travel - Horne Lake Caves

16 • The Langley Times • Sunday, April 6, 2008
travel
monique tamminga 604-514-6757
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monique@langleytimes.com
A mini-break that
rocks
Darren Donoghue photo
Let’s not make a hobbit of this. Reporter Monique Tamminga prepares to go deep undercover as she enters
a cave in Horne Lake Provincial Park on Vancouver Island.
Spelunking in an island paradise
MONIQUE TAMMINGA
Times Reporter
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PARKSVILLE, B.C. — Wearing a
hard hat with a miner’s light on it,
I’m trying to keep up to my rather
fit group as we trek straight up a
mountain in Vancouver Island’s
Horne Lake Provincial Park.
This part is a cinch, remarks our
guide Laura as she introduces us
to the Stairmaster, a set of 54 steps
straight up a cliff.
Once I catch my breath at the
top of the stairs, we marvel at
the change in terrain — we’re in
B.C’s rainforest now. Tall ancient
trees are covered in mystic moss
and dangling lichen while the ground pushes up smooth
glacier rocks that are more than 8,000 years old.
“See this,” Laura says pointing to a small crevice in a
large rock in front of us. “That is the sign that we must be
near a cave.”
After a half-hour of mountain climbing we are closing in
on our destination – Riverbend Cave.
It’s one of more than 1,000 caves on Vancouver Island
– and at least four in Horne Lake Park. We follow a rushing
river until we see it.
Like something out of Raiders of the Lost Ark, there,
carved out of the mountainside, is a thick metal door.
Laura unlocks the heavy latch and opens the door
and swings it open to reveal a dark cave where crystal
formations and ancient fossils live.
Getting through the small door is an adventure in itself,
as each of us twist our body into the narrow hold, find our
feet on a long metal ladder and begin to make our way
down into the darkness below.
Once in, there’s really no going back, as we become part
of the underground world where only translucent crickets
and spiders can live.
We see stalactites shaped like animals and cartoon
characters, some resembling ice cream fountains and strips
of bacon. We squeeze through ceiling galleries into ancient
worlds that existed long before man.
There is no darker place in the world than here, says
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Laura, insisting we turn off our
headlamps to get a real feel for
true darkness. All we can hear is
the roar of the rushing water that
has found its way from the surface
to the cave floor below us.
The caves are open year-round
but spelunking can be a very wet
experience depending on rainfall
amounts and spring run-off.
Having to crawl around like
Gollum from Lord of the Rings
was pretty exhilarating, I must
admit.
We were on the family tour,
which means anyone over the age
of five can go as long as they are
able-bodied.
But I would recommend parents check it out before
bringing younger children along.
Caving here can be as adventurous as you want it to be,
from rappelling seven stories down a waterfall to crawling
on your belly to reach the next gallery of crystals. The
great thing, too, is that Horne Lake is a provincial park so
prices start from $20 for three hours of serious fun.
Extremely Grotto-fying
There’s really nothing better than treating yourself to a
little pampering after a hard day at play. My husband and I
chose to stick with the theme of caving and spend time at
Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort’s Grotto Spa.
With options from VIP day suites to European pedicure
thrones, there’s plenty of pampering to go around in B.C.’s
largest resort spa.
But before having our muscles massaged into butter,
we decided to do something most people in Canada have
never done before — dine in the fluff.
The Grotto Spa’s new Treetop Tapas and Grill opened up
its robe-only restaurant to offer the “Dip And Dine” — an
evening that puts the boring old ‘dinner and a movie’ date
to shame.
Our night out began with the “dip” portion of the
evening, taking in some serious indulgence in the Grotto
Spa Mineral Pool.
The Langley Times • Sunday, April 6, 2008 • 17
t r ave l
Dip and dine at day’s end
The dress code calls for fluffy robes and slippers
in the spa’s treetop restaurant, where maritinis and
endless tapas ensure guests leave satisfied.
It’s pure relaxation in
this three-storey cave that
makes Hugh Hefner’s
Playboy mansion grotto
look like a turtle pool by
comparison.
Spa guests are greeted
by a spectacular two-storey
waterfall that opens up
to a 2,500 square foot
warm water pool infused
with essential minerals to
detoxify the body.
Carved out of the grotto
is a glacier-cold waterfall
for the brave to stand
underneath and a whirlpool
for those who like it hot.
We arrived two hours
before dinner to soak it all
up before we slipped out of
our wet bathing suits and
into the spa’s chenille robes
and sandals for the dinner
portion of the evening.
We went up to the third
floor, waiting fireside in the
relaxation lounge until our
table was ready.
Seated by a window, we
found ourselves high in the
arbutus tree tops, dining
by candlelight and not
knowing where to place
our napkins.
We ordered the ‘endless’
tapas from the West Coastinspired menu.
Plates of everything from
succulent scallops in a
blood orange marmalade to
maple glazed salmon graced
our table throughout
the evening. We were
even served miniature
steaks with wee Yorkshire
puddings.
I was in my glory as
I sipped a lemon drop
martini while nibbling on
cajun spiced mahi mahi,
topped with red curry
pineapple-papaya salsa.
At the Grotto Spa (ranked
number one in Western
Canada by Spas of America),
every person who walks
through the door is treated
like royalty.
There is no end in sight
to the professionalism and
special treatment each
person is rewarded just for
being there.
The Dip and Dine
costs $65 and that’s for
as much time as you
want to swim and lounge
followed by a long evening
of mouthwatering tapas
from the chef’s seasonal
creations of salads,
appetizers, entrees and
playful bite-sized desserts
that cap off a perfect
evening.
I tried eating dinner at
home in my robe the next
week, and it just didn’t feel
the same.
While visitors can end
their evening after the
dinner portion, we stayed
at the luxurious Tigh-NaMara Resort, retiring that
night to an ocean front
deluxe room, featuring cozy
fireplace, jetted tub and
king sized bed.
Earlier that day we
filled our room’s fridge
with a bottle of wine and
cheese we had bought
from a fabulous little
cheese-making farmstead
called Little Qualicum
Cheeseworks, just down the
road.
The self-guided farm is
a great place for kids who
want to pet baby animals
while parents taste a variety
of bries, monterey jacks,
swiss and other delectable
bites. A fruit winery is
opening up there next year
so the cheese can be paired
appropriately.
If you’re looking for a
mini-vacation that has all
the makings of a tropical
getaway without getting on
an airplane, the Oceanside
region of Vancouver Island
offers the mildest climate
B.C. has to offer. Ocean
temperatures in Parksville
are the warmest in the
province, so swimming is
actually something to look
forward to. Almost every
manicured golf course
features ocean views as do
the restaurants and resorts.
Most restaurants in the
area feature a sommelier
who extends the wine list
to new depths and helps
create wine maker’s dinners
that are to die for.
At Tigh-Na-Mara we dined
at the Cedar Room where
a not-to-be-missed wine
maker’s dinner is featured
once a month.
For miles of sandy
beaches to hiking, spas and
culinary delights, if you’re
looking for a mini-break
that’s just a ferry ride away,
a trip to the Oceanside
region truly rocks.
IF YOU GO:
Go to www.tigh-na-mara.
com for package deals, the
dip and dine and further
info or at 1-800-663-7373.
For Little Qualicum Cheeses
go to www.cheeseworks.ca.
For Horne Lake Cave
tours go to www.hornelake.
com.