Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Alberni Harbour Quay is also the starting point for the
Alberni Pacific Railway
(3100
Kingsway, 250/723-2118, adult $20, senior $15, child $12.50), which runs twice a day
Thursday-Sunday out to
McLean Mill National Historic Site
(5633 Smith Rd., 250/
723-1376, 10:30am-5pm daily July-Aug., adult $15, senior $11.50, child $9.50). The site
has Canada's only steam-powered sawmill, and it still works, so you can watch workers
milling lumber through the clunky contraption. To get to the mill under your own steam,
take Highway 4 west through town and turn north on Beaver Creek Road.
Find out more about the origins of the famous West Coast Trail, see a collection of
Nuu-chah-nulth artwork, or tinker with a variety of operating motorized machines from
the forestry industry at the
Alberni Valley Museum
(4255 Wallace St., 250/723-2181,
10am-5pm Tues.-Sat., donation).
MV
Frances Barkley
The
Frances Barkley
(250/723-8313 or 800/663-7192,
www.ladyrosemarine.com
)
, a vin-
tage Norwegian ferry, serves the remote communities of Alberni Inlet and Barkley Sound,
but because of the spectacular scenery along the route, the day cruise is also one of the
island's biggest tourist attractions. Depending on the time of year, orcas and gray whales,
seals, sea lions, porpoises, river otters, bald eagles, and all sorts of seabirds join you on
your trip through magnificent Barkley Sound. The vessel is also a great way to reach the
remote fishing village ofBamfield andthe onlyway toreach the Broken GroupIslands by
scheduled transportation.
Year-round, the MV
Frances Barkley
departs Alberni Harbour Quay Tuesdays,
Thursdays, and Saturdays at 8am, reaching Kildonan at 10am and Bamfield at 12:30pm,
then departing Bamfield at 1:30pm and docking back in Port Alberni at 5:30pm. In sum-
mer, sailings are also made to Bamfield on Sunday, with a special stop for kayakers in the
Broken Group Islands. If you want to stay longer in Bamfield, accommodations are avail-
able. From June to September an extra route is added to the schedule, with the vessel de-
parting Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 8am for the Broken Group Islands, arriving
at Ucluelet at 1pm for a 90-minute layover before returning to Port Alberni around 7pm.
One-way fares from Port Alberni are $26 to Kildonan, $35 to Bamfield, $35 to Broken
Group Islands (Sechart), and $39 to Ucluelet. Children under 16 travel for half price. In
summer the
Frances Barkley
does a roaring business—book as far ahead as possible.
