GETTING TO GOLD RIVER
Our expedition embarks from the small village of Gold River, located approximately a three hours drive north-west of Nanaimo. Nanaimo is serviced by both Air Canada/Air BC and Canadian Airlines and easily accessed from the mainland via BC Ferries from Horseshoe Bay (just north of Vancouver) or Tswwassen (just south of Vancouver). We will be meeting in the early morning at 6:00 am on Day#1 of the expedition in Gold River and then will drive as a "convoy" along the gravel Forestry Road for 90 minutes (easily followed directions are provided in our "Expedition Information Kit", that will be forwarded to you upon your registration) to our launch site. Participants are welcome to camp the night before at the launch site and meet us the following morning or you can elect to relax at any one of the number of fine B&B's, motels/hotels in Gold River (a complete listing of accommodations, along with "what to bring", helpful info. medical form and a waiver, will be forwarded to you in our "Expedition Information Kit" upon receiving your booking ) and join us "in convoy" for the remaining 90 minute drive the following morning. We strongly advise that you make reservations well in advance for any accommodations during the summer months.
Getting there by car:
In order to get to Vancouver Island with your car, one must take a ferry across from the mainland. There are several options:
Horseshoe Bay (minutes north of Vancouver) to Nanaimo
Tswwassen (south of Vancouver) to Duke Point (minutes south of Nanaimo)
Port Angeles (located on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State, USA) to Victoria.
Most of the major car rental agencies are represented on Vancouver Island and Vancouver and can usually be contacted directly from where you live via their various 1-800 numbers. We've found the one of the most economical to be Rent-a-Wreck 1-800-327-0116 (don't let the name fool you...all vehicles must be 100% mechanically OK & usually are only 1 yr. old as opposed to the brand new models of the Big Guys). Some people opt to rent a vehicle on a weekly basis if they are flying in to Vancouver, Seattle, Nanaimo or Victoria. This allows for flexibility and an economical way of seeing the Island while your are here. Parking is available right by our launch site for a marginal cost and is both safe and practical.
Car pooling:
If you are driving to our embarkation point and would like to share the trip up with someone else who is participating on the expedition, let us know. It's a great way of economizing and makes the trip up that much more fun. Also, if you are considering renting a car, you may find that there are others on the same trip who are in a similar situation...and if you're still unsure as to how to get there, give us a call and we'll make sure you're taken care of...
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