July 05, 2006 | Tips from Us >
Queen Charlotte City, Historic & Heritage Sites
One of the most magical days of my life was spent last summer in Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, in the Queen Charlotte Islands. Before dawn, we arrived by boat at S'gang Gwaii, previously known as Ninstints, home to a first nations village for hundreds of years until the late 1800s. Today, a collection of totems and the remains of longhouses are slowly disintegrating back into the ground, completing their life cycle. The remarkable carvings can still be seen in the aged wood, and it's not difficult to imagine what a settlement here would look and feel like, when it was filled with families and houses. We stayed for the sun rise, and watched the light hit the front of the poles. After soaking up the silence, we wandered down the path to meet the Haida Watchmen who care for the site, and heard some of the stories of their culture - both past and present. Later that same day, sailing north towards our next site, Hotspring Island, we spotted a couple of long fin whales swimming not far away. We trailed along behind them, until we were joined by a pod of at least two dozen humpback whales. We watched in silence and awe as they splashed around us, feeding on the tiny critters they eat in these waters. And as we reluctantly turned the boat to leave (some hours later) we were joined by a huge pod of about 50 or so exuberant porpoises, who played energetically in our bow wave and jumped through our wake. Haida Gwaii - also known as the Queen Charlotte Island - tops lots of people's list as a dream place for a vacation. But it's a unique place, and can take a bit of time to understand it's extraordinary virtues... as well as it's limitations. For one, it's remote and can be expensive - and time consuming - to reach. And if you're the type of traveller who likes to find a Four Seasons hotel at the end of the journey, it's probably not the place for you! With the exception of a few fly-in fishing lodges, the limited accommodation on the islands is comfortable but basi