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The sea kayaking is excellent
throughout the islands, and Mayne offers especially
enticing opportunities. Classic picnic spots abound,
and—Mayne being one of the less-visited
islands—you may well have the place to yourself.
Image courtesy Mayneisland.com
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Mayne
By Jesse Spencer
HARD TO IMAGINE, drinking beer on the patio of the Springwater
Café this lazy summer afternoon, waiting for
the float plane to deliver us back to the South Terminal,
that 150 years ago the island was a buzzing hub of activity.
Miners Bay on Active Pass, where the Seair plane docks,
was named for the gold-rush prospectors headed from
Victoria to the Fraser River, dreaming of fortune. The
exquisite Japanese garden at Dinner Bay honours the
Japanese community that once made up a large part of
the population. All is still, shimmering in the heat.
A leisurely hike up Mount Peake yielded
splendid views and, this day, not a single personal
encounter. Back on the narrow road, a pack of daredevil
cyclists raced the car for a kilometre or so before
a steep hill dragged them from the rear-view mirror.
One resident, whose lovely oceanfront home and acreage
have been for sale since 2004, seems in no hurry to
sell. At Bennett Bay, on the east side of the island,
a stalled high-end condo project, for two years scarcely
more than a hole in the ground, encapsulates the glacial
pace of change here. Developers have long sought to
sell time-share pieces of heaven to well-heeled mainlanders
at this secluded spot; islanders, with a paradise of
their own, figure heaven can wait.
STAY: BLUE VISTA RESORT
It’s just a minute from Bennett Bay and offers
eight rustic studio rooms and one- and two-bedroom cottages
(studios start from $95 a night; one-bedroom cottages
from $120; two bedrooms from $140)—pets, kids
and wood paneling abound. Kayak rentals, instruction
and guided tours available on-site. 563 Arbutus Dr.,
877-535-2424/250-539-2463. Bluevistaresort.com
EAT: WILD FENNEL RESTAURANT
Picture a small, warm room, a well-edited, all-B.C.
wine card (bottles from $29), and fresh, often organic,
coastal cuisine that changes weekly—go for the
Crab Three Ways (crab served in bisque, salad and lollipop
form) if it’s an option. Entrées typically
priced at or below $20. 574 Fernhill Rd., 250-539-5987.
Reservations not accepted.
GETTING THERE:
At least two sailings from Tsawwassen daily; most make
a stop on Galiano. Travel time: about two hours. Seair
offers two direct flights daily. Travel time: South
Terminal to Miner’s Bay: 20 minutes.
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