I decided to stay another day in Tofino because a) the weather was lovely and b) my friends in Victoria were not yet home.
I woke to the sound of a Beaver taking off and this view outside:
After a very satisfying breakfast of bacon and eggs at a coffee shop, I strolled down to the Tofino Air office on the dock.
"Any chance of a right-seat ride-along in your Beaver today?"
"Let me check the schedule."
Checks computer
"Be here at 3:15. We've got a charter going to Hot Springs Cove. One hundred bucks, OK?"
"Done."
So with time to kill, I drove south out of town to have a look at the beaches. Beautiful beaches with lots of surfing in very cold water. Thick wet-suits or dry-suits required!
Since the Japanese tsunami, there is a heightened sensitivity to the risk created by earthquakes. The local council has installed tsunami warning sirens at its own expense - the Federal Government would not pay for them - and there are warning signs along low-lying roads:
In a pub in town, there is a slightly different take on the advice:
Wandering along a dock after lunch, I noticed that the local Mountie has 500 horses, rather then just one:
On my way back to Tofino Air, I took a picture for Sir George Cayley:
For your next trip can I ask for automobiles and hot chicks as well?
The hot chick pictures will come in a plain brown envelope.
Then it was time for my trip. I had flown in a Turbo Beaver many years ago, but this was my first trip (20 minutes each way) in a "round engine" one:
Beavers don't fly fast and when you have miles of runway beneath you, there is no need to fly high:
Set your volume control to "11", particularly at 2m25. A wonderful experience - I now want a checkout!
In the evening, I decided to eat at a Sushi restaurant. Wonderful food:
and a great view:
but much to my surprise, a bunch of exquisite scale models hanging from the ceiling:
I talked to the owner about them. I'll do a separate post of the pictures and how he came to acquire them.