Conference kaosws::canada

    Banff Springs Hotel telephone: 403-762-2211
    
    Safe journey.
    Elvin 

    Whale migrations occur largely between Feb - May, I understand, so you
    are now looking at watching the "residents".  During migration season,
    you can hop a boat in Port Alberni, Tofino, or get a package deal out
    of victoria to spot the big guys on the west coast ofthe island.  There
    may be some of these tours still operating when you are here, it should
    be easy to find out by asking for whale and boat brochures at the
    tourist kiosks in victoria, or checking the papers and the yellow
    pages.
    
    Best spot is Robson Bight, on the northeast of the island, I'd guess
    two hours by car north from Campbell River.  Again you'd need a package
    boat tour, of which I'm sure there are plenty.  Campbell river might be
    a good spot to check, there is probably a closer starting point, but
    I'm not sure which town it would be.  
    
    Vancouver to Banff?  How about this for a rough itinerary: 
    Kelowna/Pentiction/Lake Okanagan, Nelson/Kootenay Lake, then up past
    Cranbrook, through glacier national park, through Lake Lousie, then
    down to Banff.
    
    Pieter
    

    I did a whale-watching tour just some weeks ago. It started from a very
    nice little pile village (~ 15 houses) called Telegraph Cove. It's about 
    10 km from Port McNeill. The road to Telegraph Cove is not very good
    but it is definitely worth a visit.
    We saw some Bald Eagles, 3 Dall's Porpoises and followed an Orca family
    for about 3 � hours. 
    
    In Summer they have at least 2 tours a day (9 a.m. and 3 p.m.) lasting
    for 5 hours. Check-in time is 30 - 45 min before the start. Their boat
    has a capacity of about 50 people. You get a meal, coffee, tea and some
    snacks. The guys really know what they are talking about, most of them
    are former whale researchers and they tell you a bit about the whales.
    They recognize each of the residents by their dorsal fin and can tell
    you how old they are. They use hydrophones (and tapes from other whales) 
    to show you the sounds of the Orcas.
    
    The prices are (canadian) $ 60 (for adults), $ 54 (for children, seniors 
    and groups). It think it was worth it. The only thing I didn't like was
    that you have to pay  $ 54 for children from 1 (!) - 12 years. My son
    is not even 2 years old, he slept most of the time and didn't eat very
    much, but we had to pay $ 54 for him.
    
    I have the toll-free number (1-800 ... only to be used in Canada, I
    think) at home. You should book in advance (2 or 3 days). I can tell
    you the number tomorrow if want it.
    
    They are other tours starting from other places (for example with a
    sail-boat) but Telegraph Cove is the closest spot to the Robson Bight.
    We met some whales after only 30 minutes. The "Stubbs Island Tours" has
    a success rate of over 90 percent although they can't guarantee for whales.
    
    I really enjoyed - it was worth the money IMO.
    
    If you have some more questions (phone number etc.) just let me know.
    
               
    Ciao,
    
    oli
    
    PS.: They also have a souvenir shop where you can buy a good book on 
         Orcas by Erich Hoyer for $ 12.95 .

    
    My wife and I were in Chilliwack, BC for a wedding last October, but
    were able to steal away for 4 days on the Island.  We spent 2 of those
    days near Tofino.  The trip from Port Alberni over to the coast was
    well worth it, even before we were able to stroll the wind-swept
    beaches of the Pacific Rim National Park (especially Long Beach and Cox
    Bay -- where we stayed).
    
    -doug

    Thanks for the information folks.
    
    Re -.2, if you have that 1-800 number, I would be grateful. It sounds
    like a marvellous day out!
    
    Regards
    
    Andrew
    

	When I visited my brother and sister-in-law, they asked for:

	Polo mints
	Marmite
	Tea bags
	Rimmel lipstick - muted viarieties, not red/pink etc.    
	Rimmel mascara  - muted varieties, not green/blue etc.
	Leather sandals from Street
	Marks and Spencer underwear
	Diamond Glass cutter
	T-shirts, medium quality, low price.

	Heather

	<<When I visited my brother and sister-in-law, they asked for:
    
    Wot?! No Vimto?!
    
    Pat

    The address is :               
    
    	Stubbs Island Charters Ltd.
    	Telegraph Cove, B.C.
    	Canada V0N 3J0
    
    	Phone : (604) 928-3185 or
    		      928-3117 or
    		1-800-665-3066 (toll free within B.C.)
    
    Driving times (according to their ad) :
    
    from Nanaimo - 5 hrs.
    from Campbell River - 2.25 hrs.