–submitted by Sherry Durnford
We caught the first ferry of the day at 10 am to Newcastle Island, entertained by tales of Captain Hans. We knew, thanks to Peter’s meteorological research that rain was about to beset us but it had held off so far. Very casual, we had lots of stops to admire views and breathe in the salt air. Small wildflowers abounded and low tide conditions revealed many sandstone formations. After a brief snack break circumnavigation of the island continued…then circumnavigation of Maillard Lake, then lunch break overlooking the float plane base. Ah, the postponed rainfall started and left us scrambling for our waterproof gear. After lunch, we visited the sandstone quarry and enjoyed reading the great historical signage in the quarry. Then, back to the ferry for a 2:30 sailing back to Nanaimo. Wet but not cold, we trotted back to our cars, happy to have had a leisurely stroll on Newcastle!
