Phillip Island

Phillip Island is a 2 hour drive out of Melbourne. My family used to go there during summer for Woolamai beach, and the funny thing about this spot is that by the time you drive there, in true Melbourne style, the day's weather could have done a complete 180 turn.

In good weather though, this beach definitely must be one of the best in Victoria, especially when it comes to surfing. Positioned outside of the the bay that most of Melbourne lies within, the beaches on Phillip Island boasts some pretty massive waves - from what I've seen waves usually range from 1 to 3 metres high on a windy day. It also features (generally speaking) a lot of strong winds and colder than anticipated water temperatures - even in summer, you could very well need a wetsuit to surf here.

Myself, I have a rational fear of giant friggin' waves, and I hate the cold, so I don't generally swim in this beach but many people do - swimming is definitely only a viable option in summer. The beach features soft yellow sand, the kind that makes the squeaky noise when you run on it.

The most popular attraction in Phillip Island is the fairy penguins. The penguin parade begins around sundown, but you'll want to get there early to secure yourself a front row seat. Bring a warm coat - we even used a sleeping bag for extra warmth while waiting one night in January! Crowds seat themselves on a grand-stand style bench facing the beach, and we wait for the little penguins to waddle in out of the sea. They don't let you take photos of the event so no pictures of these guys - sorry! The penguins walk past the stands onlookers are seated on, and you can follow the penguins as they waddle towards their nests, by walking on the boardwalks alongside them.

The moral of the story is - you've got the car anyway, so trust me: bring a coat, for just in case.

Park Omega

Parc Omega is an open range wildlife park situated about 90 minutes drive from Montreal (or an hour from Ottawa). If you are travelling in this region and want to guarantee yourself to see some Canadian native fauna, this park is easy to access by car and you won't be disappointed with the variety of wildlife it contains.

The whole trip will take a day, plan to spend at least 3 hours within the park just to drive around and enjoy spotting the open range animals. You'll also want enough time to participate in one or more of the special presentations, follow a walking trail, have a packed picnic, or do some activities designed just for the kids if you have any.

Driving into the park, you'll immediately be approached by several deer. You can purchase food to offer the deer, and they will stick their heads into the car in the search for food - they will also quickly move on if you don't have any.

We didn't purchase any munchables for the animals and we were happier the deer had no reason to get too aggressive towards our vehicle in the hopes of obtaining treats. Some of the deer seemed to be getting a bit pushy with other cars, but no one seemed upset by this.

We visited the park in fall, and the auburn foliage was breathtaking. I imagine this park would be worth returning to in each season, and would provide a different experience each time.

Autumn is also the mating season for the deer, so we heard the call of the male deer through the forest, and saw the bucks rubbing their antlers against the trees. We didn't see any fights between the male deer, but it would be possible.

The highlight was seeing the moose. Yes, they have exactly one moose on the grounds right now, a grand fellow, but he has his own enclosure and while he has plenty of space, you will see him behind a fence. But he's the first live moose I've seen in Canada so it was still special. No great photos of him though, being behind a fence and all.

There is a beaver lake, but I failed to spot any beavers in it. Those little guys are masters at hiding. The bears and wolves were a lot of fun to visit as well, and you could take a walk along a boardwalk above their enclosures to get another view.

We drove to Mount Tremblant after visiting the park, it's about another 90 minutes out from Montreal and an hour from Omega, so it made sense for us to combine it into a day trip.

For more information you can visit the park's website.

Alberta 4: Banff National Park

Tuesday, June 26

Mike and I had a few hiccups with our check-in, where the key cards failed to work several times during our stay, but the hotel was receptive to our feedback and I think we were just unlucky. Either that or Mike is electronically charged to interfere with the magnetised keys. The hotel manager compensated us very generously for this inconvenience and sent us a card on the day of check out - to the point where I get the impression that problems like this are rare. This was my parents' second stay at the Rimrock, and they still only have good things to say about the place even with all things considered.

View on the trail to Lake Agnes Teahouse

We visited the hot springs nearby the hotel in the late afternoon. The view from the springs is beautiful, and the cool evening weather was just right for it. We only spent under an hour here and didn't feel the need to go back - there is just the one pool and it's fairly busy. If you're going to visit, it's probably worthwhile getting the single entry first to see if it's a place you want to return to.

Banff

For dinner, we went to the Grizzly House. This restaurant came strongly recommended by a colleague of Mike's. We had their price fix menu involving a vegetable fondue starter, and a platter of raw game meats to fry up ourselves - korean BBQ style. This included bison, elk, rattlesnake, frog, and kangaroo. We really liked the vegetable fondue, the meats in the platter were hit or miss. One disappointment was the kangaroo meat was a substitute for one of their usual offerings (I think either moose or bear). Coming from Australia where kangaroo meat is becoming commonplace, it's presence at this restaurant didn't impress us and we'd have preferred a Canadian game. The rattlesnake was weird... if you're adventurous enough to try it I know I can't stop you, but I wouldn't recommend it at all.


Wednesday, June 27

Botanical Gardens in Banff

My dad had just read the book Wheat Belly, and made a recent resolution to remove wheat from his diet. This was all well and good for our meaty dinners, but after such a heavy meal last night we really felt like something light and had to make it wheat free. This is how we stumbled across an amazing cafe. I loved everything about this place - it happens to offer gluten free, free trade, organic, vegan etc products but was not at all pretentious about it. With wheat free options it was just what we needed to meet Dad's new food requirement. This place was so good that we went back every morning for the exact same dish (the granola bowl with berry compote and yoghurt), then bought some granola to take home with us. My mouth is watering just thinking of that dish... It's goes without saying I think you should try out the Wild Flour Bakery. We also found it easy to park near the bakery on each morning we visited.

We took a walk around town during the morning. Banff is just beautiful and there's so much to see there. We spent some time shopping at the Banff Farmer's Market, and in the Town Centre shopping mall. We visited the botanical gardens at the south end of Banff Ave, near Cave St.

In the afternoon we drove to Canmore, and my parents stayed in town while Mike and I went horse riding on a short trail ride. This place provides rides through its ranch which is just outside of Banff. We did one of the more advanced rides, which involved some steep and muddy paths. I enjoyed the ride with these guys, but it didn't provide the Banff-themed scenery I was expecting, the atmosphere was much more cowboy-ranch inspired.

Brewster Kananaskis Ranch

Thursday, June 28

Lake Louise and the Fairmont Chateau

Mirror Lake

Today we visited the famous Lake Louise. This lake is special for a few reasons, like the glacier in the distance, the crystal blue water, and the beautiful architecture of the Fairmont Chateau. My parents stayed to walk around the lake while Mike and I hiked uphill to the Lake Agnes teahouse. I won't lie, I found the mostly uphill hike a bit tiresome. Of course, it's nothing compared to the Inca Trail, but I still stopped a few times for a breather and some snacks on the way. The hike all in all took us about 2 hours round trip. You'll walk up the mountain on one side of Lake Louise, and at the top of the mountain you'll pass a waterfall just before reaching the tea house. On the way up you'll pass Mirror Lake and the Beehive, a scene that we unanimously felt superseded Lake Agnes. Even if you don't intend to walk the entire way to the tea house, it's worth coming up this far.

View from Lake Agnes

Lake Agnes lies at a higher altitude than Lake Louise, and the water here is completely still and clear, providing a mirror image of the mountains towering above it. A stream from the lake runs towards a waterfall, and you can cross a bridge to see the top of the waterfall and the valley below. The tea house was selling snacks like sandwiches for about $10, so best to bring some snacks with. It's understandable since staff carry the food up the mountain and the garbage down the mountain each day.

Lake Agnes

While we were munching on protein bars on our way back down the mountain, my parents were taking in tea and pastries at the Fairmont. When we returned and joined them, the staff at the Fairmont seemed to have difficulty seating us outside even though several seats were available. It was a bit unclear who we should even ask to be seated, and I certainly expect better service from such an icon of the hospitality industry.

Lake Louise

Moving on, we drove that little bit further to my Dad's favourite, Lake Moraine. I've got to agree with him on this one, Lake Moraine can only be more beautiful than Lake Louise. From the parking lot, you can take a trail around the lakeside to a viewpoint on the lake, or you can take a trail up a rocky knoll to a viewpoint that you might recognise from some CA$20 bills.

Lake Moraine

Johnston Canyon Waterfall

Johnston Canyon Waterfall was the next attraction to see today. It's a short trail again, definitely under an hour to see the waterfall, with much of the trail being boardwalk, and part of it through forest.

We stopped by the Bison for dinner, but they were full booked so we made a reservation for tomorrow. Instead we went to Earl's, which has a varied menu from it's Toronto location.








Friday, June 29

Following another breakfast at the Wild Flour, we visited the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. We explored the lobby and outdoor grounds of the hotel.

View of the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel

Fairmont Banff

After this, Mike and I did the hike up Tunnel Mountain. This walk takes about an hour from the upper trail head where we parked the car. Some people were walking even further to the trail all the way from Banff (which add's a lot more uphill to the mix). It's a popular hike to yet another beautiful lookout.

Tunnel Mountain Trail

Finally, we had our much anticipated dinner at the Bison. Move over Grizzly House, because the Bison was some premium fare! We were all excited by the entrees as they arrived, and this was definitely our best meal for the whole trip.

We stayed one last night in Banff, and drove to Calgary airport in the morning to catch our flight home.

Previous: Icefields Parkway

Alberta 3: Icefields Parkway

Tuesday, June 26

This day was dedicated to the drive from Jasper to Banff. We stopped several times along the way to see the attractions and the wildlife.

Icefields Parkway, Jasper National Park

We had already done the hike through the Valley of the Five Lakes (this one takes at least 1 hour), and visited Athabasca and Sunwapta Falls. Driving south from Sunwapta, our next destination was the Columbia Icefields. The terrain in the icefields changes drastically, and the true meaning of the "rockies" is highlighted in this area.

Entering the Columbia Icefields

Guided excursions onto the glacier either by bus or hiking can be arranged at the welcome centre. We didn't take the tour, and instead parked at the base and hiked to the edge of the glacier. I shouldn't even call it hiking. Yes there's a little bit of uphill, but it's more of a leisurely stroll to this glacier. As you walk, you pass signs indicating where the glacier used to reach, and this helps you appreciate exactly how much glacier recedes each decade.

Columbia Glacier viewpoint

Mountain goats crossing the Icefields Parkway

The next major stop is Peyto Lake. There are two places to park to view Peyto lake - both leading to the same lookout. Tourists are supposed to park cars in the lower parking lot, for a longer walk to the viewpoint. In poor weather or if you have mobility concerns, you could still park in the bus lot, where the walk is much shorter (about 150 meters, but involves a steep hill for part of the way), but we weren't confident to stay parked there very long.

Peyto Lake

We bypassed Lake Louise and Lake Moraine today with the intention of visiting them tomorrow. We headed into Banff to check into our hotel, arriving mid-afternoon with the whole evening to spend in Banff.

Previous: Jasper National Park   Next: Banff National Park

Alberta 2: Jasper National Park

Sunday, June 24

The bulk of the driving was done today, taking the famous Icefields Parkway through Banff towards Jasper. The Icefields Parkway is consistently featured in lists showcasing the best drives in the world, and even with the overcast skies and torrential rain its beauty shines through.

Leaving Calgary, you'll pass a large agricultural zone before finally seeing mountains in the distance. You'll drive past Canmore just before entering the park. We did stop by Canmore later in the week to do some horse riding, and the town has cottages and holiday apartments, along with a few quaint stores and cafes in the town centre - a close-enough-to-Banff location which presumably doesn't have Banff prices, although the Banff town centre still has much more options for food and shopping, beyond the unparalleled beauty of the town itself.

Simpson's Num-Ti-Jah Lodge

Hiking to Sunwapta Falls

Entering Banff National Park, we decided to get an annual Parks Canada pass rather than daily passes, and this is worthwhile if you're there for 7 days or more, and even more so if you live elsewhere in Canada and can visit other national parks during the year.

The drive up towards Jasper is increasingly breathtaking the closer you get to Jasper. We stopped briefly for lunch at a hotel situated just off the highway with pristine lake and mountain views. Lunch featured a tasty soup and sandwich, pricey for what it was, but there weren't exactly alternatives in the area and it at least made for a hearty meal. There was a gift shop adjacent to the restaurant which we browsed while waiting for the rain to calm down before we dashed back to the car.

We did a straight shot to our accommodations, about 20 minutes south of Jasper town. We lost a fair amount of the day to rainfall, and eventually decided to attire ourselves in rain gear and go outside anyway, to the nearby Sunwapta Falls. We parked the car and walked out to the falls, and lo and behold, it stopped raining. Seeing the upper falls is right by the car park, and the lower falls is a half hour walk along the river, and a good way to split up the drive a bit.

There was time enough for one more short hike, to the valley of the five lakes. This hike is discouraging initially, when you reach the edge of the woods and discover a stenchy swamp (which was irritatingly loaded with mosquitos). But perseverance pays off, and if you continue 5-10 minutes further you come across a set of lakes ranging from emerald green to opal blue colour. The whole hike took about an hour.

The Valley of Five Lakes

We returned to the hotel and decided to just eat dinner in the restaurant. For dinner, the hotel's restaurant was a bit pricey, but in line with the cost of the area (and the only restaurant until you reach Jasper 20 minutes away). The food reflected the price though, and overall we were happy enough with our choice at this restaurant to return the next night. We tried lunch at the hotel's restaurant the next day though, and that was a real disappointment. During the day they offer cafeteria style food and service for tourists passing by, but at night they pull out full table service and french food incorporating local game. Even if you're staying in Jasper, I'd recommend the drive out to this hotel to eat dinner at the restaurant. It was infinitely better than anything we saw available in Jasper town.

The Valley of Five Lakes

The Sunwapta Falls Rocky Mountain Lodge was about the best hotel you can get in this area. The rooms were a bit outdated (I hear they're planning to fix that), but featured traditional fireplaces, which the staff lit for us each night we were there. I wasn't a fan of the mosquito burden of the area, being mainly in dense forestation and the wet weather certainly didn't help. But I can't say I got any mosquito bites while indoors. We did head in to Jasper the next day and checked out a few other hotels for comparison, and honestly they were all outdated and overpriced. Returning to our hotel after this venture, we were more satisfied that it was the best available and one of the less expensive options, and I don't think any other restaurant would have held up to the standard of dinner we received at Sunwapta.

Monday, June 25

Today was focussed on seeing Maligne Lake, which is just past Jasper and another 20-30 minutes off the Icefields Parkway. This is the place we spotted the most wildlife. We passed several black bears along the roadside, to the point where we didn't bother to stop and look any more. We saw baby bears climbing trees and running after their mother. The was an abundance of elk on this route too.

Black bear family spotted on the way to Maligne Lake

Maligne lake is stunning, and we spent about half an hour walking along the lakeside. There is a few hiking route options and you can follow the path along the lake much longer than we did. We got distracted by the family of bears that came down to the lake and decided to hang out by the path, so that made a bit of a road block for us. A young child attempted to run out towards the bears, I guess they looked cuddly.

View from the Icefields Parkway, Jasper National Park

We returned to Jasper to check out the town. You'll see all over TripAdvisor that this town really isn't anything special. This is absolutely true. The town lacks the charm of Banff's architecture, has very little choice by way of food, and the only thing worth seeing there is their supermarket if you're interested in getting snacks and fresh food.

There are plenty of Elk to spot in Jasper National Park

Waterfall visible from the Icefields Parkway

Mike and I returned to the waterfall that is on the Icefields Parkway about 15 minutes south of the hotel, and we climbed to the top of the waterfall for kicks. I really enjoyed the scenery nearby this waterfall - with pink and grey boulders lining the valley towards the mountains.

In the evening we visited the Athabasca Falls. This involves another leisurely walk through some small canyons and forest, and along elevated platforms. The falls are powerful enough that a small rainbow forms in its mists.

We stayed one more night at Sunwatpa. The initial plan was to stay an extra night, but we decided our time would be better spent in Banff and arranged for an earlier checkout.

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Alberta 1: Calgary

This trip to Alberta was a real treat. My parents came to visit me from Australia, and they joined Mike and I to see another part of Canada. My parents had been to the Rockies before and fallen in love with it, so naturally it was a place Mike and I had yet to experience and my parents were very happy to return to. So due to some extra family funding, this week got to be more decadent than our usual travels. Honestly though, this is a difficult area to travel cheaply, even the cheapest motels are expensive.

8 Day Alberta Itinerary

Trip Style: Self directed

Transportation: Rental Car

Average Accommodation Cost: CAD$200/night

Travel dates: June 23-30, 2012

Saturday, June 23

We arrived in Calgary airport on Saturday morning, and arranged our car rental easily form the airport. It was fairly easy to find our way to Calgary from here with the aid of google maps. On the way into town, we quickly looked up recommendations online for a brunch spot. We got really excited at the menu for this restaurant and headed there right away to settle our stomachs. We got into town much earlier than expected - the drive in was under half an hour, and we went for a quick walk along the Bow River in Shouldice Park while we waited for it to open. Parking in this area was easy to come by on a Saturday morning. We arrived at the restaurant right at opening time, and were the first to be seated. The dark walls and soft lighting were relaxing compared to the rainy weather outside, but on a sunny day it would be nicer to find a place with a patio. The food was fantastic, I of course had the chocolate banana bread french toast, which surprisingly wasn't as heavy as I had expected - that being a good thing. All four of us were satisfied with our meals, and overall the food and ambience is worth the price.

After brunch we checked in to our hotel early. This hotel may be the best hotel I've ever stayed in. I will dream of the bedding in that hotel for a long time coming, and honestly I would strongly consider buying it for home use if that ever were an option for me. Everything about this place was pure luxury, with modern decor, a rain shower, and no need for their pillow menu because there were several pillows to choose from on the bed already (really, it was like resting on a fluffy cloud).

Just a block north from the hotel on 9th Ave and Centre St, was a pedestrian mall that looked like the main part of downtown Calgary. There are a few cowboy stores to buy tourist products like leather hats, boots and belts. From here you can access the +15, which is an indoor network of bridges connecting the first floors of most of the downtown buildings. I imagine they're designed for the colder months when the weather outside is harsh. Overall the downtown core as a shopping district is small, and quiet on weekends, so I suspect the city centre is mainly catered towards the weekday working crowd.

We ambled aimlessly for a while, until finding ourselves on a map realised we were close to Prince's Island - a massive parkground. This park was beautiful and worth the visit. It really feels like you're not in a city at all. Definitely, Calgary feels more like a town or suburb than a city, with friendly residents, plenty of parks, and small shopping districts scattered in various places. The only city feel we got was the multiple lane roads leading in and out of the city (which were about empty at the time we used them). We wondered around the park until some inclement rain arrived and we had to run for shelter... all the way back in town. We took the +15 back towards the hotel.

Prince's Island

For dinner we went to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse with some family friends. Yes, I know, it's a US chain and it was an odd choice to go to the one place that would give us a US raised steak when in the capital of Canada grown beef. But it was pouring buckets outside and the place was steps away from the hotel. And it broils a pretty decent tenderloin to perfection.

Our friends took us for a drive to see some of the Calgary neighbourhoods in the rain. We returned the next day to Kensington for lunch because it seemed a nice place from the car. The neighbourhood is around Kensington Rd and 10 St NW, parking was a little tricky but we found some pay parking on Sunday on one of the side streets. The area has a trendy feel to it, but overall the popular part of the strip is fairly small and takes 10 minutes to walk around.

Next: Jasper National Park