The Last Day on Haida Gwai

July 19, 2018

We said goodbye to the beach and the ocean, and drove towards Charlotte Town 120 km south of Masset.

We stopped by the Balance Rock, another one of the Haida Gwaii' spiritual wonders. A large bolder left behind from the glacial retreat of the ice age. Many decades later it still sits perfectly suspended on another rock's pointed head, guarding the shores of Skidegate, Graham Island.

Defying all odds for many centuries, how come not even the powerful forces of a Haida Gwaii storm, with its thundering waves and high winds, are still not able to knock the rock from its magical perch?

We also visited the Haida Gwai Museum, and learned more about the Haida culture, and their way of living then and now.

Then we drove to the village of Queen Charlotte, and visited the “library”, which also functions as a bus stop.

We relaxed in a coffee shop and had a nice dinner before returning the rental car. The owner of the car rental company offered to drive us to the ferry to Prince Rupert, which was very nice of him.

We had a great time on Haida Gwai, and if we do come back we will spend time on the southern islands. A lot of people go there to kayak or go boating as there are no roads, and it must be a wonderful experience.

The only thing we didn’t understand and missed was the fact that we couldn’t buy any fresh fish or seafood, but we did buy some frozen halibut, and it tasted really good when cooked.

“Lost is where we find ourselves. Weather weaving through unfamiliar neighbourhoods in a new city or jumping in the deep end of an adventure, the act of surrendering yourself to the unknown can be terrifying, exhilarating, and revealing. Lose yourself a little - you never know what you might find.” - Matt J. Simmons