Boats in harbour, Prince Rupert
Sally & Corinne, Prince Rupert
Max & Sally, Prince Rupert
Flowers, Prince Rupert
Max’s birthday!!
The very early morning weather as we arrived at Prince Rupert harbour was less than encouraging with low fog and hints of rain all about.
Prince Rupert was the son of Frederick V, King of Bohemia and Elizabeth Stuart, the daughter of James I of England. Prince Rupert is acclaimed as the most talented Royalist of the English Civil War (1642 -1651) and became the first Governor of the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1670.
After a desperately slow customs processing we grabbed a taxi and headed into Prince Rupert town centre which is about three kilometres from the ferry terminal. It was still only 0800 so we put our luggage in temporary storage at our hotel and enjoyed breakfast and coffee whilst catching up on all the news as it’s a while since we had access to wifi.
As if by magic, when we ventured outside we found the cloud had lifted and it was now sunny and surprisingly warm and here we all were, rugged up in jumpers and parkas!
A quiet stroll along the waterfront was delightful with colourful flower beds and marine artefacts aplenty. The picturesque but busy wharf area was occupied by container ships, professional fishing vessels and many classy luxury yachts and cruisers. In a setting similar to Hobart’s docks, there are quite a few old but revamped wharf buildings now featuring trendy restaurants along the way.
We had a birthday lunch for Max in a local hotel where we sat out on a terrace overlooking the harbour. A pleasant snack and a bottle of delectable bubbly were consumed while sitting in bright sunshine and taking in the action on the harbour below.
Sea planes leave here to travel across to Haida Gwai, the name now given to the Queen Charlotte Islands which lie off the west coast of Prince Rupert. We’d considered doing this as a day trip but to hire a plane for the day was to cost over $2000 so we decided to stay on the mainland and enjoy the township which had a lot to offer.
During the afternoon we wandered further afield and were continually impressed with the relaxed and pleasant ambience of this spotlessly clean fishing town. The local museum had a highly interesting collection of exhibits relating particularly to the period in which Europeans first intermingled with the local indigenous tribes in the late 17th century. The displays were very well presented and the labelling of the exhibits was first class and highly informative.
The day finished with a proper/slap-up meal in a popular and highly recommended seafood restaurant as a celebration for the two boys’ birthdays.
(Max & Jak). A fine cognac and liqueurs made for a top class ending to a superb day in this delightful city of Prince Rupert!
We have another very early start tomorrow morning as the ferry to Vancouver Island leaves at 0730 and we are required to be at dockside, ready for boarding two hours prior to departure!!