Towing the Kayak to Raft Cove 2.JPG, originally uploaded by wild_nature_addict.
We could not find a place to stay in Tofino, so we decided to head a little farther north on Vancouver Island for the long weekend to go surfing and surf kayaking. Raft Cove Provincial Park is a small but incredibly wild and beautiful beach backed by forests not far from the north end of Vancouver Island. To get there, you have to drive 5 hours from Nanaimo to Port Hardy and then continue for 2 hours along logging roads. The route is signed. From the parking lot, you hike for 45 minutes along a muddy trail and over and under large trees that have fallen across the path. If you bring a surf kayak, we recommend the towing method. After a second trip to retrieve the surf kayaks in the rain, we set up camp beside the river mouth, ate dinner and climbed into bed. For the next couple of days, we were blessed by sun and relaxed on the beach beside the fire, had stimulating conversations, ate good food and played random silly games. The weekend brought a small but consistent set of waves and we enjoyed a few sessions on the beach break right in front of the river mouth. A sea otter could be seen smashing shells on its chest just a few hundred metres away just off of the rocky point. For more photos of this weekend check out Raft Cove Photos.
