beautiful views of the Strait of Georgia, gorgeous trees, including the protected Garry Oak and the Arbutus tree with its reddish brown bark.  

You walk through this beautiful forest to get to the waterfront

A Garry Oak protected at Drumbeg PP

To get to the Petroglyphs, we walked through a lush forest that took my breath away at every turn. 

This reminded me of an Ikebana arrangement, only it's natural.

An Arbutus tree with its signature reddish bark and crooked branch

An even more stunning arbutus that reminded me of a giant bonsai

A few of  the 70 petroglyphs on Gabriola and the surrounding Gulf Islands

Visiting a nursery has never been such an enjoyable experience.  This nursery on the south side is like a park and some of the giant shrubs reminded me how it must have felt like to be a Lilliputian in Gulliver's Travels.

This one is 6 ft. tall at least!

And I'm dumbfounded by this stunning specimen!  What a treat to be here!