North America - Clean Breaks: 500 New Ways to See the World - page 196

- ask for Horne Lake Road, from where it is a
1km uphill walk to the camp. Alternatively, take the
train from Nanaimo to Dunsmuir, from where it's
an 8min walk to the camp. Eve costs Can$100 a
night; Eryn is $150 a night. For reservations see
W www.freespiritspheres.com; T [phone].

258 SuRRound Sound in A fRee
SpiRiT SpheRe, cAnAdA

Top: Tree life in a Free Spirit
Sphere; bottom: The larger of
the two spheres - “Eryn” - is
fitted with several mod cons,
including a microwave and
small refrigerator

Nestled in your cocoon of comfort, suspended
among the canopy of giant Douglas firs, all you
can hear is the wind whistling through the
leaves and the chatter of forest birds. The only
exit is across a suspension bridge to a spiral
staircase that winds around the trunk of a tree
down to the ground. Here, in a private forest
near Qualicum Bay on Vancouver Island, is
the latest treehouse incarnation: Free Spirit
Spheres.
Two wooden capsules, hanging like pendants
on a web of ropes attached to three trees, are
much cosier than their minimalist exterior
might suggest. They are heavily insulated,
include a small electric heater, and have been
wired for lights, telephone and built-in speakers,
so you can exchange the sounds of the forest
outside with the surround sound of your iPod
and DVDs. The larger of the two spheres, “Eryn”
(made from light sitka spruce), has a double bed,
table, cupboard space, couch, sink, microwave
and refrigerator, while the smaller pod, “Eve”
(fashioned out of yellow cedar) is more spartan,
with just a double bed and a few cupboards.
Back on terra firma, a short walk from the
spheres and on the other side of a pond, are
all the other necessary amenities, including
showers, a sauna, a kitchen and a covered deck
for barbecues.
What started as an experiment in home design
has grown into a flourishing treehouse business
for owner Tom Chudleigh; he's planning to
install up to fifteen spheres in the forest. If you'd
like to know how to build one then he'll happily
talk shop over the phone - but the best way to
see what they're all about is to go and spend a
few days up in the trees.

Need to know Ferries run from Vancouver to
Nanaimo, Vancouver Island ( W www.bcferries.bc.ca;
T [phone]), after which you'll need to
catch a bus to Qualicum Beach (50min; Can$19;
W www.islandlinkbus.com; T [phone])