Thursday 17th March 2016 was a beautiful sunny 10 degrees day and I decided to work outdoors rather than staying indoors as an intern. I embarked on a trip to Qualicum beach and its environments. The interesting thing is that I used my semester bus pass without having to pay extra charges on the trip. On the way I had the pleasure of also dropping by Parksville as the bus passes through there and it sounded like double the fun! I didn’t plan going to Parksville but I was surprised and I seized the opportunity to have a little look around.
I have been staying on the Vancouver Island since September 2014 and I have not explored the beautiful places around me based on limitation of moving around. This has been the excuse of many people, especially international students. I had the pleasure of visiting a beautiful place in the biosphere using the BC Transit public bus and I must say it was a smooth trip and a good experience as well.
On my way walking to Qualicum beach from the bus station I saw a beautiful golf resort. I had the opportunity to look at the resort, which was a beautiful sight of people enjoying the sunny weather. I also noticed that the entire neighbourhood was quiet and beautiful. The beach was a lovely sight, the sky was amazingly blue, and a few people were walking around. I had a chat with a couple walking around the beach who live nearby, and they told me the beach is livelier during the summer. People go there with food and drinks to hangout and enjoy the atmosphere. I will recommend it as a place to definitely visit during the summer and to put it on your list of places to explore in the biosphere.
Going to Qualicum beach was easier than anticipated; there were only 2 buses. A few days before the trip I got a bus schedule and I checked for the bus timings. I got on bus 2 from Prideaux to Woodgrove and then on bus 91 Intercity to Qualicum.
Here are some few tips on how to explore the biosphere using the public transport and have fun while doing it.
- The most important and first thing to do is to plan where you want to go
- Check the weather and pick the best day of the week so that you can have fun doing outdoor activities
- Check the bus schedule, check out times that work for you and also check for the returning bus time that way you can time your activities. (Check the BC transit website; http://bctransit.com/nanaimo/home or download the bus schedule application on your phone). Also note that buses are more frequent during school terms than other times, the schedule have different colors to denote the changes. Talk to the bus driver if you are not sure they will be able to help you get where you are going.
- Pack few things in your bag: I suggest taking a novel to read on the bus, a packed lunch or check if there are any restaurant around you can get food, a well charged phone for pictures, and proper clothes for the weather.
- Invite your friends, to make it a fun memorable journey and activities!