Waterfalls on the Sunshine Coast – Homesite Creek

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Coracle Cove

My B&B guests hiked into the waterfalls at Homesite Creek this past weekend and gave it a definite two thumbs up.  So the next day we set off with our backpack loaded with camera and a picnic lunch to check it out.

Homesite Creek is located north of Sechelt in Halfmoon Bay. Follow Highway 101 about 3km past the north end of Redroffs Road and watch for the small sign on the left of the highway. Take the trail to the left and follow the small arrows. You’ll  reach the falls in about 20 minutes.

The hike is best in the late Winter/early Spring when there’s lots of water flowing in the creek, and there was a pretty strong flow when we were there.  We could feel a definite force of air when we were down beside the falls, and it was a bit of a challenge creating these images without too much mist fogging up my lens.

We followed an easy trail up to the top of the falls where I was able to compose this third image using a very slow shutter speed to exaggerate the movement of the water. This was also a  good place for us to stop for our picnic lunch. We could enjoy the both the sight and sounds of the moving water as well as the verdant green of the moss-draped cedars in the mist-filled air above the falls.

This was another great hike and met all of the criteria to be included in the Everything Sunshine Coast Favourite Activities List – it’s just a short drive away; it can be done in under an hour; and you’ll enjoy some magnificent scenery. Follow this link to read about some of our other Favourite Activities.

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Tripping through Indonesia with Trip Advisor – Yogyakarta, Java

Posted on December 16, 2011 by Coracle Cove

Arriving in Yogyakarta, after three weeks in the rural landscapes of Bali and Lombok was definitely a change and this busy street scene speaks volumes to what we found. Scooters and motorcycles are the main form of transportation, together with bicycles, often laden with goods going to market.  Together they manage to weave in and out of traffic, like a carefully choreographed ballet. Indonesia also has the largest population of all the Muslim countries, and the five scheduled calls to prayer throughout the day were a comforting backdrop to the busyness of this large city.

Yogykarta has been described as the soul of Java. As the rest of this powerhouse island continues to modernize, Yogya maintains a careful balancing act between old and new, sustaining a slower, more conservative way of life in the quiet kampung that thrive only a stone’s throw from the throbbing main streets. And this is where our Trip Advisor research led us in our search for accommodation.

The Ministry of Coffee Guest House, located in the Prawirotaman kampung, is just a five minute bacek ride from the bustle of the Maliaboro area. The rooms were clean and reasonably priced, the staff extremely attentive, and we looked forward to our lattes each morning. Less than 100m down the road is Via Via Cafe, and with its ever changing menu, this friendly little restuarant quickly became our go-to choice for both lunch and dinner.

Via Via in Yogya is actually one of twelve planned gathering spots throughout the world, created to actively promote the concept of sustainable tourism. They also offer a number of small guided tours and we took advantage of several of these, including a tour of the magnificent Buddhist temple of Borobodur.

As a westerner, I must admit that I had little knowledge of the history and culture of the eastern world. I found myself repeatedly impressed with the architecture and detailed stone carvings of this 1300 year old temple, built at a time when western Europe was still in the dark ages. Equally impressive was another temple complex we visited. Pranbanan is one of the largest Hindu temples in the world and coincidentally was also built over 1300 years ago. What I found most interesting, however, was the coexistence in Indonesia of three of the world’s major religions, Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist. We have much to learn.

Our Trip Advisor Best Picks for Yogykarta, Java  -  Accommodation & Eating

  • Ministry of Coffee – quiet neighbourhood; clean and reasonably priced
  • Via Via Cafe – good selection of great food items; friendly staff
  • Via Via Tours – Borobodur; Pranbanan; Jamu Herbal Medicines

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Tripping through Indonesia on Trip Advisor – Gili Air & Lombok

Posted on December 15, 2011 by Coracle Cove

   While Indonesia is the world’s fourth most populous country, its population is spread across 17,508 islands, both large and small, and strung like a 7000km pearl necklace around the neck of the equator.  After two weeks in Bali, we were ready to see more and we headed off to Padang Bai  Harbour, where we boarded a high speed boat, to explore one of the smallest of the Indonesian archipelago.

    Three tiny islands lie off the east coast of Lombok, and Gili Air, like the story of the Three Bears was just right for us. As you can see from the picture above, no cars or motorbikes, and the fewest visitors of the three, it is the quintessential, deserted tropical island, set in an emerald sea and fringed by white sandy beaches. Easily accessible coral reefs, teaming with sea life, lay just offshore. We lazed our way through three relaxing days, reading, walking and snorkeling. Our accommodations at Sejuk Cottages were also just right - basic, but pleasant and the breakfasts each morning were more than adequate.

    The larger island of Lombok was a shorter, more relaxing boat trip from Gili, and while we were initially attracted to the pottery of Lombok, we found one of the most beautiful, white, sandy beaches that we’ve ever experienced. Kuta Beach is sheltered from the strong forces of the open ocean by two large headlands, flanking each side of the beach and creating a crescent of powdery, white sand. To our continued good fortune, we found this jewel all but deserted, on each of the three days we were there.

    This beautiful beach came with a price… our luxurious accommodations at the Novatel Resort were slightly over $100/nt, so this 4-star resort was a tad above our Indonesian travel budget. But it was a nice little splurge, and definitely well worth the extra rupiahs.  The grounds were beautiful, including this hidden garden pool which I had completely to myself.

The resort has two restaurants offering good menu choices and generous portions, but… it’s a resort – you’re a captive audience, and resort prices are typically on the higher side. Fortunately, it’s easy to escape from their clutches. We hired a driver take us into town and do a return pick-up. Our Indonesian meal at the Ketapang Cafe in Kuta was certainly more reasonably priced, but even better, we got to explore another little town before our 9:30 pick-up arrived to whisk us back to the resort.

Lombok has just opened an International Airport and there are many other signs that it is being groomed as the next Bali. I asked many on Lombok, how did they felt about this; was this development going to be good or bad for their island?  Their answers were always the same – it will provide jobs for our people and we will have a better life.  We must be careful, therefore, from our own lofty lifestyles, not to judge too harshly.

Our Trip Advisor Best Picks for Gili Air & Lombok  -  Accommodation & Eating

  • Sejuk Cottages, Gili Air -  basic with air-con; great breakfasts
  • Novatel Resort, Kuta, Lombok – worth the splurge; a great beach
  • Ketapang Cafe, Kuta  - a reasonably priced alternative to resort food

Follow this link to return to our website www.coraclecove.com

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Tripping through Indonesia on Trip Advisor – Ubud, Bali

Posted on November 30, 2011 by Coracle Cove

   My last post, on Southern Bali was all about white sandy beaches and relaxing, a much needed remedy for the jet lag, induced by my 21-hour cross-Pacific flight.  I was now heading to Central Bali to meet my wife Sheila, who had just finished a rigourous 12-day trek through the highlands of Papua, and we had chosen Ubud for our rendezvous.

  Sri Sunari Guest House is located on the outskirts of Ubud. Surrounded on all four sides by verdant, green rice fields it is accessed by a  little footpath. We had used Trip Advisor, again,  to research our selection and secured our reservation with an email.  Our accommodations far exceeded our expectations. A delicious breakfast was delivered to our large deck each morning. The staff, in typical guest house fashion were attentive and helpful, pointing us in the direction of good restaurants and interesting activities. They also provided reasonably priced transport on a number of occasions.

  One of these recommendations was a unique Jegog performance, a form of gamelon music played on a variety of large and small bamboo instruments. The deep resonating sound was the perfect accompaniment to a captivating set of traditional dancing. I loved watching the intricate hand and foot movements, and the large-eyed facial expressions.

    We kept pretty busy while in Ubud and made full use of Trip Advisor reviews to plan our activities. Here I am doing something I love – cooking. The day started with a tour through a very colourful and busy morning market to learn about the various ingredients which we would later use in our Indonesian cooking class. Back at the kitchen,  we rolled up our sleeves, started chopping, and were patiently guided through eight different recipes. The reward at the end, of course, was a wonderful tasty and filling meal. We were sent away with a  booklet of recipes to replicate our culinary experience and bring back all those great memories.

We were now using Trip Advisor extensively in Ubud, successfully choosing our accommodation, restaurants and a variety of activities. All were great choices, with no disappointments, which naturally added to the overall enjoyment of our trip. In turn, I completed six reviews myself, for the Ubud region, and am now a Senior Contributor.

Our Trip Advisor Best Picks for Ubud -  Accommodation, Eating & Activities:

  • Sri Sunari Guest House - exceeded our expectations; attentive staff
  • Wild Ginger – we ate two great dinners here; good value
  • Sari Organik – excellent lunch in a serene rice field location
  • Jazz Cafe – good food and a great night of music
  • Paon Bali Cooking Class – a wonderful experience (see above)
  • Jegeg Bali Cycling Tours – an exceptional day; full value

Follow this link to return to our website www.coraclecove.com

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Tripping Through Indonesia on Trip Advisor – Southern Bali

Posted on November 21, 2011 by Coracle Cove

  We’ve just returned from an incredible trip through Indonesia,  made all the better by a positive, first-hand experience using Trip Advisor.  Visiting five islands in five weeks, and on the fly,  we made almost a dozen accommodation decisions, as many restaurant choices, and even a few tour packages by going online.  Trip Advisor is a powerful social media/web-based travel planning tool, that provides information and reviews in real time, and we used this data to research our travel picks.  All were winners, with each adding unexpected, but multi-layered details to our  travel experience. Best of all, we had no disappointments.

Over the course of this  blog series we’ll share some of our experiences, from trekking through the highlands of Papua to the finding the best white, sandy beach we’ve ever seen.

   We’ll also share some of our strategies for using Trip Advisor, based on our experiences as B&B operators. Coracle Cove has received almost 60 Trip Advisor Reviews. We have a good understanding of both sides of the Trip Advisor equation, and used this knowledge to develop an effective strategy for interpreting the reviews, and then picking our Indonesian winners.

And just in case we do manage to inspire you to go to Indonesia, we’ll also share our Trip Advisor Best Picks (see below)

  Now back to our trip… the image at the top of the page was taken at Uluwatu, a cliff-hanging ancient Hindu temple, built over 1000 years ago. This west-facing directional-temple looks over the Indian Ocean, and I took this second image from the top row of the outdoor amphitheatre where I was sitting, just minutes before the start of a mesmerizing evening performance of the epic Asian folk tale of Ramayana.

  I would actually see portions of this traditional performance several  times over the course of our trip. I was intrigued by the story and captivated by the intricate foot and hand movements, and the meditative beat of the gamelon orchestra. The Kecak Fire Dance at Uluwatu was definitely a great introduction for me to the cultural side of Indonesia.

Interestingly however,  I would probably have missed this experience entirely, without the good advice from the small guest house that I found through Trip Advisor. Teka Tiki House, in Seminyak, Bali is operated by Jules, an ex-pat, Aussie school teacher and Donni, her Balinese husband.

I was attracted to Teka Tiki by the large number of good reviews they had received on Trip Advisor and based on the five days I stayed with them, they are well deserved. As a B&B owner I  always try to book into other B&Bs, because I know that I’ll get good, personalized service and lots of local information. Teka Tiki arranged drivers, provided restaurant recommendations, and even invited me to join them for a wonderful seafood BBQ at an out-of-the-way oceanside restaurant where the food was great and the evening sunset… well that’s for another blog. Stay tuned for the next instalment, and a few more of our Trip Advisor Best Picks.

Our Trip Advisor Best Picks –  Accommodation, Eating & Activities:

  • Kendi Kuning: Nusa Dua, seafood – excellent food and beachside location
  • Made’s Warung: Seminyak, Indonesian – good evening entertainment
  • Warung Bale Bali: Seminyak, Indonesian – quiet restuarant with good food
  • Kind Villa Bintang Resort: Nusa Dua – a perfect place to relax upon arrival
  • Teka Tiki Guest House: Seminyak –  great location, great value
  • Espace Spa: Seminayak – Ahhh…. the best answer to jet lag

Follow this link to return to our website www.coraclecove.com

 

 

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Falling for the Sunshine Coast – Part 2

Posted on October 31, 2011 by Coracle Cove

There is a peacefulness about the Fall season. Maybe it just feels that way after a busy summer, but there are also some definite physical changes underway and I find it very relaxing.

I took this picture a few years ago on a first day of Fall, September 22nd. It’s mid-day, the water is a flat relective surface, and mirrors the white clouds floating above.

This picture was taken just a few days later, the early morning mist wrapping everything in a protective cocoon. The water is still,  with a few ripples from a passing boat.

The protective mist extends deep into the forest, releasing moisture laden droplets on everything, both large and small.

To see more of my images of the Fall season at CoracleCove, visit my website www.coraclecove.com where I’ve produced a short video of some of my other favourites … enjoy!!

 

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Foraging for Wild Mushrooms on the Sunshine Coast

Posted on October 15, 2011 by Coracle Cove

It’s mushroom season on the Sunshine Coast. The few days of rain we had last week  have coaxed these delicacies of Nature to make their annual appearance. If you’re patient, and know what to look for, and where to look you will be rewarded. We found a small patch of these Coral Mushrooms with the help of Tyler Grey, owner of Mikuni Wild Harvest, who grew up on the Sunshine Coast.

We were in pretty good hands. Tyler has been foraging for wild mushrooms for most of his life, a passion that was handed down to him by his mother. That’s him on the right with my youngest son, Colin and they’ve just found a patch of Hogshead Mushrooms – a healthy handful that we enjoyed later that day in a savoury wild mushroom pasta, cooked with some garlic that I’d been drying in my cellar, and olive oil. That was all we needed – talk about letting the ingredients speak for themselves.

The ultimate find for the day, however, were the covetted Chantrelles (pictured below) and we were rewarded a number of times for our patience.

Mushroom Foraging is a popular Autumn activity on the Sunshine Coast and it seems that everyone has their own secret place or two.

The Second Annual Sunshine Coast Mushroom Festival takes place this weekend in Pender Harbour. Several workshops on identifying mushrooms are offered and most of the local restaurants will be featuring wild mushrooms on their menus. If you’d like to get some expert advice on identification this is a great opportunity. Of course any opportunity to escape from the big city to visit the Sunshine Coast is always worth considering.  Happy hunting!!

 

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Falling for the Sunshine Coast – Part 1

Posted on October 4, 2011 by Coracle Cove

When I was working, the Fall season always seemed like a glass half empty.  But, now that I get to play all year round, I have time to appreciate its true beauty. I find myself looking forward to its approach, knowing of the opportunities to  capture its many colours…  like these golden leaves floating with some kelp in the bright, low lying sun.

But it’s not just the changing colours of the leaves. The sunsets (and sunrises) during the Fall season are a much celebrated event. I won’t try to explain why this happens; it’s just the magic of the season. As each day draws to a close, there is an eager anticipation, watching the sun tuck behind the hills to the west and waiting for the colours to emerge.

I captured the image above  on a Halloween evening, two years ago, and then just a couple of days ago, this image of the same hillside presented itself.  I’ve been using the camera on  my iPhone quite a bit lately and used the HDR function to take the picture.  I’m quite pleased with the result. The two pictures of the same scene seem like mirror images, with the vividly coloured clouds like brackets on each side of the hills. I’m not sure which I prefer – which do you like?

To see more of these images of the Fall season at CoracleCove, visit my website www.coraclecove.com where you can see a short video of some of my other favourites … enjoy!!

 

 

 

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Jazz on the Sunshine Coast

Posted on September 19, 2011 by Coracle Cove

We get to listen to a lot of good music on the Sunshine Coast and the Pender Harbour Jazz Festival is one of my favourite events. Mix great jazz of all styles with very, very small venues and you have the phenomenon that is the Pender Harbour Jazz Festival. And how about those venues… waterside restaurants and pubs - it just doesn’t get any better.

Pender Harbour is a collection of small, friendly communities joined by a highway but more connected by water. Its days go back as a fishing community and it was much easier to get around by boat. The nautical influence continues, like this mural on the side of the community hall which hosted  yesterday’s event – a series of four one-hour performances ranging from a tight sextet playing old gold jazz to my favourite, Van Django’s punchy gypsy jazz.

Van Django is influenced heavily by the gypsy jazz of Django Reinhardt who played at the Hot Club in France during the 1930′s. Here they are tying it all together with a last minute rehearsal just before going on stage. It was an extra bonus for me to sit and listen in this casual setting.

This was the fifteenth annual Jazz Festival hosted by Pender Harbour and it’s easy to understand why it has become an annual destination event for a crowd of jazz lovers from across the Pacific Northwest. Mark your calendar for next year – the third weekend in September.

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Hidden Grove on the Sunshine Coast – a story of survival

Posted on September 2, 2011 by Coracle Cove

The history of Hidden Grove is described as one of survival… survival from natural fires of several centuries ago, which has left charred bark up to a foot thick on the largest Douglas firs. More recently, the area was scheduled for logging, but meeting stiff community resistance, it has been saved again.

Today these precious 125 acres have been set aside solely for recreation.  Less than 5-minutes away from our bed & breakfast, they provide our guests both solitude and a re-connection with nature.

 

Shortly after leaving the parking area you’ll notice several cedars which have undergone a limited bark stripping. The trees are unharmed, and members of the Sechelt Indian Band use the cedar bark for traditional baskets, regalia and clothing.

The main trail rises gently , passing rocking ourcrops and mossy plateaus and brings you to the Ancient Grove, a concentrated group of tall, stately firs.  Some of the old growth have been dated as much as seven hundred years old. Partial logging in the late 19th century has left many larger second growth trees like this.

 

The network of trails, created entirely by community volunteers has been very thorough with signs like this at each intersection, so it’s impossible to lose one’s way. On a recent walk, we followed the “Northern Loop” and were able to complete this section in just under an hour. There are also connector routes leading to the adjacent Sechelt Heritage Forest, and my wife Sheila, and her two hiking partners spend a couple of hours walking these trails three mornings each week.

 

Be sure to keep your eyes moving, both up and down, as you never know what you might see. I used my iPhone for all of the images in this blog and was generally quite pleased with the quality of its 5-megapixel camera. I was pretty impressed with the detail that I was able to capture on this fungus.

 

So, how good is that… a walk in solitude through a beautiful forest that’s only 5-minutes away,  and a chance to do some photography – sounds like the perfect outing for me!!

click here to return to our website www.coraclecove.com

 

 

 

 

 

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