Over my year in New Zealand, I made sure to make the most of days off to explore the amazing scenery and attractions that the country had to offer.  One area that I spent some time in was central North Island, including the popular areas of Rotorua, Taupo, the Coromandel’s, and National Park. 
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Rather than speaking about each individual trip, I thought I would instead talk about each area, where there is to see and do there and my thoughts. 

Situated in a peninsula east of Auckland, the Coromandel’s are technically not in central North Island but I decided to include it because… why not?  The area is known for its amazing beaches, spectacular views and laid back lifestyle.  I visited for three days and was able to visit the two most popular attractions here as well as a few more.

The first is Cathedral Cove.  I had seen this beach on many Instagram feeds and knew it was somewhere I wanted to visit.  The walk to the beach itself is surprisingly long and full of up an dows making for quite the trek.  There are a number of smaller coves to visit along the way though, including some great spot for snorkelling. 

When you finally make it to the beach, it is quite busy but with enough room for everyone to spread out.  The famous archway and rocks are all on display and make for a great photo backdrop.  The highlight for me was the walk to the cove as the beach was little to busy to fully enjoy. 

If the walk isn’t suitable for you, there is a boat which you can pay and reverse which will take tourists back and forth to the beach.  We didn’t account for how long the walk would take and with it getting later in the afternoon and not fancying the long walk back, we decided to take the boat back to the starting point.  Make sure to book it in plenty of time though as you will not be the only one having this idea!

Hot Water Beach is also another popular spot along the Coromandel’s and is famous for the hot spring running directly underneath it.  In a certain spot along the beach, you’ll know it when you see it, you can dig a hole and enjoy a DIY bath.  Be careful to not choose a spot that is too hot though or dig too deep, you might find yourself getting burnt! You can bring your own spade or hire one from the local café.  However, if you prefer, you can hop in a previous visitors make shift bath and borrow another groups spade to reinforce if needed.  We went here in the evening and loved watching the sunset as we relaxed in our little spa. 

The Coromandel’s is also home to many more amazing beaches, some so white that I was amazed we were still in New Zealand! The peninsula is full of fantastic rainforests to hike through as well as a number of scenic drives complete with twisting and turning roads.  Be careful to not drive too fast on these! The area also has several sweet towns which cater for the tourists as well as locals.  Thames, the main town of the area, is a fantastic example of an old colonial settlement and has a lot of interesting whaling and logging history.
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This part of New Zealand is a must see and well worth a few days to week of your itinerary.  It can get very busy and crowded in the summer months so do be prepared to join the crowds.  It’ll be worth it though! 

This popular tourist destination situated in the North-east of the North Island is an adventure playground.  The area is renowned for its thermal activity with a number of spas and attractions all allowing you to experience the magic of the earth yourself.  As well as this, slightly obvious attraction to Rotorua, you also have an abundance of adrenaline activities to try out including zorbing, ziplining and skydiving.  The area surrounding Rotorua is also beautiful, with clear lakes (free of sulphur) to swim in the popular Bay of Plenty not too far away.

On the one occasion I explored this part of New Zealand, we stayed one night and two days and tried to fit in as much as we could into our time there.  We first went zorbing.  This adrenaline activity is unique to New Zealand and I believe was founded in Rotorua.  They have three different routes you can take with your zorb ball, the straight and relaxed, windy route and finally the extreme route which includes a jump with a decent amount of air!  We decided to be brave and try out all three. 

Since we went in summer, our zorb ball was filled with a small amount of water and once in the zorb, you are zipped in and pushed down the hill.  It is a unique feeling and very fun! I’d say the windy route was the most dramatic as you are being tossed from side to side and have no idea which way is up or down. The zorb company even has a hot tub which you can relax in after your turns are up.  I would recommend this unique thrill to those seeking something new.

The town of Rotorua is very touristy and has a lot of gift shops and fun bars.  The town also has a popular park which features some of the thermal activities underground.  The smell of sulphur is prevalent throughout the town but after a few hours you’ll get used to it. The lake which Rotorua sits on is very sulphuric and is not safe to swim in.  A quick walk around the river front will show you why as you’ll notice mud bubbling away a short distance from the walkway.

The area is also well known for it’s Maori heritage and culture.  There are a number of culture shows to attend in the area but we chose to visit Tamaki Maori Village.  You are first greeted by the chief of the village, your tour groups chosen leader sent to demonstrate you that mean no harm with the offering of a fern leaf.  Once welcomed onto the land, you follow a series of short demonstrations which show the various ways of life still adopted by Maori people.  This part was really interesting and we also got to try the Haka and other dances.  What made this portion a shame for us was that our tour group happened to have a large number of German tourists.  This wasn’t a problem, but due to things having to be translated into German, our group often overran the time allotted for each demonstration which meant we missed quite a bit of information. 

After the demonstrations, you are invited to watch a cultural show which included the haka and other native dances.  It was great to see and really is so important in keeping the culture alive for more generations.  After the show you are treated to a feast which we happily indulged in.  This evening is a great way to experience the culture of the Maori people and help connect to those who keep New Zealand as culturally vibrant as it is today.

Around an hour away from the town is a series of freshwater lakes all surrounded by amazing rainforests.  We decided to drive to one of these on a hot afternoon and enjoyed a sunbathe and swim.  There are quite a few to chose from so you’ll hopefully not have any trouble finding parking.

The highlight of our stay in Rotorua for myself was our trip to Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland.  This attraction showcases the huge array of thermal activity in the Rotorua area and allows you to watch a geyser erupt, walk alongside the famous thermal lakes and take in some of the more unusual sights such as a bright green pond!  We spent most of a day here and loved the well-marked route around the attractions.

I would have loved to have stayed another day in this part of the North Island, mostly to try out some of the other attractions on offer in the town such as the cable car and zip lines.  I would have also maybe have been tempted to try out a spa which are popular for the healing properties of the mud used.  Overall, Rotorua is a great and varied destination with something for everyone and a must do in New Zealand.

Located slap bang in the middle of the North Island, this small town and its magnificent lake are well worth your time.  I have been able to visit here twice but felt that I didn’t make the most of my time here each time I visited.   Both trips to Taupo were fleeting but I was able to visit the popular sights such as Haka Falls and see the lake.  Lake Taupo was formed by a huge volcanic eruption thousands of years ago. This left a large crater which over time filled up with water creating the aquatic playground we see today.

The lake is huge and is perfect for sailing, kayaking or simply swimming in.  You can find hundreds of spots to relax in around the lake, make sure to hire a car to get the most out of the area or hire a boat and explore the lake this way.

The popular sight of Haka Falls is also close to Taupo and is a great stop for a photo and a walk.  This impressive waterfall rushes along at a huge speed and the colours of the water are fantastic.  The falls are free to visit and have a series of walks alongside them to explore the surrounding area.  If you want a slice of adrenaline, there is a jet tour of the falls which gets you crazy close to them, some might even say too close!
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The town of Taupo is very touristy and is home to a few shops and fun restaurants and bars.  It is also the home of the only McDonalds in the world which has an airplane one site, which you can sit in!  I mainly ate and slept whist in the town of Taupo itself, but it is a great place to base yourself if you want to explore the lake, skydive, or make a worthwhile stop on your trip.

The final area of central North Island which I was lucky to visit is the amazing National Park.  After driving past the majesty of Lake Taupo the landscape changes, with flatlands making way to awesome mountains and volcanic peaks.  This area of the country has seen a lot of volcanic history and was the setting of the mighty Mount Doom in Lord of the Rings. 

​We stayed in this area for two nights in a rustic hostel.  The temperature dipped when we entered the National Park and we swapped our shorts for fleeces and long leggings.  The purpose of our trip to National Park was to hike Tongariro but it is also popular for skiing in the winter months.  The mountain Whakapapa is well known for having some of the best skiing conditions in New Zealand and is another volcano.

Our full day in National Park was spent hiking.  Tongariro is a famous 19km hike which crosses varied terrain to the peak of the Tongariro volcano.  We walked past flatlands, marshes, craters and finally at the peak were rewarded with the amazing view of the volcano’s lakes, all with their own unique colour.  Next to these lakes rises puffs of steam from thermal vents.  The walk is challenging at parts but was so worth it.  The worst part was the walking down as it is very repetitive and made our legs very shaky by the end.  As soon as we got back to the hostel we went straight to sleep and left early in the morning for the long drive back to Auckland.

If a 19k walk doesn’t sounds appealing to you, there is a large variety of walks available in the National Park area and it is well worth a stay to take in the amazing volcanos, especially in the shoulder seasons as they often have snow covered peaks. 

As you can see, Central North Island has something for everyone and is varied from its beaches to its volcanos.  Although some may be tempted to fly from Auckland to Wellington before heading to the South Island, I urge you to spend some time in central North Island to discover some real hidden gems.  

My time in Hollywood was packed, had lots of variety and boosted my confidence in my skills solo travelling.  Although I didn’t meet many people in the hostel, I found comfort and enjoyment in my own company and got to do everything I wanted to do with no compromises.  ​

The Bay of Islands is a sub-tropical paradise, sitting far above the rest of the country just before the great expanse of the Pacific sea. The region is well known for its fantastic lush scenery, large variety of wildlife and never-ending list of activities. It is also home to New Zealand’ s historical roots and was the place where I first felt a real connection with New Zealand’s people, culture and legends.
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I have been to the Bay of Islands twice.  The first was Christmas 2018, when I joined a three-day Stray trip which coincided with Christmas Day.  The second was for a long weekend road trip, this time with my friend Steph.  

The most popular area of the Bay of Islands is Paihia.  This small tourist town is around a three-hour drive from Auckland and sits smugly in between many of the popular tourist sites this region has to offer.   The town itself is small and cute, with a lot of Kiwi charm.  There is a lot of accommodation to chose from, from hostels to luxury condos.

I stayed at the Peppertree Lodge and the Haka Lodge.  Whilst the Peppertree Lodge was quite basic, we loved the Haka Lodge for its good location, REALLY comfy beds and dorms and sociable atmosphere. 

The town boasts a small high street which offers everything a tourist may need.  I particularly enjoyed my visit to Ella’s Fudge Bar where I treated myself and my housemates to a variety of delicious homemade fudge!

The Highstreet also had several great eateries and bars for any budget.  For Pizza, the Pizza shack is a great option, with views of the sea from the restaurant and huge pizzas to share.  On the wharf are even more places to eat and drink.  Me and Steph particularly liked Charlotte’s Kitchen which had great cocktails.  The menu was limited but the view and ambiance made up for it.

The things to do in Paihia was numerous and suit every traveller.  The most famous is the Cruise to the Hole in the Rock. This two-hour ferry ride takes you out in the Bay of Islands harbour, on the search of dolphins along the way.  As you near the mouth of the bay and the open sea, you will come across the famous Hole in the Rock which on a good day the ferry can sail through. 

On my first trip, the weather was closed in.  We enjoyed a presentation from the staff about the different animals that lived in the area.  Of course, since the weather was so closed in, we didn’t see any this time around! On arrival to the Hole in Rock, although impressive, it was a scrabble to get a photo without getting too wet from the rain! If you don’t see dolphins on your trip to the Hole in the Rock the company offers another trip free of charge.  Of course, since most of the clients are tourists, they most likely would have to go out of their way to take up this offer.  Luckily, I was able to keep the voucher safe and redeem it a few months later.

The second time around the skies were clear and we had a much more enjoyable experience.  We saw dolphins and they showed off a few tricks to our ferry as we sailed past.  The Hole in the Rock was surrounded by calm waters this time and we were able to successfully sail through the rock, the boat blasting the horn as we went through which made for an amazing echo.
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I was also amazed by the lone house sitting on the cliff face opposite the Hole in the Rock.  Covered in cloud the last time I had taken the cruise, my second time around it was an intriguing sight and I wondered if/ who was brave enough to live there. 

Linking to the Hole in the Rock cruise, the company also offers you the opportunity to take a one-way trip to Russell, the town on the opposite side of the bay.  Known for its raunchy history, the town was popular with pirates and whalers at the beginning of New Zealand’s European history.  The town gained a reputation for debauchery and gambling.  These days it is a lot sleepier and is best accessed by boat.  Although it does have road access, it can take many hours to make your way around to the small town.  On our first trip to the area, we decided to take up the offer for a cheap trip to the town and went over to explore.

Unfortunately, on this day the weather was still closed in and as we landed on the opposite shore, the heavens opened.  We took refuge in The Duke of Marlborough Hotel which in New Zealand is well known.  A few of our other travel friends did decide to hike Flagstaff Hill that day but were disappointed with a lack of views and a whole lot of cloud.

On a better day, this town is great for a walk and a visit to the historic museums which detail the towns interesting history.
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Other popular tourist attractions in the area include the Waitangi Treaty Ground, which is the site of the first accord between the British Crown and the Maori people.  Here, history has been preserved and you can learn about why there were issues with this treaty and why Maori representation and preservation of the culture is so important.  Many visit this site for a Maori demonstration, but if you are travelling to Rotorua at any point in your trip it is better to save your money for this experience down there. I didn’t visit this attraction due to money constraints, but it is great spot for travellers of New Zealand who wish to learn a little more about Maori and European history. 

Another popular attraction in Paihia is the range of water sport activities.  My trip kayaking and paddle boarding to a waterfall was one of the highlights of my trip to this region.  We first met on the wharf and hopped in a boat to travel in-land towards Haruru Falls. On the way, our guide told us stories of the river and we enjoyed watching the birdlife on the riverside.  As we got closer to the falls we transferred into Kayaks.  As we reached the falls, we were encouraged to go underneath them.  This was huge fun and we tried many times to do this and see how long we could stay under the water.

The last time I had visited this waterfall it was a wet cold day and I had watched the kayaks with remorse for them.  This time, on a warm summer evening it was a great experience and we stayed in the water longer than we needed to.  A few of us opted to kayak/ paddleboard back whilst others warmed up in the boat.  We paddle boarded all the way back to the river mouth as dusk fell.  This led to an incredible moment.  As it got darker, we started to notice the water around our paddle boards glowing.  Intrigued, I put my hand in the water and was amazed when the water around my hand started to glow.  This was the elusive glowing plankton I had heard so much about from other travellers all over the world. 
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Every time we paddled the whole area around our boards glowed and it was a truly magical moment.  None of us wanted to get out of the water after this and were so sad to get back to dry land.  I would recommend this trip even without the plankton as it was a great way to spend the evening. 

Aside from Paihia, the bay of Island region has a lot more to offer.  On the long drive to Paihia from Auckland there are a couple of places which stand as great stops along the way.  The first is Whangarei Heads, around halfway to the Bay of Islands.  This peninsula has an amazing beach, breath-taking views from the cliffs and a great sub-tropical climate and landscape.

We stopped here for an afternoon and really enjoyed our walk up the cliff to amazing views over the whole area.  Looking to the left, we watched as the cliffs fell into the Pacific Ocean.  On our right we had a view of the rolling fields leading back to Auckland.  The area also has fantastic surfing beaches and is worth a longer stop for the keen surfer. 

​On my first trip to the Bay of Islands, we stopped off at a slightly different beauty spot, the famous Hundertwasser toilets of Kawakawa.  These public toilets were created by the Austrian-Kiwi artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser who commissioned and designed the unusual tourist attraction.  It is on the only public toilet in the world which is seen as a work of art.  We spent a short toilet break enjoying the uniqueness of this ‘work of art’. 

One place that stands out to me is Hokianga, a small town on the left of the peninsula.  The area is surrounded by tropical rainforests and across the bay from the community are amazing sand dunes.  We stayed at a local hotel here which was a nice treat from a hostel.  On our first evening here, the power went out and we had to go to sleep early by candlelight.  It made for a memorable Christmas Eve and when we woke up on Christmas morning, we were greeted by a buffet breakfast and sunshine.  The dunes across from the town are popular for sand dunning and we got in a small boat to go experience the fun.
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The unique thing about these sand dunes is that they go into the water.  We spent a few hours here getting braver and braver, eventually trying out the steepest and longest dune for a more exciting ride. 

The area is also known from its Kauri trees and we joined a local Maori representative for an informative evening about the trees and their significance to Maori culture.  The Kauri are known as protectors of the forest and in the past have been heavily logged form their good bark.  Even Buckingham Palace features a lot of Kauri.  Unfortunately, this heavy logging means that there are not many left and the species also has to contend with kauri dieback, a disease that that is attacking the remaining few. 

It is therefore important to disinfect your shoes before you enter a Kauri forest.  Our guide shared this information and more as we took a twilight walk amongst the huge trees. We finally got to visit Tane Mahuta, known as the God of the Forest.  He is featured in the Maori creation story as the child of Ranginui (the sky) and Papatūānuku (the earth).  It is said that his parents were wrapped in an enteral embrace, leaving their children in darkness.  Tired of this, Tane pushed his parents apart bringing life to the world.  What is amazing is that Tane is the only living God in the world at over 2000 years old.
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When we went to visit this huge tree, our guide led us to him and directed our attention in the opposite direction.  When we then turned around it was a pretty amazing and impressive sight. The tree is so huge that it has a whole ecosystem on it, with other trees growing on the top. This experience was a great way to connect with Maori culture and heritage and is well worth doing when visiting Northlands and the Bay of Islands. 

The Bay of Islands has more than many may first think and therefore is a great destination for a longer holiday or a trip which encompasses more than just the beach. I really enjoyed both of my trips up to this region and think it shouldn’t be overlooked when planning your own trip.

I love a road trip, the ability to be able to make a simple holiday into an epic journey is such an alluring thought to me. More so is the ability to remove yourself from the confines of a resort and to delve into the places and people that make up a location. A more tangible slice of reality, somewhat removed from what the lens packaged holidays allow you to see through.

On the back of my third summer camp experience in Canada and free from previous restrictions of completing my degree, I joined three friends as we took a Dodge Journey across the Canadian Rockies. The trip centred around the sole idea of wanting to visit Moraine Lake in Alberta and while this may be obvious advice, a good tip for any trip is to have at least one primary goal or location to work towards. With this knowledge, and knowing that one member of our party was time restricted to flying back to Florida, we boarded a 5am flight from Toronto Person Airport to Vancouver. 

The first port of call was to pick up our transport and for this we hired a Dodge Journey from Wicked Campers Vancouver. Having searched for viable options, Wicked Campers offered the best range of vehicles alongside creative paint jobs that’ll get you noticed on the road. Alas, we hired an all grey 4x4 aptly named ‘Plain Jane’ who we, in our sleep deprived state, quickly renamed ‘Cletus’ and made our way towards our first stop, Whistler.

The road to Whistler is one of the most beautiful coastal roads I have rode on in my life. High up among the evergreens gazing west towards snow-capped mountains that dwarf over Howe Sound and Squamish below, the scenery was a far cry from the somewhat flat landscape of Ontario. There was a real sense of freedom here, a landscape so far removed from the concrete jungle of Vancouver mere miles behind us that, taken out of context, could have been mistaken for a locale hidden in one of the most remote corners of the globe.

What I didn’t expect was the road signs, written in both English and the language of the First Nation communities of the Pacific Northwest Coast, a cultural co-existence I’ve only ever seen in parts of Wales. This is a theme that I soon learnt is commonplace for many of the notable places across British Columbia, the colonisation and cultural assimilation of the First Nation peoples of Canada is interwoven in a self-reflective narrative.

A few hours later and our arrival to Whistler is greeted with one of manmade infrastructure’s biggest oversights, a traffic jam. However, I wouldn’t have wanted to put the brakes on anywhere else with a perfectly central view of Whistler Mountain. Staying with an old friend of ours, the source of the traffic jam was also the source of his excitement for the weekend he had planned for us. Crankworx World Tour 2019 had reached Whistler and with it came the promise of a weekend of partying with NERO performing the headline set. It’s safe to say that I spent most of my money this trip on both of my visits to Whistler, fully immersing myself into the Whistler lifestyle, partying in the sun while exploring the vibrant and open Olympic village surrounded by lush forests and looming peaks.

By the end of the weekend and headed north east, out of the mountains, into scenery that completely subverted my expectations of Canada. The change of scenery starts to appear in the town of Lillooet an old mining town that contends for B.C’s hotspot location every summer. Gone was dense greenery and in its place, a semi-arid landscape clinging to the valley walls. The aesthetic was something I’d only ever seen from towns in the Arizona deserts and continued as we got closer towards Kamloops. What I soon learnt was that Kamloops sits on the northern edge of Canada’s only desert, the Okanagan Valley, a rain shadow region for the Coast Mountains that envelope Whistler and Vancouver.
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As the afternoon set in, we looked for our first camping spot, a recreational ground by Inks Lake.  However, the deeper we drove towards the lake, the more uneven the ground became. Eventually, we reversed Cletus back towards the entrance of the park and found a place to park. A big feature of our car was that we had a fold out tent on the roof, simple to use and extremely comfortable and spacious inside. As evening set in, a herd of cattle came in to graze around us and we slept that night with a cool breeze carrying the occasional rustle of hooves on the dry ground.

Kamloops, with its yellow and orange aesthetic, came and went as we drove across the desert towards the mountains of Alberta.  Soon, we were back among the stereotypical alpine lakes and peaks of the Canadian Rockies. The distances between places in Canada is vast compared to the UK and while this is a fairly obvious observation of North America in general, it does mean that locations along the way are often seen from the view of a car window. Our next camping spot was the inverse of the night before, parked on the banks of Kicking Horse River, just west of Wapta Falls, braving the ice-cold glacial waters.

Feeling refreshed, the next day we crossed the border into Alberta and towards our initial goal, Moraine Lake.  From two days of relative freedom driving along the Trans Canada Highway, entering the tourist hotspot of Banff National Park was a sharp reminder that we were tourists more than wanderers. Both carparks for Lake Louise and Moraine Lake were packed and entry would come down to patience and a lot of luck. The latter was on our side as we entered our second attempt, seeing the marshals open the gates towards Moraine Lake and letting through three cars, ours being the last. The cars in front stopped to soak in the view of the valley below as we raced ahead, eager to arrive at our prized destination and stunned at how lucky we had been.

Moraine Lake did not disappoint, and was just as our friend had dreamed it would be. The glacial waterfall beyond drew crystal clear water into the lake, thick with an aethereal blue hue. Water so opaque, the sight of canoe hulls disappearing under the surface felt otherworldly, adding to the serenity of the landscape. Behind the sea of blue was an equally impressive sea of green with the National Park encompassing the valley floor and walls as far as the eye could see.
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A brief visit to the gift shop introduced us to a lovely shop worker from Brighton who said she would vouch for us and get us free canoe hire through ‘mates’ rates’. I can’t remember why we didn’t accept her offer. We spent the night outside of Canmore, in a small area known dauntingly as Dead Man’s Flats, braving the freezing waters once again and aimed to spend some proper time in Banff before our inevitable farewell stop in Calgary.  

Banff itself was an amazing town, sprawling with tourists and full of life and character. Our diner breakfast had us meeting another Brit who encouraged us to visit Mount Norquay which would provide a perfect viewpoint over the Banff and the Bow River Valley. Local knowledge is an invaluable asset and sure enough, the views atop Norquay were astonishing, with a pleasant chair lift ride to boot.

​At the viewpoint, we spoke to a woman who visited Banff every year and was on the lookout for grizzly bears who liked to raise their young on the slopes. Talk in the town was that a sighting had been confirmed a few days before and subsequently, the walk to the viewpoint had been closed for safely. Sure enough, as she told us the story, we noticed movement among the trees below and suddenly, a mother emerged from the treeline with two cubs cautiously in tow. Fulfilled, we stopped by a liquor store for some celebratory drinks and left the mountains for real civilisation in Calgary.

Calgary wasn’t a location we were fussed by and driving in concluded that we weren’t going to miss much from not visiting what felt like a rather generic city. Instead, when four became three, we swiftly retreated back into the wild and north towards Jasper National Park. Jasper was far colder and wetter than we ever expected it to be and staying in Waterfowl Lakes camping grounds, we relied on a steady stream of firewood to keep us warm. Our goal for the return journey to Vancouver was to cover some new ground before we took the familiar route back west and Jasper achieved all of those ideals. We had gone from lush forests, to arid deserts and the flat grasslands of Calgary and now we were in a truly glacial environment.

The Columbia Icefields dominates the southern region of Jasper National Park, its glacial waters feeding into the Arctic, Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The Icefields offer a variety of different activities, the cheapest in price being a visit to a skywalk. Overlooking the Sunwapta Valley 280 meters below with views of the Icefield was a unique, yet slightly underwhelming experience where tour guides told us the history and geography of the Icefield and the uncertain future it faces as a result of global warming. While the factual knowledge imparted was fascinating, the views on a cloudy day such as ours failed to justify the money spent.

The free option however, to walk over the terminal moraine to the mouth of the Athabasca Glacier, was a beautiful yet harrowing sight. One of the six ‘toes’ of the Icefield, the glacier is an impressive sight, a pearly white and vast hulk of ice and snow lodged between its massive valley walls. Beyond its bordered fence, hikers and specialised coaches climbed its surface to the top along strict, well worn paths. The tragedy of this majestic piece of natural geography is signified by strategically placed markers along the walk to the glacier mouth.

Further inspection informed that in our current climate, the glacier is receding 5 meters every year, a total of around 1.5 kilometres since the beginning of the 20th century. With such a high rate of recession, the fear among scientists is that the Icefield will at some point fail to feed water into all three oceans leading to what may be dramatic effects for our climate. As we journeyed south, I was left with a sobering reminder of what natural wonders will be lost as a result of climate change and can safely say being able to visit the Columbia Icefields was a privilege and a major highlight of the entire trip. 

The return journey west greeted us with much appreciated clear skies and warm weather, joined with a fantastic camping spot at Waitabit Creek where we enjoyed relaxing in the calm waters of a small eddy on the riverbank. From here we visited Revelstoke, a small city and resort on the edge of B.C, guided by one of my companions who had prior experience with the place and regularly reminded us that he ‘nearly did a season here’. From our brief tour around the city, I could definitely see why. Revelstoke is a charming town with classic architecture and a relaxed feel, mixed with a diverse mix of local and seasonal residents. We spent a lengthy amount of time at a local café, charging our phones, chatting with the international staff and soaking in the ambience around us.

Our camping spot for the night would be across the Columbia River near Begbie Falls, another recreational spot, shrouded in thick forest. With more time, we could have seen far more of what Revelstoke had to offer but we were now effectively racing to get back to Vancouver before our hire period expired, spending overnight stops in Cache Creek and Whistler, where we spent most of our money again.

Throughout our time on our road trip, we had gotten constant questions from locals and travellers alike either fascinated by our car’s roof tent or amazed to see such a mix of nationalities on the road together. For the record, our party was two Brits, one American and one New Zealander and this combination of accents had us approached by inquisitive Canadians and fellow internationals alike, eager to hear the story of how this journey came to be. In turn, we met some of the most fascinating people, from stereotypically friendly Canadians who had spent time growing up in the UK to seasonaires, keen to tell us the experiences they’d had while living and working in the mountains.

As my time in Canada was coming to the end, I waved goodbye to my two remaining travel partners, as they ventured off to spend a week on Vancouver Island, and visit Stanley Park. With my feet firmly in the Pacific Ocean and the warm sun on my face, I reflected on the experience I had been on. Living for two weeks in such close proximity with each other was on a few occasions a challenge. However, I now felt a sense of loneliness traveling on my own in a large and unknown city.

 The road trip I’d dreamt of since I was young had been everything I’d hoped it would be; full of excitement and beauty, filled with laughs and plenty of joy. Traveling by oneself can be enjoyable but traveling with friends is a must and being able to share all of the experiences in real time with each other further cemented our friendship. Having spent the last two weeks being in the total opposite situation, shielding and not leaving my house, I have had plenty of time to reflect on this adventure. As the road trip’s anniversary draws near, now more than ever do I look forward to getting in a car with some friends and driving somewhere beyond.