Length of stay: 2 days
Visited: March 2025
Vancouver is an extremely picturesque city that’s surrounded by the mountains and the sea. But it’s also one of the rainiest cities in Canada. While the summer is typically dry, the rest of the year can be damp and wet. I guess they don’t call it the wet coast for nothing.
Day 1: A Short Stroll
We flew into Vancouver early in the morning to embark on our longest vacation yet. We weren’t staying in Vancouver long though, just a couple of days to break up the flight to New Zealand and help adjust to the time change. Our flight was delayed by a couple of hours. After boarding it was discovered that there was a dent in the plane and they needed to change out a panel. Not ideal, but our little one ended up going down for a long nap, so all in all, it wasn’t too bad.
We landed in Vancouver early in the afternoon and picked up our rental car. It was overcast and the forecast was calling for rain this afternoon so we didn’t dawdle. We headed to the University of British Columbia to check out the Nitobe Memorial Garden, a traditional Japanese tea and stroll garden. It was created as a memorial to Dr. Nitobe, a Japanese diplomat and politician who dedicated most of life to building a strong relationship between Japan and Canada.
The garden is small and doesn’t take long to walk around the outer perimeter and explore all the little side trails through the manicured garden. We did a couple of laps around the gravel path, enjoying the solitude and early spring blossoms. Spring was much further ahead on the west coast compared to back home in southern Ontario.
The rain had caught up to us though and all our rain gear was packed away neatly in one of the suitcases. We were flying out the next day and I had no interest in rummaging around for our rain jackets and umbrellas. So we headed to our hotel, stopping to pick up takeaway for dinner.
Day 2: Stanley Park
The weather gods must have taken pity on us. The forecast was calling for rain this morning, but it cleared up by the time we headed out. Our flight to Auckland wasn’t until 7:55pm so we had the better part of a day to explore Vancouver. So we headed to Stanley Park where we could easily spend the day.
We started at the Vancouver Aquarium. It boasts of being the largest aquarium in Canada and has a special focus on protecting and restoring the oceans. It contains several experiences and exhibits, including about British Columbia’s waters, Canada’s arctic and the tropics. Most of the exhibits are indoors, but there’s an outdoor exhibit that contains rescued seals, sea lions and otters.
Baby M might have been a bit too young for some of the experiences, but she enjoyed looking at all the colourful fish, pretty coral, and gelatinous jellyfish.
Once we finished up at the aquarium we went for a stroll through Stanley Park. It was a bit chilly (12°C) with a mix of sun and clouds, but it wasn’t windy. We headed towards the Lost Lagoon and followed the gravel path along the shore.
We made a short detour to Second Beach before completing the rest of the loop around the Lost Lagoon.
Spring was several weeks ahead here. The grass was green, likely from all the rain, and we saw some early spring flowers in bloom. The magnolia and cherry trees were also starting to showcase their blossoms.
We walked a short stretch along the seawall to enjoy the views of the skyline from the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club.
We passed the totem poles. Then back to the seawall to get a glimpse of the Lion’s Bridge and North Vancouver.
M was long due for a nap so we headed back to the car to drive around. Traffic was terrible and the stop-and-go motions didn’t exactly help the nap situation. So we picked up takeaway for a late lunch / early dinner then headed to the airport even though our flight wasn’t for another four hours.
But there was another reason we were heading to the airport early. The night before we tried to check into our flight but had some issues. It turns out we needed to apply for a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA). It’s not a visa and doesn’t guarantee entry into New Zealand, but it’s required for travellers from a visa waiver country and ensures you pay the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (which is $100 NZ and goes to tourism infrastructure to help protect the environment). It can take up to 72 hours to be processed. And it seems we overlooked that detail.
While M and I received our NZeTAs within a few minutes of applying, K was not so lucky. We consulted the internet. For most travellers it didn’t seem that big of a deal as long as you applied and paid the fee. But we read a couple of horror stories about people being denied boarding. Sure enough, right when we returned our rental car, K’s application was approved. Phew.
After checking in and offloading our baggage, we found a quiet spot next to some play area in the hopes that M would tire herself out. It’s a 14 hour flight from Vancouver to Auckland. And it surprisingly went much better than any of us could have expected. To be continued …
L
You picked a couple of lovely spots to spend time in while you were in Vancouver. The Japanese garden is so lovely and peaceful. And Stanley Park is always wonderful. I can’t watt to hear all about New Zealand.
It was well worth spending a couple of days in Vancouver first before heading to New Zealand. Even though we’ve been before, we managed to visit a few new spots like the Japanese garden and aquarium. It was a great start to our adventure!
Vancouver seems such a fantastic place and your photos show it off so well. I remember totem poles when I lived in Canada
Thanks for your kind words and for leaving a comment. Vancouver is such a lovely city. Even though we’ve been before, there’s still so many trails and other areas we have yet to explore. The totem poles in Stanley Park are pretty neat. Enjoy the rest of the weekend. Linda
Thank you 🙂
Very interesting read thanks for sharing🙏
Thanks for your kind words. Spending a couple of days in Vancouver was a great start to our long trip. It was a nice way to break up the flight to Auckland.
I remember travelling with a little one or 2 little ones and how it can impact your plans, but once you find your patience, it is a lot of fun. I never heard of a flight being delayed for a dent in the plane. How crazy is that? Did they have a fender bender on the way to the terminal? You covered a lot of ground in Vancouver, despite the weather. So many familiar sights to me now. What turned out to be the problem with K’s NZeTA? I’ll have to watch for this when we go back. The last time we went, we only needed and ETA for Aus. Have a good Saturday Linda. Allan
I couldn’t agree more about travelling with kids. It definitely requires patience, planning and packing a lot more stuff for them! But it’s worth it. I couldn’t imagine going on an adventure without our little one.
Fixing the panel took well over an hour. But hey, I’m just happy our flight didn’t get cancelled. Otherwise that would have defeated the whole purpose of trying to minimize long travel days.
I’m not sure why some NZeTAs take longer to process than others. It turns out that it’s not that big of a deal if you’re still waiting for approval. We asked the person at the check-in counter about it and they said as long as you apply and pay the fee, it’s okay if it’s still being processed. Next time (and there will be a next time) we’ll apply for one well in advance though since it’s valid for two years. When are thinking of returning to NZ?
You were delayed by a dent? Doesn’t happen often but can if planes aren’t moved carefully for parking or hangaring and can be an issue if the dent is in a critical place like the leading edge of a wing as aerodynamics can be affected. Glad to hear all the paperwork came through! Stopping in Vancouver is a pretty great way to acclimate a bit, too. Looking forward to your next instalment. Cheers.
It took well over an hour for the panel to be replaced, which wasn’t ideal, but I’m happy that we made it there safely. It turns out it wouldn’t have been that big of a deal if K’s NZeTA wasn’t processed. They’re really just checking to see that everyone applies and pays the conservation fee. But it definitely caused us some unnecessary stress!
What a harrowing last minute hiccup to your trip, Linda! But glad it all got approved at the last minute. 😃 I’m so excited we’re now at the New Zealand part of your blog posts. Can’t wait!
Your Vancouver pictures looked lovely. Those jellyfish! 🥰 And Stanley Park is so scenic. It’s on my wishlist to bike around the park with T one day.
I know! It turns out it wouldn’t have been that big of a deal if our NZeTAs weren’t processed. The important thing was that we applied and paid the conservation fee. The weather forecast for Vancouver leading up to our trip wasn’t looking promising, but it seems we avoided the worst of the rain and managed to spend some time in Stanley Park, including visiting the aquarium which was really nice. Hopefully you’re able to bike along the seawall in Stanley Park someday with T! That sounds like it would be a fun family adventure … assuming it’s not raining!
What a lovely start to your NZ adventure Linda. We enjoyed a holiday about 20 years ago in Vancouver and across at Victoria. I don’t think we visited the aquarium but I remember Stanley Park and the totem poles! We visited in summer and did some hiking around Whistler which was fun. Will look forward to your NZ posts. I have only visited North Island and that was also a long time ago. Hope you are having a lovely weekend. We’re on our way to Scotland and after a month’s drought it’s now tipping it down!
Glad to hear you’ve been to Vancouver and Victoria. They are both pretty cities that have done a wonderful job of incorporating nature. We haven’t been to Whistler, but perhaps next time we’re in Vancouver. The drive to get there is supposed to be really nice.
Enjoy your time in Scotland. Hopefully the weather improves! It’s always tough to explore the outdoors in the rain.
Now this will be fascinating to follow. For a start, I’ve long had Vancouver/Victoria on the wish list, but moreover, we are very likely to be heading to NZ early next year. So I’m very excited to read your travel stories from there. Here’s hoping it’s turning out to be a great trip!
That’s exciting!! We loved our time in New Zealand and could have easily stayed longer. It’s one of the few places we visited where we could imagine ourselves living there. Highly recommend.
So many beautiful photos, Linda!! Have fun way down there. You said “takeaway”, how very British! 🇬🇧🇨🇦
Thanks for your kind words. We had a fabulous time in New Zealand. We were there for five weeks and could have easily stayed longer. It’s funny how Canada still has a lot of British influence, eh?
Five weeks, wow! The States are not in that circle of British influence even though we came from there. Or am I wrong?
I know! It was our longest vacation that we’ve ever taken. It was very lovely. Makes me want to retire soon! You’re right, but I have no idea why you guys didn’t adopt any of their British-isms.
I wish we had adopted them, Linda. Even our spelling is way off! 👎🏻😡
I know! Don’t even get me started on why we can’t use the same system of measurement too!
I have never liked the metric system. Yuck. 😂
It’s funny because we use a bit of both. Imperial for weight and height. And metric for pretty much everything else.
Wow, I didn’t know this. I’ve never liked the metric system…
I think most people would prefer to just have one unit of measurement, including myself! And I’d probably go with imperial too!
A good choice. 🤙🏻😂
Lovely.
Thanks for reading and leaving a comment. Spring was several weeks ahead in Vancouver and it was nice to catch an early glimpse of the spring blooms and blossoms.
🤩😎🤗 that yea garden looks wonderful.
I’m such a fan of visiting gardens. It was nice to see a few pops of colour from the blooming cherry trees and magnolias.
You seem to have made the most of short stop in Vancouver! Can’t wait to read more about your New Zealand trip!
Thanks! Even though we didn’t stay in Vancouver very long, it was nice to break up the long flight to Auckland. We ended up spending a bit more time in Vancouver on the way back to visit family.
Vancouver is lovely to visit and glad the weather gods shone on you! It can be a dismal place to live with all that rain – some of which i wish we could get here. I always loved going to Stanley Park when we lived there. New paper work for travel is something we all have to get used to. I must remember this for Sept. I look forward to your NZ posts.
Vancouver is beautiful, but not sure I could handle all the rain and dampness either. We have had no shortage of rain here in southern Ontario this spring. Hoping you get more of it your way. And yes, it seems like there is more paperwork these days to travel abroad. Happy trip planning. Looking forward to seeing where you’re off to.
The wet coast 😊 I’ve never heard that reference before! I love the steely blues, greys and silvers in a bunch of your photos… very dramatic! I’d like to visit Vancouver one day. My husband went to UBC to present a talk a few years ago and said it was an amazing city. I’m glad your travel authority worked out. Looking forward to your posts about New Zealand!
Hopefully you’re able to make it to Vancouver someday. Despite the rain, it’s really such a neat city. And the best part is that trails, parks and green spaces can be found everywhere. You just have to deal with traffic to get there.
It turns out getting our NZeTAs approved wasn’t that big of a deal and we would have been fine. They just want to check that you’ve applied and paid the conservation fee. Well worth it as all the national parks and conservation areas are free to visit. We definitely got our money’s worth.
What a beautiful start to your journey… The photos are stunning. God’s creation shines through every scene. From the rain-kissed gardens to the peaceful lagoon, His handiwork is everywhere. May you continue to see His presence in every step of your travels.
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Psalm 19:1 🌸🕊️
Thanks so much for your lovely comment. Spending a couple days in Vancouver was a great way to start our trip and break up an otherwise longer flight. Even though we had some rain, we had some periods of nice weather too and managed to enjoy the scenery.
It’s good that baby M just enjoy napping for most of this travel. You stopped by beautiful spots, especially the park. Gorgeous! I’m excited for the next installment of this awesome adventure, Linda.
Totally. She generally does pretty well on flights and I’m glad she went down for a long morning nap, even if it meant I couldn’t move for a few hours. We weren’t in Vancouver long, but it was still nice to see some of the sights.
Yeah, not want to disturb her sleep, making you steady. Enjoy your travels and keep safe, Linda.
Thanks! A well rested baby is much easier to travel with! So I’ll gladly snuggle her close while she naps. I won’t be able to do that much longer now that she’s getting bigger!
You’re most welcome, Linda.
Gorgeous photos! Seems like you chose great spots for the short stay. Vancouver is on my bucket list, hopefully the weather treats me well when I get there 😆
Thanks for your kind words. Hopefully you’re able to visit Vancouver someday. It’s a very charming city and the scenery is spectacular, even in the rain. It was a great start to our trip despite the weather.
An incredible place! Love it there. Your post brought back many memories. Easy to put in some serious steps there. 😃👍🏻
For sure! The best way to explore Vancouver is on foot, especially since the traffic is horrendous!
A bicycle is nice too! 😊
Very true. And there are plenty of places to rent a bike. We haven’t done that yet. Perhaps next time.
When the time is right! 🚵🏼♀️
Wow, everything is so green! I’m yet to visit Vancouver and have relatives there, so no excuse. 😉
I’ll jump in here, Vancouver is the prettiest city in Canada, so you need to visit it Nilla 😊
I’ve heard! We spent a month in Canada last year but just didn’t get to Vancouver. Thanks for the heads up, Maggie. 🙂
I totally agree with Maggie. Vancouver is very lovely, even in the rain! Sounds like you better start trip planning!
Vancouver is a great city to break up a long travel day. Looking forward to reading about your travels in NZ. It’s so stressful to run into those travel problems last minute. We just had a similar problem today. My passport only has 7 months left, and even though we will return home in the 3 month window, it still brings up so many questions. Have a great trip! Maggie
It was well worth the extra stop otherwise it would have been over 20 hours of travel time to get from Toronto to Auckland. It turns out we were worrying about our NZeTAs for nothing. The staff at the counter who checked us in said as long as we applied and paid the conservation fee, we were good to go. I always found that silly about how a passport typically needs to be valid for at least six months before you arrive/depart a country. I got mine renewed last year even though it was still valid for 10 months. That was largely because of how long it takes to renew it by mail and the timing of some trips we had planned. Seemed like a bit of a waste though.
I love how you made the most of your time in Vancouver with the extra hours you unexpectedly had due to the issues with the airplane. The aquarium, especially the part with those colorful anemones, seems like a perfect place to bring baby M. I’m glad in the end things worked out for the three of you despite the last-minute detail that you had to iron out.
We’ve been to Vancouver before, but it was nice to visit a few new places, including the aquarium. Our little one had a blast. It turns out we were worrying about our NZeTAs for nothing. The person who checked us in said as long as we applied and paid the conservation fee, we wouldn’t have had any issues. But, they were all processed and approved before our flight so we were good to go!
Can’t wait to hear all about NZ!
Thanks! We had an amazing time! Five weeks in New Zealand wasn’t long enough though!
Vancouver is such a beautiful city. It seems like you saw quite a lot of it in your short time there. I’m looking forward to your NZ posts; it’s also a beautiful place. My time there was too short.
Thanks! It felt my time there was short too! Agreed, Vancouver is very beautiful. Thankfully the weather was much nicer on the return journey when we spent a bit more time there.
Oh how lovely, the parks and gardens look perfect for a stroll. There’s something about Japanese ambassadors; the current UK ambassador from Japan is taking social media by storm and is one of our favourite people at the moment (he’s embracing everything British and taking Paddington Bear with him everywhere, he’s quickly becoming a national treasure). Anyway, I digress, your photos are beautiful and I can’t wait to read about NZ 🙂
I love it!! I just looked him up and of course the first picture that pops up is with him and his little Paddington Bear. That’s amazing!
Vancouver is one of the places that is still in the bucket list. We did plan for a road trip from Washington State to Vancouver and back but we had to unfortunately cancel it. Now our plan is to visit Quebec and Ottawa. Nice photos!
Bummer that you had to cancel that road trip as it sounds like it would be fun and the drive incredibly scenic. Quebec and Ottawa are very different than Vancouver, but they are very charming cities filled with a lot history. When are you planning to visit?
The road trip is still in the bucket list. I’m sure that we will come around to doing it when the time is right. We’re planning and looking forward to seeing Quebec and Ottawa around September.
That’s a wonderful time of the year to visit Quebec and Ottawa. The weather is still warm, the crowds have gone away, and the fall foliage is outstanding.
It’s great to hear that you’re going to New Zealand, it’s a nice change of scenery. Vancouver actually has several places to take a stroll along the coast or like Stanley Park to fill up a few hours.
You’re right, there is no shortage of places to go for a walk and enjoy the scenery and coastal views in Vancouver. We could have easily stayed longer in Stanley Park. I’m glad we decided to spend a couple of days in Vancouver before heading to New Zealand.
Wow so many beautiful photos of Vancouver – the park, the yachts, and city skyline.
I can hardly wait to hear about New Zealand!!
Thanks! The Stanley Park Seawall is one of my favourite walking paths in Vancouver. It’s a great way to enjoy the skyline, mountains and water.
It’s a picture-perfect garden – just big enough to stretch your legs! Oh yes, I’m sure all the colors in the aquarium must have caught Baby M’s attention. Our flight from Johannesburg, via Sydney, to Auckland was also 14 hours – you were brave to do this with a baby! Like the others here, I also look forward to reading more about your time in NZ!
The Japanese garden was small, but very lovely. If it weren’t for the rain, we could have easily done another couple of laps around the perimeter. The flight from Vancouver to Auckland was long, but surprisingly (and thankfully) our little one slept for most of it. I wouldn’t have guessed that it was a similar duration from Johannesburg. But, it’s well worth the long flight to get there!
Beautiful ! Thanks for sharing! I was headed there back in 2020, but they closed the border because of COVID
Thanks for reading and leaving a comment. Bummer that you had to change your travel plans because of the pandemic. Hopefully you’re able to reschedule.
The Nitobe Memorial Garden and Stanley Park both look like lovely places to visit in Vancouver. Your photos are beautiful, especially those from the aquarium. I’m glad you all got your NZeTAs before you boarded, that must have been such a relief! Looking forward to reading about your adventures in New Zealand 🙂
Thanks for your kind words. We’ve been to Vancouver before but this was our first time visiting the Japanese garden and aquarium. I’m glad the weather ended up being much better than what was on the forecast and we were able to spend some time outside exploring Stanley Park. And yes, it was a huge relief to get our NZeTAs. It turns out it wouldn’t have been that big of a deal though. The person who checked us in said as long as we applied and paid the conservation fee, we would have been fine.
A dent in the plane? That’s a new one. I wonder what caused it? Better safe than sorry, though, I suppose. I didn’t know you’d been in New Zealand – that’s so exciting! I can’t wait to read about it! Stopping in Vancouver for a couple days is a great idea. Like you said, it breaks up the travel. Plus, it’s such a cool city. I was only there for about 30 hours, so clearly I need to return, but you saw some of the same things I did so reading this post brought back some fun memories for me.
Same, I’ve never heard of a delay from a dent. But hey, if they need an hour to fix it, sure. It’s better than our flight being cancelled, or worse, crashing. We’ve been to Vancouver a few of times and there’s still so much left to explore. It’s such a great city. It was nice to spend a bit of time there before heading to New Zealand.
What lovely places you visited! I’m looking forward to seeing more!
Thanks! We didn’t spend long in Vancouver, but I’m glad we decided to stop here for a couple of days, otherwise it would have taken over 20 hours to get from Toronto to Auckland. Hard pass.
Woah. Yeah. You made the right choice!
I’m not even sure I could handle that long of a flight even if we weren’t travelling with a baby!!
Right? It’s a long journey!
The Japanese garden is so lush, but I was really taken by your Aquarium closeups. Have a great Kiwi trip. Glad that all worked out at the last minute! Looking forward to your posts from there.
Thanks! We’ve been to Vancouver before, but it was nice to return for a couple of days to break up the very long flight to Auckland. And this way we got to visit a couple of new places like the Japanese garden and aquarium. It worked out rather well.
Vancouver looks like a great city to visit. I watched some documentaries about it and it looks amazing. Lovely photos. Looking forward to read about your holiday in New Zealand.
Vancouver is very lovely. Even though it’s a big city, it’s compact and there are plenty of options to enjoy nature and the scenery. Traffic can be horrendous though. It was nice to spend a couple of days here before flying to New Zealand.
I love Vancouver! I’ve always talked of taking my wife there, but it has just never materialized. Victoria would be great too. Reading your post may revitalize the idea. Thanks. 🇨🇦
Vancouver and Victoria are both very lovely cities and the scenery is beautiful. Highly recommend looking into again.
🍁
Seems like you made the most of your short time in Vancouver. I”m so glad your travel visas came through and I am really looking forward to reading about your trip to New Zealand! 🙂
You bet! We didn’t stay long in Vancouver, but it was enough to deal with part of the time change. And it meant we didn’t have as long as a travel day when we flew to New Zealand. It turns out we were worrying for nothing. As long as we applied and paid the conservation fee we would have been fine.
You’re amazing Linda. I’ve been to Vancover many, many times, and I never knew about the Japanese Garden. Thanks so much for sharing this gem.
Your aquarium photos are beautiful. I’ve taken many photos like these, but have not turned out anywhere near as nice and vibrant as yours. Well done.
I’ve been thinking about you SO much. I cannot wait to read all about your New Zealand adventure. What a trip of a lifetime.
Aww thanks! I’m so glad we decided to spend a couple days in Vancouver first before heading to Auckland. Even though we’ve been before it was nice to visit a few new places like the Japanese Garden at UBC and the Vancouver Aquarium. We’ve been wanting to go to New Zealand for awhile and I’m glad we finally made it happen!
Great photos. I especially loved the totem poles and the skyline. The reflection is astounding. I’m always fascinated by skylines. I’m happy Ks went through in time for your travels. I want to visit Vancouver someday. That Stanley Park looks so pretty
Thanks! There are many places in Stanley Park to walk around and enjoy the Vancouver skyline. It’s such a lovely park. It was nice to spend a couple of days here before heading to New Zealand. And it turns out all our worrying about our NZeTAs being processed was for nothing. According to the staff at the check-in counter, as long as we applied and paid the conservation fee we would have been allowed to board the plane and enter the country.
I’m grateful that turned out ok for you both!!
Me too!! And now we know for next time!!
Gorgeous, the underwater photos esp.
Thanks for your kind words and for leaving a comment. Life is pretty colourful under the sea. I could have watched the jellyfish for hours.
The aquarium shots were beautiful. I love Vancouver. My husband and I visited there for our 10th anniversary over 20 years ago (oh my!) And yes, it rained. 🙂
Thanks! Even with the rain, Vancouver is still a beautiful city!
What a lovely glimpse into your short but meaningful Vancouver stopover! Despite the rain, you really managed to soak in the charm of the city. The way you described the early blooms, Stanley Park, and the aquarium brought back memories of my own time there—such a peaceful corner of the world, especially for little ones to explore. And whew, glad the NZeTA got sorted in time! Travel hiccups with a toddler can be next-level stressful.
Looking forward to reading the next part of your journey to New Zealand! 🌿✈️
If you enjoy family travel tales and toddler adventures, feel free to visit my blog Twin Chaos & Toddler Giggles at twinmom73.wordpress.com, or find me on Instagram @twintales2025—would love to connect with like-minded mamas. 💛
With love,
Diya
Thanks for your lovely comment. Even though we weren’t in Vancouver for long, it was a nice way to break up an otherwise long day (or rather days) of travelling to get to New Zealand. Despite the rain, it was much warmer in Vancouver compared to back home in southern Ontario. And it was nice to see some spring flowers.
Travelling with a toddler can definitely be stressful! And it’s incredible how much extra stuff you need to pack! Our days of just travelling with carry-ons are over!
I’ll be sure to check out your space. I’m always looking for ideas for family adventures and travelling tips with toddlers! Cheers, Linda.
Sorry to hear about all the issues you dealt with on this trip. However, you made the most of it. Baby M is such a trooper.lol. I’ve heard good things about Van City and hope to check it out one day.
Thanks! Baby M really is a trooper! She did really well with the flight and adjusted remarkably well to the time change. We’ve been to Vancouver before, but it was nice to return to see some familiar sights, but also a few new ones. I hope you’re able to see it all for yourself someday as Vancouver is a very beautiful city.
Now, if you came to Vancouver at end of March into April, you would have seen glorious cherry and magnolia tree blossoms. I was in the city visiting for 3 days and did just that. I’ll get around to a blog post eventually about that after doing some delayed blog posts on other parts of Canada, etc.
The cherry trees and magnolias were just starting to bloom when we were in Vancouver. It’s too bad we weren’t able to see them in peak bloom. But I’m just happy it didn’t rain the entire time! Lucky you with the timing. Looking forward to reading your post about it. I’m a bit delayed with blog posts as well. There just never seems to be enough time. Take care. Linda
Hi Linda, I’m reading this post after you’ve already traveled to New Zealand! Vancouver looks like it was a nice place for the first leg of your trip. I like those trees that reach out over the foot bridge. And I think the aquarium was a good place for your little one – so many things to see. Those jellyfish are amazing! I’m glad you got your NZeTAs figured out. I’ve never heard of that. Good to know for the future!
I’m so glad we decided to spend a few days in Vancouver to help break up the flight to Auckland. We’ve been before, but we still found plenty of new things to do to keep us entertained, like visiting the Vancouver Aquarium. You’re right, our little one enjoyed it, as did us adults. It turns out that as long as we applied for the NZeTA and paid the conservation fee, we would have been fine. So we were worrying for nothing. But, it’s better to be safe than sorry!
Love your photos of the moody skies reflected in the water, and all the spring blooms are gorgeous. That was a hairy moment with the NZeTa, but luckily it all ended well. No matter how much research, planning and thinking you put into a trip, there’s always room for omission.
I know. Part of the issue was that I had planned the trip while on maternity leave and thought past Linda had taken care of booking and reserving everything in advance. And I did, except for the NZeTA. Whoops. But it turns out that it wasn’t that big of a deal. As long as we applied and paid the conservation fee, we wouldn’t have been denied boarding even if our application was still being processed. All that worrying for nothing!
Thanks for sharing your beautiful photos here….
Thanks for your kind words and for leaving a comment. We didn’t spend much time in Vancouver, but enough to see some new and familiar sights.
This is amazing how much you packed into your 2 days in Vancouver. What a great memorial to Dr. Niobe with the Dr. Nitobe Memorial Garden. The picture of the shaped trees at the walking bridge definitely has a Japanese garden look to it.
Particularly with little M, this short stop would be important before that long flight to New Zealand. 😀
Thanks! It was totally the right decision to spend a bit of time in Vancouver on the way to and coming back from New Zealand. Even though we’ve been to Vancouver before, it was nice to visit a few spots we haven’t been, like the Japanese Garden. It was also wild to see how different the landscape looked when we were there at the end of March compared to the beginning of May. Thankfully we had much nicer weather on the way back!
We have friends with a daughter in Vancouver and they’ve just come back from holiday there. It looks very beautiful xx
The summer is a great time to visit Vancouver as the weather is typically nice. And it’s by the ocean and mountains, so the scenery is beautiful. Driving on the other hand is awful, but there are lots of parks in and around the city, which provide a lot of opportunities to enjoy the views and nature.