Welcome to Travel on the Fly, a regular round-up of hot-off-the-press travel news and interesting tidbits to inspire your West Coast travels near and far.
Coho posts full 2022 ferry schedule between Port Angeles and Victoria
Travellers looking to plan a trip between Port Angelas, WA and Victoria, B.C. can now reference and reserve sailings through Jan. 2, 2023.
View the full sailing schedule at cohoferry.com
All travellers must be fully vaccinated to cross the border. Currently, all travellers entering Canada are required to show the result of a PCR (Molecular) test regardless of how long they have stayed in the US, and the pre-arrival test must be taken outside of Canada. If travellers are planning to go to the US for a short trip, they must take the test in the US before returning to Canada. Travellers must also fill out information on ArriveCAN up to three days prior to entering Canada, and before arriving at our ferry terminal. As protocols do change, be sure to review current requirements at the time of travel.
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Parks Canada reservations open for the coming season
Parks Canada reservations began opening in January for visits between April 2022 and March 2023.
Visit reservation.pc.gc.ca to view the opening dates for each location, and reserve your spot. For tips to help secure that dream campsite, check out these new camping and reservation tips.
Visit reservation.pc.gc.ca to view the opening dates for each Parks Canada location, and reserve your spot.
Reserve by phone at 1-877-RESERVE (1-877-737-3783), from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. local park time. Outside of North America, call
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Wine Growers BC Explorer App Wins Gold
The Wines of BC Explorer App has earned a gold medal from Travel Weekly Magellan Awards – the first ever for a wine tourism app, and only the second ever for a Canadian-based app in the category.
From plan-your-trip assistance to wine-education content and a personal taste test, the app allows wine lovers to discover BC wine country, and acts as a conduit for BC wineries to connect with potential guests. According to Mijune Pak, Iron Chef and Top Chef Canada Judge, the app is “an interactive space for everything BC wine… the App checks all the boxes when it comes to supporting the local (wine, food, and tourism) industry and making wine approachable for the community.”
From plan-your-trip assistance to wine-education content and a personal taste test, the Wines of BC Explorer App allows wine lovers to discover BC wine country, and acts as a conduit for BC wineries to connect with potential guests.
With all 300+ BC wineries listed on the app regularly updating new wine releases and tasting experiences, the increasing number of users can always find what they are looking for, and even uncover something they didn’t know they’d love! Features include:
- Curated lists of wines and wineries
- An interactive taste test with resulting wine suggestions
- Shopping for wine and wine experiences
- Helpful filters to enable discovery, search by ‘organic wines’ or ‘dog-friendly wineries’ and more.
To start exploring BC Wine Country, download the app at winebc.com/explorer
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Travel to Australia’s Great Wild North with IMAX Victoria
Visitors to IMAX Victoria at the Royal BC Museum have continued to see the world while they wait to travel. This winter, a trip ‘Down Under’ is next on the itinerary with Australia’s Great Wild North.
Making its British Columbia debut, the film is narrated by the late Australian Indigenous actor Balang, also known as Tom E. Lewis, and was a 2021 finalist in the Jackson Wild World Wildlife Day Film Showcase.
The culmination of many years of work in the Northern Territory by award-winning filmmaker Nick Robinson and his team from Wild Pacific Media, the film aims to capture the beauty of the land, its extremes and its Indigenous people in a way that has never been done before. “Culturally speaking, Northern Australia has so much to offer,” Robinson says. “I believe it’s vitally important to represent these stories, as they provide a wonderful lens through which we can explore the natural world.”
The film transports viewers from the rugged Kimberly coast, through the mysterious and rarely-seen Arnhem Land, deep into the world’s oldest rainforest in Cape York. It features rivers and waterholes haunted by sharks, the territorial buffalo and venomous snakes of the plains and the region’s apex predator – the salt water crocodile, which serves as the central character of this epic scientific adventure as it leads viewers through the Top End. Robinson admits, “I love to watch the audience react when a 30-meter high, saltwater croc snaps at them in 3D!”
The Indigenous Australians have cared for their environment for at least 50,000 years. When you look beyond the beautiful landscapes and fascinating creatures, Robinson says the story is one of “respect and stewardship that we can all learn from.”
Schedules are available on the IMAX Victoria website. For tickets, including combo tickets for both IMAX Victoria and the Royal BC Museum, visit royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/visit/tickets-admission
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