Queen Charlotte Islands

I once read a guide book that described the Queen Charlotte Islands as “desolate and beautiful”. I don’t think I’ve ever seen those two words in the one sentence, and it’s perplexed me ever since. Whether this is an accurate description of the Queen Charlotte Islands (or the Haida Gwaii as it’s now officially known)  is going to be up to you. Like most vistas in travel, it depends on your own personal perspective.

There’s no denying that Queen Charlotte Islands are remote. Access to them is generally either plane (and some islands only floatplane) or boat. Therein lies part of its charm I’d say. So many places these days are lost in a writhing sea of people, and the busier places get, the less hospitable they seem to become (as evidenced by a recent stay at the Hotel Vancouver!). These islands are the home territories of the Haida First Nations tribe (remember the Jade Canoe statue we spoke of in the British Columbia section?), known as Haida Gwaii.

The archipelago are sometimes referred to as the Canadian Galapagos, and it’s easy to see why with raw nature and coastlines streaked by soaring eagles, pine martens, puffins, black bear and the rare Yellow Spruce. The main two islands are Graham Island in the north and Moresby Island in the south; clustered around them are another 150 smaller islands.

The Queen Charlotte Islands history is a rocky one for its inhabitants. Upon western arrival the people of the islands were known for being ‘troublesome’ to the surrounding tribes, and after the arrival of western ‘civilisation’ the first nation population was decimated. Some reports calculate death tolls from disease such as smallpox at 90%. Jump to the twenty-first century, and the Haida Gwaii are known for their combative approach to government and logging which resulted in the creation of Gwaii Haanas National Park.

Popular activities on the islands are hiking and fishing. Biking is popular, but services are not prodigious, so you may find yourself short of transport in this category. Kayaking is also popular which will get you within good viewing distance of porpoises, seals, deer and shorebirds. Also, this is a viewing spot for Grey Whales. Near the Haida Gwaii Museum (near the ferry in Skidegate), is located access to the Spirit Lake Trail.

Most of the people living on the Queen Charlottes live on Graham and Moresby Islands, with Graham Island taking the lion’s share of population at around eighty percent. Queen Charlotte City is the main town which is located around 8 kilometres from the ferry terminal at Skidegate.

For more information and tips on making your trip to Queen Charlotte wondrous, call the Canada Experts at Imagine Travel, 02 4296 9822.