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Ruby Lake view
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Ruby Lake
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Maze at Ruby Lake
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Boardwalk Griffith Marsh
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Iris at Griffith Marsh
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White iris at Griffith marsh
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Griffith marsh
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Geese carving Pender Harbour
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Boats in Pender Harbour on the Sunshine Coast
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Roberts Creek beach
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Cliff Gilker park trail
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Falls at Cliff Gilker park
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Sharkeys fish locker
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Sharkey's fish n chips at Roberts Creek park
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Mandela at Roberts Creek beach
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Dave and dogs cross creek at Homesite Falls
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Homesite Falls
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Coopers Green beach
By Barb Rees
Does getting somewhere become simply a matter of getting from point A to point B? Is there no thought given to trips off the main road that might be interesting? Living in Powell River, we have driven from Earl's Cove ferry down the lower Sunshine Coast to the next ferry at Langdale for many years without getting off the beaten path. That changed in May when we had extra time before a doctor's appointment in Madeira Park. We stopped at 1,161 acre Ruby Lake, home of the Italian restaurant La Trattoria with a floating boardwalk and lovely gardens behind it. It was so peaceful walking on the boardwalk with bird's songs filling the air. On warm days turtles may be sunning themselves on the logs. Across the road is a maze, part of a memorial park we'd never seen. We walked the maze, took pictures asking, "What else have we been missing?"
If you travel up the hill past Ruby Lake, you can then take a side road to the "Iris Griffith Nature Centre", with its interpretive displays and walking paths.
Sakinaw Lake, 1,695 acres huge with 34 km (21 mi) of shoreline, is a boater's paradise, well known for large cutthroat trout. A bit of trivia: Both Powell Lake and Sakinaw Lake are meromictic lakes, which in simple terms means the surface water doesn't mix with the bottom layer at least once a year. Sakinaw has a layer of saltwater below 33 meters as does Powell Lake. Sakinaw was once joined to the Salish Sea. The only view of it we'd ever seen was from the highway high above it. This time, we drove down to a boat ramp where some guys were loading up a boat with building supplies - I guess there is no quick run to the lumber yard if you run out of nails when you're on the lake.
Pender Harbour is where "Slocat Harbour Tours" takes people on 90-minute tours around the harbour. The tours go out three times a day plus at sunset. "Java Docks", a little café and bakery, was recommended by our friend so we stopped for a delicious apple fritter and tea to go. We then drove down Gonzales Road to sit by the ocean, enjoy the fritter and to listen to the loon calling. Driving back up the road we discovered "Iris Griffith Wetlands Park", with its boardwalk over a saltwater marsh, which is covered in saltwater at least once a day. The marsh is a vital part of bio-diversity. Bulrushes grow among yellow and white irises, roses, sea plantain and more. A little song sparrow perched on a rush sang and sang to us. Information boards educated us on how a marsh works.
Pender Harbour is the overall name for Middlepoint, Madeira Park, Francis Peninsula, Kleindale, Garden Bay, Irvine's Landing and Daniel Point. There are four campgrounds in the area: "Pender Harbour Resort and Marina" with only three sites. Garden Bay has "Fishermen's Resort and Marina" and Katherine Lake.
In the Roberts Creek area, Cliff Gilker Regional Park covers 56 acres and has an easy walk to the falls over Clack. There is a wheel-chair accessible viewing platform. On the information board, the five km of trails are colour coded. www.sunshine-coast-trails.com
We've passed the sign for "Sharkey's Fish Locker" on the top side of Roberts Creek Road for years without paying much attention, but this year we were on a mission to find interesting places so we turned up the road to visit the shop. The owners are a commercial fishing couple who close up from October to spring while they fish. Their shop carries many kinds of frozen seafood plus lunch specials. We asked for a half order of fish ‘n chips, which was two large pieces of cod and a generous amount of fresh cut fries for only $7.50. We took our lunch down Roberts Creek Road to the beach. A mandala is painted on the cement. This was once a steamboat dock. Before there was a road out of Powell River, you could travel on the Union Steamship Company which stopped at Roberts Creek on its overnight journey to Vancouver.
There are two provincial parks on the peninsula that offer camping: Roberts Creek Provincial Park and Porpoise Bay Provincial Park (out of Sechelt). Sechelt is a bustling town with a nice walk along the ocean. Serious hikers can take the 33 km Suncoaster Trail from Homesite Creek to Klein Lake.
Instead of following the highway we took Red Roofs Road, a meandering scenic drive along the water that comes out at Halfmoon Bay. Coopers Green Park is a beautiful picnic spot with its own barbeque. If you bring the briquettes you can have a barbeque right beside the beach.
A stop at Homesite Creek Park was about a 10-minute hike through lush forest to see the falls. Farther up the highway is Homesite Creek Recreation Park offering some dry campsites.
Finding all these hidden treasures made us want to take the time to explore more of the lower Sunshine Coast. Getting off the beaten path bumps up our enjoyment factor another notch.
Barb Rees is Métis, a speaker, photographer and author of six RV Canada books from the working holidays her and husband Dave have made from coast to coast to coast of Canada. "RV Canada A Year of Anniversaries" launched June/18. Her books can be ordered from: www.write2dream.com