Day 3 part one Princess Louisa Inlet

Day 3:

On day 3 we got up early and headed out to Egmont for our day trip out to Princess Louisa Inlet through Sunshine Coast Tours.  Our guide and captain was Bryce.  We boarded a flat bottom boat with three other couples and embarked on our adventure North through what was truly spectacular scenery.  The mountains sheered off into the water and the clouds literally rolled over the peaks into the valleys, sounds and inlets like mist waterfalls.  Everything was on a scale so much larger and out in the open.  Not much was missed from any casual observer.  Nature is literally at the doorsteps of those who live in the Sunshine Coast.

It takes two hours to get to Princess Louisa Inlet, another half hour to get to the falls.  Once there you get an hour and a half to explore.  They suggested packing a lunch and we are glad we did as there wasn't much to explore once you got to the falls but sitting next to the fresh water pools that stair-stepped down to the seawater below was so serene.  We had a lovely picnic in the sun listening to the cascading water and looking out at massive and pristine mountain slopes.  

Most of the valleys and inlets had been carved out by massive glaciers at the end of the last ice age.  The result was dramatic as mountains and slopes seem to emerge from the water lacking any gradual incline from water to beach to plain to hill to foothill to peaks.

The park at the foot of the falls was not crowded.  There were just three more boats and most of the inhabitants were happy enough on their boats leaving us to area.  The only resident is the local park ranger.

After our picnic and little bit of exploration we took off back to Egmont.  The ride back was bumpier than our easy ride in but there was new scenery to be in awe of all the way home.  We went back the same way but this time we could see great systems flow up and over the peaks spilling into the inlet and valleys connected to it.  One pass seemed to be puffing out huge logs of cloud as it made its way through the mountain pass and along the mountain range edge and out over the water.

We were tired once finished but we had good day in one of the more beautiful areas of the world.

Next:  We head to our next residence at the Tuwanek Hotel where we stay in the "Tree House" for two nights, rest and do our next adventure the next day at the Skookumchuck Narrows (The Rapids).