Sunday June 20th, Kisatinaw Provincial Park, BC

145 Miles

It’s almost 3 weeks since we left New Zealand and this afternoon we reached Dawson Creek, British Colombia where the Alaskan Highway starts. We have 1520 miles to drive north on the highway to Fairbanks, Alaska, which is supposed to be one of the last great road trips in the world.

We spent quite a bit of time this morning in Gande Prairie, a city of over 50,000, that is the centre of the oil and gas industry. This is the last big town until we get to Anchorage, so we thought it wise to stock up on as much as possible as not sure what we will find in the towns further north. Ruakiwi is bulging at the seams! You get the sense of it being a working guys town with huge numbers of big dusty trucks (utes) loaded up with equipment. Cars really are in the minority in this area.

It was only 20 miles north until we crossed the border into British Colombia, and knowing the fuel prices are higher we filled up just before crossing, we paid 94 cents a litre, and in the next town in BC it was 1.07. Something we will have to get used to, although it is still much cheaper than NZ.

Dawson Creek is another working mans town, although it has a real focus on the fact that it is Mile Zero of the Alaskan Highway. There was a great information centre where we were able to get lots of maps and pointers for the trip. The museum centered on the building of this highway which was started during the war in 1942, and we watched a movie showing old footage of the construction and the hardships that the workers went through during this time. It was brilliant.

Ruakiwi had not been washed since we arrived and she was looking pretty tatty, so took her to a “car wash” in Dawson Creek  and got rid of all her winter grime, no doubt ready for more dirt and dust on the drive north!

We had put our watches back an hour at the border so were getting ready to set up camp for the night. Found a nice spot in a provincial park overlooking the river.

No sooner had we parked than a lady popped in to see us, she had seen the van with NZ on it…they had emigrated in the 1980’s to Canada from Palmerston North with 4 children. It is a small world.  Jane said to pop in after dinner and meet her husband.

About 8.30 we wandered down the road to their campsite and met Randy (short for Randall!) who was from Tokomaru Bay. They were camping with another couple and their 4 young children. Randy makes a really good home brew, and we sat around the campfire having a great catch up, as only New Zealander’s can do! Great news to hear today that the All Whites drew with Italy….fantastic!

It was getting on to midnight as we ambled back to Ruakiwi, it was still quite light even though the moon was up. These long daylight hours take some getting used to.