Islomania

I must confess: I suffer from incurable islomania. Islands attract me and hold an immense power over me. They are addictive. I am in their thrall.

Off the west coast of British Columbia is an archipelago that is largely undiscovered, although it is near major centres of population. The Gulf Islands, seldom crowded with tourists and a refuge for wildlife, draw me like a magnet. Seals, killer whales, eagles, deer, giant pileated woodpeckers and much more live here in harmony.

There is no better place to launch a kayak and laze on the water, letting the tidal currents gently carry you along. Here is photographic proof of paradise.