Just put your lips together...and blow.

Vancouver has a brilliant little airport in the middle of the city...a float plane harbour. From there, you can access scheduled flights all over the place. It took us 10 minutes to get there and within half an hour, we are on our way to see Whistler. A scoping trip for a winter holiday....maybe.

Such an easy way to travel...lots of regular suits seem to use the service

The flight was great...except he went very close to the mountain at one point. I'm flapping my arms trying to fly away from it!!!

"Hey Pilot Man...can you see the bl%%dy mountain?"

Such stunning views everywhere you look. Which is possibly why the place is full of Aussies. One young Aussie told us he came for one season and ended up buying a house in Whistler and is getting married next month. I get it. I want to go back too.

Can't get enough of this....

Finally we spy the landing strip.

Lake Green in Whistler

Quick jump off and we whistle into town. Now we did have a few sarky comments from Kiwi cousins about going to a ski resort in summer but Whistler never shuts down. It is a haven for extreme anything. They often say that Wanaka (our home port one day I wish) is a small town with an adventure problem. It's an apprentice to this place. Everything is buzzing and there are bikers and hikers everywhere. Rob and I caught the fever and indulged in some extreme sightseeing.

Olympic Square

Top of Mount Whistler

Running between the top of Whistler and Blackcomb is the longest unsupported freespan cable car in the world. It is 4.4kms long with over 3 kms unsupported. At its highest point, it is 436m high (another world record). Quite a ride too!!

It's a looong way down. We enjoyed the ride across and had a wander around Blackcomb where it was brisk with little splotches of snow.

We headed back down to sports central where the bike renting business was going very well.

After a late lunch, we head back for Whistler Air. Rob spends a fair bit of time checking out the plane. Great...I can already see him wanting one of those for Lake Wanaka next.

The pilot advises that he is going to run us back to Vancouver via the India Arm. This is a beautiful area full of luxury waterfront homes that are only accessible by boat. Bit like Fisherman's Island back home (maybe that is a bit of a stretch).

Seriously gorgeous and I still want to immigrate to Canada!!

Landing strip approaching...right in the city.

We'll be back Vancouver. No doubt about it.

Wild Critters

Alaska and Canada are full of wild critters. To be fair, we did see a heap of them...and I caught some on camera for you.

This is a dingo...err fox...wolf...whatever!!

And we have a bear....

Cute, hey? Big Teddy. Here's a Polar Bear.

We ate lots of these (yum yum)

We did see some live critters...

and this vicious beast...

and my favourite animals of all...PEOPLES

To be honest, we did see a real bear, seal, whales and moose but it all went by too quickly for photos.

Ciao for now.

Mad Aussie at Glacier Bay

Glacier Bay Day was very overcast and misty. I can imagine this place would be spectacular on a sunny day but it still had a great vibe despite the weather. I am out of bed early and have rugged up to the max. I mean rugged up...as in woollen undershirt, wool jumper, scarf, coat, gloves....everything except a hat as I don't do hat hair willingly.

So I sit on our balcony and wait. Rob comes to join me dressed like he's taking a stroll down the marina at home. Bloody Kiwi's and their 'I never feel the cold' claptrap. We'll see!!

This place is spectacular. Hearing glacier's calve was huge. Like a gunfire salute. I was in 7th heaven. Seeing this, hearing this....all nice and warm. Yep...nice and cosy.

Well guess what? He caves.

Alaska: 1

Rob 'I never feel the cold' Masters: 0

Our neighbour, Jason is smart enough to be seriously rugged up. Man it is cold.

At this stage, I thought Jason was a sensible bloke.

After a while, we decide to wonder down to the back deck and see more. Not many people are outside so it's great views all round.

Huge Huge Huge

Glorious!

Great colours

The back deck sports an outdoor pool. Of course, it's empty as no sane person would go swimming, right?

Wrong. I spy Jason stripping off his gear.

"What are you doing?" I ask.
"Going for a swim" he responds like it's something you do in sub zero temperatures everyday.
"Are you #&%$ing mad?" I ask him.
"Mate" he says "where else can you say you had a swim in front of a glacier?" after which he does a majestic bomb into the pool.

Aussies are madder than "I never feel the cold" Kiwi's.

Mad Aussie.

It's hard to describe the sheer size of these glaciers.

Of course, it is NEVER too cold for Champagne!!

Ciao for now.

Mush Mush in Juneau

It was raining dogs and dogs in Juneau. No cats...this is truly dog country.

We headed to the Juneau Ice Fields where a summer dog camp is set up. These dogs are bred to run and they need 10 miles a day to stay fit and healthy. Rob and I are flying in to help cover some of those miles.

The dogs are led by voice commands only. They are smart, strong and love a cuddle AFTER they have had a run. Beforehand, they are just chomping at the bit to get going and they are full of beans.

Such a terrific experience in a beautiful place.

Approaching the dog camp

King of his Igloo...he's upset as he wasn't picked for mushing

Unless you are the lead dog, the view is the same for the next 10 miles!!

On the run

Eva and Jason...our next door neighbours on the boat

It's no Iditarod but it is fun...

Me in the driver's seat (err stand)

Heading back to Juneau - such beauty

Choppers ahead!!

Juneau - only accessible by sea or air.

Thanks to the folk at Era Helicopters for making it all happen X

Zipping through Skagway

This is a true case of 'what was I thinking'.

After arriving in Haines, Rob asks 'what tour are we booked on?'.

'Ziplining' I advise.

So off we trek to meet the guide. Haines is pretty but colder than I could have believed possible with a mighty wind roaring through. We hop onto a ferry to Skagway and choose to sit inside (unusual for us). At Skagway, three very nice young men from the Alaska Mountaineering Guides meet us. We are sheparded onto a school bus. The guides keep us amused with stories of the Klondike Gold Rush as we are on the Klondike Highway and only 20 miles from the Canadian border. We arrive at the place of torture.

So the nice young men kit us out (more hat hair) and off we go to do the rope course. I'm thinking 'rope course' like knot tying. Oh no. It's one of those extreme obstacle courses except it is amongst the tree tops.

I look at my nice young guide and ask him if he is on crack. He wants to cross a bridge missing half it's bearers, an indiana jones rope thing and a long plank. I'm like NO BLOODY WAY. He is very much "you can do it"

I want to push his smiling face off the perch. That would be murder so I decide to do it...that is only suicide and they cannot jail you for that. I get to the next tree top perch and am hugging the trunk shaking like a leaf. Rob follows me, looks at me and says "From now on, I am going to take more of an interest in the tours you book us on"

Rope course over, we make like mountain goats and climb the mountain so we can zip down.

After which, I told smiley guide to drop me in town as I needed two things...a pair of woollen socks and a beer.

The School Bus

Rob while he is still happy

Hat Hair!!!

Rob on the indiana jones torture device

Rob walking the plank

The one I considered tossing off the perch

It's OVER!!

Recovery drink at the Red Onion (originally a brothel)

Nice art

Eyes straight ahead!!

Port of Haines