Friday 21 August 2009

Sunshine Coast and Island Scooter Ride (Part 2)

Powell River

Powell River is a larger community of around 13,000 (thanks Google) and has things like malls, Starbucks, and other important indicators of civilization. I popped in to the Tourist Information for a map and brochure, got a bottle of wine from the liquor store and headed to my accommodation.

The Boxwood Cottages are two very nice cottages, I'm sure, with kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, etc. I, however, had booked the Treehouse.

At $50, it met the requirements for price and also for adventure.



It is an actual treehouse - the steps up are boards nailed onto logs and, once the door is open, there's a bed, a night table with a coffee maker and that's it. The bathroom is an outhouse across the lawn and the shower is underneath the treehouse - open to nature - although there's a curtain to partly shield you from curious onlookers.



Would my wife like it? Absolutely not. But for me, on a scooter adventure, it was ideal!

There were numerous seating areas around - a table and chair, an outdoor couch, another table - and I decided that instead of eating out, I'd bring something in.



On the advice of my hosts (Anthony and Diane) I went for a ride through the historic site of Powell River. It was interesting as the size of the houses increased as they got closer to the pulp mill.



I then headed back towards town, stopping at Willingdon Beach because I heard music!



The week long Blackberry Festival was taking place and there were families, food, and a live band. I hung around for an hour and then hopped on my Vespa, grabbed some Thai food, and went back to the Treehouse.


I had a very enjoyable dinner, as well as a few glasses of wine, as I sat under the trees thinking that it had been a very pleasant day indeed!

The next morning, I woke up in the Treehouse after a very restful night's sleep. I did wake up a few times in the night, but the sound of the creek below lulled me back to sleep.



Less restful was the funky outdoor shower. The curtain didn't hide much but that was OK as it was early and no one was around. Unfortunately, I couldn't get the temperature of the water above 'really cold' so it was a brisk shower, reminiscent of some Youth Hostel showers when I backpacked through Europe.

I was ready with time to spare so, naturally, I went to Starbucks and grabbed a latté which fit nicely in my drink holder as I headed of towards the ferry, leaving Powell River behind.

3 comments:

Mrs. Mac said...

Did you capture a shot of the beautiful sunset? Or of the mill and the ships from the beach? Were you there for Art in the Park at Willingdon Beach? Did you play a round of mini-golf?

Baron's Life said...

Dave,
your posts are becoming more and more interesting...you actually slept in a real tree house...I envy you for the experience...great stuff
Sounds like you had a great time... Did the scooter act up on you or was it OK?
Also in your last post comment to bobskoot...you mention self inflicted accidents...what were these?
Cheers mate

Dave Dixon said...

Jennifer
Guess I'll have to go back as I didn't do all of those things! I did go to Willingdon Beach, though, and it was very nice. I suspect you are from Powell River?

Baron
Thanks for your comment. The treehouse was a very cool experience.

The 50cc scooter was fantastic the whole way - no problems at all. Almost 13,000 kms and still going great.

Self inflicted wounds - sprained knee from doing a cannonball in four and a half feet of water (Don't do it, Dad) and slicing some of my nail off my finger with a utility knife while trying to adjust panniers on my scooter.