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October

10/10/2021

Thanksgiving - local Vancouver Island turkey, good friends and a small beach fire for oysters, only possible due to a very wet September!

June on Quadra

21/6/2021

June is great for getting in some early hikes on the many trails across the island, before the island gets busier in July and August. The light is great on the long evenings, making lovely views of mountains and forests. Favourite walks are the hike to Surge Narrows to see the tidal rapids and Shellaligan Pass, off of Valdez Road. Both traverse rain forest and have access to the coastal rocks and water views. From the Shellaligan Pass trail you can see the coast mountains and down to Mitlenatch Island in the middle of the George Straight.

For close to the house exploration, June has provided low tides in the middle of the day for plenty of seashore exploration!

End of Summer

25/8/2016

August and late July provided some wonderful Quadra sunshine and lazy days. Highlights however were the kayaking and cycling. An early August lightly overcast day and perfect tides created the ideal conditions for a day trip kayaking to Surge Narrows - 5 hours of paddling including stops for tea and snacks, as well as plenty of fun with (and against) the swiftly moving currents. Another day was spent cycling Cortes. After taking bikes onto the Cortes ferry, a 30km roundtrip included an excellent lunch at the Cortes Natural Food Coop Cafe in Mansons Landing. A hike up both South and North Chinese Mountains was a great way to finish the visit with sweeping views back over the terrain covered by bike and kayak.

Now as the summer enters its last phase, we can start to look forward to the fall and days spent outside exploring and then warming up with the fire crackling in the wood stove.

Things to do on Quadra Island in May

3/5/2016

The month of May often brings the sun, and with that the first summer temperatures of the year (despite mid April’s random heat wave this year). When the sunshine hits and the rain subsides, there is no better place to be than Quadra Island.

At all times of the year, Quadra is on the doorstep of the outdoors. All you have to do is take that first step and you are hiking, kayaking or biking somewhere exciting. Right from the shores of Bold Bay (Crescent Channel) you can go a number of places. There are nearby trails that won’t be crowded, as well as great places to go for a run if that’s what gets your day going. Quadra Island is an ideal landing place for kayaking and other boating adventures. Right near Desolation Sound, it is easy to go for a day trip or a two-week adventure.

On Sunday May 8th there will be a mother’s day brunch held at the Heriot Bay Inn from 10am to 2pm. The Heriot Bay Inn is very accessible from all parts of the island and looks out onto a beautiful view of mountains and ocean. Located near the Cortez island ferry, it is also home to a life-sized chess board which provides some fun to people of all ages.

This month there are some exciting events happening on the island. The main event to note is Quadra Island’s festival of short plays which is taking place between May 12th to May 15th. Theatre Quadra’s four days of plays are an excellent show of local talent and a fantastic source of entertainment.

The first night of the festival will be hosted at the Heriot Bay Inn, in the Herons dining room. Night one will include a three course dinner accompanied by three short plays. Tickets are available for purchase at the Heriot Bay Inn, and will cost $45. Doors are to open at 6pm with the event getting underway at 6:30pm.

The second and third nights of the festival will consist of six adult oriented productions. All six short plays will be shown on Friday May 13th and on Saturday May 14th at the Quadra community centre. Tickets will be $15 if bought in advance, and $18 at the door. Tickets can be purchased at Heriot Bay Inn or online at tidemarktheatre.com. On both nights the doors open at 6:30pm and the shows begin at 7pm.

The final day of the festival will be concluded with a family friendly show, which will include plays, puppets, music and more. This event will be held at the Tsa Kwa Luten lodge with the doors opening at 1:30pm and the show kicking off at 2pm. Tickets will be $5 for children and $10 for adults.

During the rest of May there is a host of weekly activities happening on Quadra Island. However, perhaps one of the best things about Quadra is waking up not knowing what you’re going to do for the day, and more importantly, not having to do anything. Quadra Island provides a relaxed spiritual feeling, with adventures only minutes away.

You can find out more information about the island at www.quadraisland.ca and at www.discoveryislands.ca/news