10, ENTERTAINMENT, THE HERALD, Wed, Feb, 2, 1977

ROAM AT HOME

A ‘TRAVEL BRITISH COLUMBIA FEATURE

THE ENTICING
QUEEN CHARLOTTE
“ISLANDS:
by Neil G. Carey

For all who enjoy outdoor
recreation, the Queen
Charlotte Islands offer an
unusual and varied holiday
where you may relax, away
from crushing crowds.

Instead of fighting traffic,
_you willshare the roads with
shaggy-haired cattle,

‘pounding blacktail deer and,
occasionally, an ambling

black bear.
_ he “Charlottes” are a
-trlanguiar: archipelago of

’ gome 150 islands and islets,

156 miles (250 kilometres)
‘Jong by a third as wide,
forming the western shore

. of Hecate Strait. Their moist

and moderate climate
results from the warm
Kuroshio current swelling
around the Pacific rim,
carrying along glass balls

torn from Japanese fishing |

“

ear, treasures for .lucky

cheombers. -

Life's pace in the
Charlottes is slower.
There’s time to enjoy a
friendly chat with a visitor;
to watch a.bald eagle
therm ; to behold the
flood tide swashing up the
beach. Here, except for
great trees, large salmon
and steelhead, all things,

including problems, seem ;

smaller; Streams are
shorter,’ mountain peaks
lower — under 4,000 feet
(1,200 metres) — and fisher-
like inlets seldom more than
five ‘miles — (eight
kilometres) long.

The climate is conducive

to year-around enjoyment of
camping, hiking, boating,
rockhounding, beach-
combing, scuba and skin
diving, Mountain climbing,
nature study, fishing,

spelunking, cycling and

other activities.

APPROVED

MASTER CHARGE

} MARG AND JOHN RAHIER

“ON HIGHWAY 16" 1737- 20th "AVENUE

6 ALUAY MOTEL

CHARGEX '
FOR RESERVATIONS TELEPHONE 564-6869

| |}FuLLY MODERN
] JJELECTRIC HEATING
0

The place ta stay while shopping, skiing,
holidaying, travelling through or just visiting
friends, close te major shopping centres, etc.

© hy .
Sa we.
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% er eS

KITGHEN FACILITIES
COLOUR TELEVISION
GOV'T APPROVED

1737 TWENTIETH AVENUE.
PRINCE. GEORGE, 6.C.

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Graham Island's spacious

| north and east coast, around

Naikoon Provincial Park,

. has miles of smooth, golden

sand beaches where
delectable razor clams may

dug. .
Numerous islands
decorate the east coast of
Moresby Island, protecting

. tree-flanked waterways

especially attractive to

‘ boaters and divers. A soak

in the tub at Hotspring
Island is a must.

Near the turn of this
century
decimated Haida villages

survivors of.

moved from their scattered
ancestral grounds and

gathered at two sites, both

on Graham Island. Haida,
two miles north of Masset, is
home for over 800 Haidas.
Here, in 1969, the first Island

totem carved in 100 years

was erected near the
church. Other new totems
now stand in front-of a

museum displaying Haida.

artifacts.
Skidegate Mission, east of
Queen Charlotte City, is an
attractive settlement of
some 300. Haidas, where a
single totem faces a shore
once thick with tall carved
poles and crowded with

‘giant sea-going dugout

canoes. Nearby is a new
regional museum, a good
place to get acquainted with

‘the’ islands’ past and

present.
Haida artisans in both
villages carve argillite — a

Toronto. Nonstop SuperOrange |
747 Service from Vancouver

at 2p,m. Daily.

Or pick one of our 5 other daily flights from Vancouver.
Orange is Beautiful. -

_CPAIrIS

black, slate-like rock unique .

peers 0 aye tpn nee cme 29 sete

to the Slatechuck Mountains
— into small totems and
brooches. — _

’. Others work with
gold or silver, creating
rings, bracelets, brooches
and earrings of delicate

‘lines. and exquisite beauty,

useful mementoes of your
not-to-be-forgotten
vacation. .

Most visitors ‘arrive at
Sandspit — the Chariottes
only airport — via Pacific
Western Airlines daily
(except Wednesday), jet
flight from Vancouver or-
from Prince Rupert on
Trans-Provincial Airlines,
or North Coast Air Service
amphibians, landing at

-Masset. . Seaplanes

operating out of Masset and
Sandspit maintain
scheduled flights to most
communities, and are

-available for charter to

remote areas. .

Most tourists prefer to
rent autos in -Masset, Port
Clements, Queen Charlotte

_ City or Sandspit, locations of

the islands’ only hotels,
motels and cafes. M.V.

Kwuna, a new 25-car ferry,

makes frequent schedul
crossings from Alliford Bay,
on Moresby Island, to

. Skidegate Landing, on
Graham Island. (Vehicle. ~ -

and driver: = $1.50.

Passengers: 50 cents).

In addition to over 125

_ miles (200 kilometres) of

Bood public roads, there are
undreds of miles of
privately owned. loggin
roads snaking throug
valleys or coiling up
hillsides, leading to scenic

> camping spots or fishing

streams. These roads are
normally accessible after
working hours or on

weekends. For those
desiring to photograph
abandoned Haida villages, a

boat or float plane is needed.
For anyone desiring a
restful vacation, away from
a throng of tourists, where
there is little ‘planned’
recreation, only nature to
show her beauty in sun or’
shower during any season,
the diversified and relaxing
Queen Charlotte Islands
offer a memorable and.
distinctivé holiday.

(This Roam at Home |. -
article is one of a series |
provided by Tourism British
Columbia.) we