Waterfront Walks: Neck Point Park, Nanaimo BC Canada

Looking over Neck Point
The tombola that gives Neck Point Park in Nanaimo, British Columbia its name, has disappeared under the high tide.

Conifers on the Hill
A small stand of the fast-growing native pine, Douglas firs (Pseudotsuga menziesii) greet us as we enter the park.

Blue Camas
There are a few camas (Camassia quamash) still in flower in the shadows.

Purple Clover
The clover (Trifolium purpureum var. purpureum) by contrast, is prolific.

Walkers on the Path
Most of the paths are well groomed and clearly marked; shortly after this, however, we ended up bush-bashing across a section that we later learned is labelled: “Rough Steep Trail”.

Wild Roses
As common as they might be, I’ve always loved wild roses (Rosa acicularis).

Forest
The woods around here are a mix of conifers and deciduous, including arbutus, Douglas firs, beech, and Garry oaks.

Sunset Beach
It is middle of the afternoon, so no sunset for us! But, I admired the driftwood washed up on this small stretch of stony beach.

Cairn
Other people have left their mark here in this popular park.

“Heart of the Headlands”
Perhaps because I grew up around this landscape, I love the asymmetrical Douglas firs standing on the windy higher ground.

Song Bird
Above us, an unidentifiable bird sings to the world.

Dark-Eyed Junco
Meanwhile, tiny juncos (Junco hyemalis) scrabble around in the grass not far from our feet.

Driftwood on the Waterfront
Beaches here are typically comprised of small gray stones and littered with logs that have escaped the booms that run up and down the coast.

Nature’s Rock Garden
As we climb up the next headland, I admire the natural rock gardens that have formed here …

Flowers and Lichen in the Rock Garden
… and the tough, but delicate-looking plants that have made this jagged cliff a home.

Wild Rose
Away from the exposed cliffs, we find more wild roses.

Island off the Rocks
At high tide, the isthmus at Neck Point looks like an island. I am fascinated by the different coloured lichen and verrucaria that add to the textures of the rocks. Hidden from our sight, a rock wall under the water here is home to an array of sealife, making this a popular dive spot.

Onto the Green
Although it is only a small park, the outlook and terrain change from one moment to the next.

Across Three Lagoon Islands Park
The coast here is scattered with parks and ecological reserves.

Pipers Lagoon Park
From here we can look across to Pipers Lagoon Park, and the ramshackle housing nestled close by.

Boats on the Waters
Further out, we can just see the lighthouse at Entrance Island, as well as BC Ferries vessels, cargo ships, and recreational boats. The Strait of Georgia is a busy waterway!

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus Leucocephalus)
It doesn’t matter how often I see these magnificent birds in the wild, they always take my breath away. Even at a distance, those beaks and talons are formidable.

Maple Spinners
These take me back to the delights of childhood: we loved finding dry spinners, launching them, and seeing how long they would stay air-born!