GETTING TO ZEBALLOS
Our expedition embarks from the small village of Zeballos, located approximately a five hours drive north-west of Nanaimo. Nanaimo is serviced by both Air Canada/Air BC and Canadian Airlines and easily accessed from the mainland via BC Ferries from Horseshoe Bay (just north of Vancouver) or Tswwassen (just south of Vancouver). We will be meeting in the early morning at 8:30 am on Day#1 of the expedition in front of the entrance to "Mason's Motor Lodge" Ph.(250)761-4044 (located on your left as you enter Zeballos)...we highly recommend Mason's as a great place to spend the night before the trip and a great place to have your breakfast before meeting everyone. From there we will drive as a "convoy" along the gravel Forestry Road for 15 minutes (easily followed directions to Zeballos, complete with a listing of accommodations, along with "what to bring", helpful info., medical form and a waiver, will be forwarded to you in our "Expedition Information Kit" upon receiving your booking) to our launch site. We strongly advise that you make reservations well in advance for any accommodations during the summer months.
Getting there by car:
In order to get to Vancouver Island with your car, one must take a ferry across from the mainland. There are several options:
Horseshoe Bay (minutes north of Vancouver) to Nanaimo
Tswwassen (south of Vancouver) to Duke Point (minutes south of Nanaimo)
Port Angeles (located on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State, USA) to Victoria.
Most of the major car rental agencies are represented on Vancouver Island and Vancouver and can usually be contacted directly from where you live via their various 1-800 numbers. We've found the one of the most economical to be Rent-a-Wreck 1-800-327-0116 (don't let the name fool you...all vehicles must be 100% mechanically OK & usually are only 1 yr. old as opposed to the brand new models of the Big Guys). Some people opt to rent a vehicle on a weekly basis if they are flying in to Vancouver, Seattle, Nanaimo or Victoria. This allows for flexibility and an economical way of seeing the Island while your are here. Parking is available right by our launch site and is both safe and practical.
Car pooling:
If you are driving to our embarkation point and would like to share the trip up with someone else who is participating on the expedition, let us know. It's a great way of economizing and makes the trip up that much more fun. Also, if you are considering renting a car, you may find that there are others on the same trip who are in a similar situation...and if you're still unsure as to how to get there, give us a call and we'll make sure you're taken care of...
