Road Trip 2025 - Gabriola Island

Gabriola Island was one of the main reasons we wanted to get back to British Columbia, and specifically Vancouver Island, to rediscover the wonderful windswept cliffs of the Malaspina Galleries. This post shows the 1981 photos from our initial visit to the island when Crystal was 2 yrs old, as well as our re-visited trip with Jessie, Nick, and JJ, who had been born since.

Malaspina Galleries, 2025, Gabriola Island, BC

The short trail from the parking lot to the Malaspina Galleries Community Park was easy to handle with my walking sticks, but once I got to the viewpoint I realized I'd never be able to scamper out to the smooth rocky shore or climb down to visit the windswept cliffs myself. So again, I handed my camera to Nick and used my iPhone to capture whatever caught my fancy from the topside. Most times I could see Nelson and the kids. At other times I didn't know what they saw or did until after I uploaded my Nikon and their camera phones to my computer. Without fail, they did a fantastic job with their photography.

Malaspina Galleries, 1981, Gabriola Island, BC

The above photo shows how the windswept curves of the Malaspina Galleries looked on that low cloud level day of our first visit in 1981. 

Malaspina Galleries, 2025, Gabriola Island, BC

Our 2025 revisit was late afternoon on a bright, sunny day. There wasn't much difference in the curves themselves, although the background had changed. The kids appeared to be in as much awe as we had been on our first visit all those years ago.

Malaspina Galleries, 1981, Gabriola Island, BC

Our second recreated photograph was based on the 1981 version above where Nelson is standing in an alcove with Crystal on his shoulders. This alcove was harder to locate in 2025, but I believe the image below shows we did indeed find the correct one.

Malaspina Galleries, 2025, Gabriola Island, BC

Missing from the revisited alcove photo is Nick who was taking the photo for me while I waited up top wondering where they were all hiding. 

Malaspina Galleries, 1981, Gabriola Island, BC

The final recreated shot of our 1981 visit was based on this photo of Nelson and Crystal sitting on a rock and looking out toward Nanaimo on the eastern coast of Vancouver Island. Or, they might have spotted one of the many BC Ferries that keep people and traffic moving between Nanaimo and Gabriola Island, much like the one we traveled on.

Malaspina Galleries, 2025, Gabriola Island, BC

The location of Nelson and Crystal sitting on a rock and looking outward was the hardest to find although this shot is pretty close, considering the background. Thank you to Nick for taking this photo of his dad and siblings. 

Malaspina Galleries, 2025, Gabriola Island, BC

The photo above shows where the force of the winds carve the surf-like sandstone waves out from beneath the windswept cliffs. It truly is spectacular to see the trees rooted into soil on a rock base. The photo also shows where Nick sprang across open water to the rock where he took the photo of JJ, and later where the two of them took a selfie while standing on the same rock. 

Purple Sea Stars, 2025, Malaspina Galleries, Gabriola Island, BC

It was reassuring to see the Purple Sea Stars among the photos that Nick had taken with my Nikon while we were at Gabriola Island. Back in 1981 we'd seen our first ones on the other side of this same island, and with all the devastation of the sea star wasting disease in the years in between, I was relieved to see they have survived here on the island.

Malaspina Galleries Community Park, 2025, Gabriola Island, BC

The Malaspina Galleries Community Park includes a stellar shoreline on the opposite side of the windswept cliffs which is where the family headed off to explore next. I barely kept myself from struggling down from my perch to join them as they walked on massive rocks smoothed by wind and waves. 

Malaspina Galleries Community Park, 2025, Gabriola Island, BC

Can you believe the textures revealed when the tide goes out on Gabriola Island? I'm definitely turning this photo above into one of my online jidigi puzzles. 

Malaspina Galleries Community Park, 2025, Gabriola Island, BC

And here's another one I'd like to puzzle solve...it looks like a stone whale, doesn't it? And is it really looking at a stone turtle? Come on, put your imagination to work. These are the images I love photographing in nature...things so out of place and yet not man-made. I feel blessed when I spot these surprises and marvel at the world God has crafted for us. 

Arbutus menziesil, Gabriola Sands Provincial Park, 2025, Gabriola Island, BC

Late afternoon had passed and we were into the evening hours when we drove a few minutes down the road to check out the Gabriola Sands Provincial Park beach. The Gabriola Sands Provincial Park shares the same bay as the windswept cliffs. As soon as we parked the car, my eyes were drawn to where the green trunk of the arbutus tree announced where the trail started...or was it guarding the trail? It was my first encounter with the broadleaf evergreen tree which is native to coastal regions of BC. Such a gorgeous green. 

Gabriola Sands Provincial Park, 2025, Gabriola Island, BC

The Gabriola Sands shore has less rocks and more of a sandy, algae, crushed shell feeling. Shallow tidal pools are numerous, holding anemones, limpets, barnacles and a whole lot of broken shells. 

Gabriola Sands Provincial Park, 2025, Gabriola Island, BC

And yet the same smooth rocks line the shore, holding up the forest away from the tides as best it can. There are treasures on this beach as well. In the above photo, Jessie is looking at a rock within a sandstone layer or ledge. Who knows how long the elements have eaten away from the rock with its different composition? How long will it take before the rock is free? What will we find if we revisit Gabriola Island in another 25 years? 

Nanaimo to Gabriola Island BC Ferry, 2025, Gabriola Island, BC

With the BC Ferry approaching to take us back to Nanaimo, we head for the terminal. Our revisit to Gabriola Island had exceeded our expectations as we introduced this generation to the unique windswept cliffs that make up the Malaspina Galleries of Gabriola Island.

This was our last full day of vacation with the six of us together. The next morning, Nick and JJ headed homeward where work awaited leaving the rest of us to continue our journey along British Columbia's Sunshine Coast. Join us for that adventure when it posts on September 1st.

This Gabriola Island post corresponds to the August 2025 calendar page.