In the comment area below please write some words as to why Taku would be a getaway perfect for you, maybe there’s an activity on site that you would like to do or anything else.  Be sure to leave your name and email.  Contest closes June 23rd and on June 24th we will draw a winner.

If you already entered a ballot at our booth at the festival your name will be entered twice.

Would you like to enter your name for a third time?  In the photo below, if you know this man’s connection with the Alcan Dragon Boat Festival we will enter your name in for a third time.  A hint is that he has been called the “Grandfather of the Alcan Dragon Boat Festival”.

Would you like to enter your name for a FOURTH time?  You can do this by connecting with us on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Paddles Up and Good Luck!

Some restrictions apply: $50 value can not be redeemed for cash and can only be applied to first time guests and new 2 night minimum booking.

In April we had the Nanaimo Paddlers group spend a few nights with us.  They were able to take advantage of our great kayak launch ramp, the ramp allows you to enter the kayak and sit safely then you are gently pushed onto the water.  Gone are the days of of the daunting task of balancing yourself and the kayak upon entry without tipping into the water.  Quadra Island also has many sheltered bays to explore and beautiful scenery to soak in.

Earlier this May we had the Dogwood Hiking group.  Here’s what they said about their time at Taku and on Quadra:

” Taku proved to be the perfect spot for us to stay. The accommodations were great – they were very clean, extremely comfortable and quiet. The kitchens were well equipped for those who chose to make their breakfasts and prepare their lunches for the hikes. Those of us who stayed in the upper and lower Beach units particularly enjoyed the scenery and had sufficient space to be able to host our fellow hikers for happy hours prior to our evening meals – and we even got to take in the hockey games on TV! The stone house was a great gathering spot for our group Pot Luck dinner on our first evening there. We would highly recommend your resort to others.”

At the end of May we have a return visit from the Ripple Rock Power Squadron.  They started coming a few years ago and enjoy the Taku facilities so much that they keep coming back sometimes twice a year.  They have some of their group stay on their boats moored in the marina while others stay on land in some of the suites.  At night they have their group parties together in the Stone House, which is perfect for pot luck dinners.

June is going to be a busy month too.  The Cowichan Outdoor Club is bringing their group back for three nights.  They are another loyal Taku guest, returning year after year exploring all the hiking trails Quadra has to offer.  The island has a wonderful trail committee that keeps the trails well marked and safe.  The trails range in ability from a flat short walk around Rebecca Spit Provincial Park to a few hour hike up through old growth forests and a rewarding view of Nugedzi Lake.

It’s always a pleasure to see our most loyal hiking group, the Nanaimo Tuesday Hikers.  They have been coming to Taku for well over ten years.  Needless to say that they never tire of Quadra island trails and are very satisfied with the service and amenities offered by Taku Resort.

We enjoy hosting all of these great groups and look forward to their annual visits.

With great thanks to Mustang Survival, we have been kept safe during storms and warm while we waited hours for a fish to bite. They have brought people back to the dock safely after a  kayak capsized in the harbour and provided us with safe fun times learning how to swim.  There were also times of entertainment as we watched Milt try to dislodge a rope from the prop and suddenly the vest inflated as he reached into the water.  Well at least we know it works and unfortunately it may not be the last time that will happen to him.

Thank you Irv for having the entrepreneurial spirit to come to Canada and create the first floater coat.

To read about Irv’s legacy go to http://mustangsurvival.com and click on his photo.

Our thoughts are with the Davies family.

Shayna Davies and I cruising in the Whaler to see the seals at the Bretons and playing coast guard. (1996ish?)

Monday afternoon we headed over to the Big Smoke to watch Milt carry the Olympic flame.  It was incredible to see so many people gathered at the Tyee Plaza for this once in a life time event.  Despite the cold and the light rain, the energy was spectacular.  Peter Judge from the Canadian Freestyle team passed the flame to Milt while the Campbell River fire department brought out all their trucks, turned on the lights and hoisted a Canadian flag over the street.  The 350 meter dash turned into a walk as the relay was early. This gave us lots of time to take photos and for Milt to wave at his fans.  It was then time for Milt to pass the flame to Steve Nagle who we all then followed into the Tyee Plaza where the whole community was waiting.

The weekend cheering squad was Fei, Sarah, Liz, Jane & Icy Wong, Judi & Dave Korbin and Nicole, Lauren, Austin Chang.  A special thanks to the Changs on their 4th visit to Taku since July, they drove up for one night and stayed late until the caldron was lit. Of course the event was followed by a great party with fresh Black Pearl oysters and mussles from Troy. A special thanks to Heather Owen with RBC for giving us this once in a life time opportunity and for taking Rudy out for a run.

View video:

To celebrate we’re offering a $20.10 nightly discount on Nov. 1st and 2nd 2009.

If you are in Campbell River enjoying the festivities Milt’s approximate time of running is 5:53 PM. Look for his torchbearer number on the route marker at the start of his relay segment, OTR004-173.

For those of you who can’t come to cheer him on, check back next week after I post photos of this exciting event.

Just when we thought there was no hope of ever catching a tyee, this summer brought in many huge salmon caught just on the other side of Rebecca Spit. Ed Jordan our fishing guide from Sutil Charters helped his guests max out most mornings.  Congratulations to you all who came in with some beautiful fish. Check all the photos on Facebook and you’ll see many of our guests happy as a clam with salmon all over 25lbs.

The playground was our big addition this summer. All the kids had so much fun climbing all over the little tug. We received over 40 entries to name that tug. And the name of the new playground is “Toot Toot Taku”, submitted by Calvin Cox. Congratulations Calvin and thank you to everyone who participated. We’d also like to recognize Mary Green who submitted “The Tug Ground”, Olivia with “Clover’s Watch” and Rhonda Warman with “No Chug Tug”.

One of our long time friends David Haughton has given us one of his prints of the beautiful view from the Beach House. It will be hung in the office for everyone to enjoy. He is selling them online and proceeds will be donated to the Quadra Island Hiking Trails. If you have any photos, art work or stories inspired by Taku, we’d love you to share them with us. Email them or post them on our Facebook page. Especially any back to school summer essays.

Great News!  This year we are freezing our rates.  We know how tough this past year has been for everyone and we want to help you keep doing what you enjoy.

Keep in touch and you’ll be the first to hear about our exclusive specials throughout the year.  Be our fan on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or subscribe to our Blog. Leave us a review in the comment area below, on Facebook or Twitter and fill out the customer survey at the link below. As always, the fall season brings you many good discounts so stay tuned.

See you again soon,

Fei, Milt, Lynden, Liz, Sue, Rhonda, Sonia, Buddy and Richard and the rest of the Taku Crew

Every year we like to take the time in the winter to make improvements. Complete the survey and let us know how we can make your next stay more enjoyable.

START SURVEY

Congratulations Calvin Cox for naming the new playground!

Thank you to everyone who submitted a new name for the tug we had some great entries.  You can read them all in the comment area below.

Cheers, Taku Crew

We invite everyone to join our naming contest for the new playground.

Lynden found this old tug at a neighbouring property and is now in the process of rebuilding it into a fun playground.  You can help him by coming up with a new name and sharing a story to support your entry.  Any photos submitted are also welcomed.

The prize will be a boat trip for four people on the TAKU S.E.A. during your next stay. We’ll take you out on a tour of the area and see if we can get some fresh prawns. The boat trip will be weather permitting and can not be exchanged for cash value.

Enter the contest by sending us an email to info@takuresort.com or add your entry into the comments area below. Take a look at all the entries below to get some ideas of what to submit.

We look forward to hearing fun stories about your time at Taku!

Hunting for Easter treats in the garden.

You know Spring has arrived when we see brilliant green leaves sprouting out everyday also every Easter marks the beginning of our Spring season.  This year there were 14 kids hunting the gardens for gifts left by the Easter Bunny and then we all shared delicious hot chocolate together.

New Playground - Name this boat

All the kids were also  excited to see the building of our new playground. We’re refurbishing an old tug boat and you can help us because the old tug needs a name. Join our Playground Naming Challenge. Send us your entry along with a story and a photo if you have one you want to share. The prize is a boat tour for 4 on the Taku S.E.A (weather permitting). Entries are encouraged from ALL ages. For more details and photos of the new playground visit the New Playground area of our Blog. The winner will be selected on June 1st. Submit your entry below or email us at info@takuresort.com

We pride ourselves on providing you with a resort where you build on relationships with nature, family and friends. In the past months Taku has sprung onto the social networking scene by creating a Facebook and Twitter page. Now you can keep the relationships going by keeping connected with what’s going on at the resort and with new friends you have made, special events and you will be immediately alerted of any last minute discounts.  All you need to do is find us on Facebook and add yourself as a Fan or find us on Twitter and start Following us or subscribe to our Blog.  Or just check our website on a regular basis.

With Spring in the air, Taku is now donating land for the Quadra Island community garden. A keen group of skilled gardeners are going to start producing their own foods. Taku looks forward to this new relationship and hopes to be able to sample some of their delicious organic veggies. We’re always looking for new ways to green the resort, please let us know if you have any suggestions.

Spring also marks the time when we need to get deposits for your summer vacations. Space is filling up and we encourage you to call us as soon as possible so we can do everything we can to get you your preferred dates and accommodations.

Sincerely,

Your Crew at Taku. (Fei, Lynden, Liz, Sue, Rhonda, Sam, Buddy)

The Wongs have never had a dog before and everyone is very shocked to hear they got one. Fei wanted a dog after all their girls moved out of the house but Milt has never been keen on them and said he’d wanted another child over a dog.  Another child for Fei was not an option so a new dog never came.

Shady at Thanksgiving '94

Over the years, Taku has been home to many dogs, Bear (black lab), Sheeba (German Shepherd) and Shady (golden/black lab). Milt never enjoyed having these dogs around and always shooed them away despite his wife and kids always playing with them. But we knew he turned a corner when he secretly left a bowl of milk

Jericho's favourite holiday spot was Taku Resort.

outside for Shady. This bowl of milk also shows how little he knew about dogs. Then Shelagh and Brad brought Jericho (German Shepherd/Chow) into their lives and turned it all around. Fei and Milt became regular babysitters for Jericho who loved spending holidays at Taku. They even started borrowing Jericho on the weekends and Fei based a new car purchase on the fact that Jericho needed more trunk space. Clearly they needed their own dog.  Enter Rowdy Rudy…

Over the past twenty five years Taku Resort and Marina continues to be a source of inspiration for many of our clients.

David Haughton who has been one of our very long time guests, comes to Taku every year for two weeks and soaks in the beautiful scenery from the Beach House.  He has recently released his paintings inspired by the beautiful views from the resort.  I highly recommend that you go to the following link to view all of his collections.  http://www.haughton-art.ca/

After every summer, many school children are asked to recount their summer vacations.  This essay was submitted by one of our very young guests who has been coming to Taku Resort every summer of his life.

Ever since I was 1 I have been fortunate enough to go to a wonderful paradise called Quadra Island. My uncle owns a resort and 2 boats on the island. To get to the island you have to go on 2 ferries. On the Nanaimo ferry, my cousins and I go to the game room and play Galaga, Star wars, Crazy taxi, and Jurassic Park. We also go to the front of the ferry where the winds are as strong as a hurricane. We play lots of fun games such as tag and cops and robbers. When we dock we have to go back in our cars and get ready to face the long ride ahead. Before we follow the road for three hours, we stop at a bakery and get treats for the journey. First we get sausage rolls and apple strudel. Then my brother and I beg our mom to get cherry cakes, donuts, a slice of Boston cream pie, chocolate rolls, tropical pie, giant pretzels, an Altoids can, and a banana cream pie. After that, we play “Rocket Slime” on the D.S. for three hours when we wait for our van to get us to the food market next to the 2nd ferry.

When we finally arrive at the market, we get supplies for the week that we will be spending on the beautiful Taku Resort. These include: milk, Cheerios, eggs, cheese, bread, lettuce, sausage, peaches, and blueberries. We have to wait in the car for the ferry and sometimes I have to yell at mom for missing it, but most of the time we make it. When we get on the ferry, my cousins and I discuss what we are going to do when we get to Taku. These talks usually include a ride on the Boston Whaler and a game of “Kick the Can”. When we near the end of the voyage we intently watch the island grow bigger by the half- minute. After the 10-minute ride is over we go back to our cars and start the drive to Taku resort.

The Boston Whaler is a speed boat that can go up to 30 miles per hour. My cousins and I love to ride it on semi-choppy days and go flying off the five foot “jump waves” made by the ferry that passes by every 20 minutes. We go fishing every day until we catch at least 2 fish. There are good fishing days and bad ones. Once we caught 17 fish and had to throw them all back. But another time we caught a red snapper, two rock cod, and a ling cod. We had a feast that night.

The Taku Sea is a luxury speeder. It is a cross between a yacht and a Boston Whaler It can go 33 miles per hour but it has a global positioning satellite, leather seats, and a hidden trapdoor that you can look out from the front with. Once the Taku Sea ran out of gas and we had to go and tow it back on the Boston Whaler. Everybody was singing “Hurrah for the Cell Phone!” It was stupendously funny. The usual reason why we go on the Taku Sea is to get the shrimp traps. One time we caught a live sand dollar and another, a seven- armed sea star. The reason we don’t get shrimp traps with the Boston Whaler is that the Taku Sea has a special mechanical shrimp pulley to pull up the traps.

Kick the can is my favorite Quadra game (I usually win). I always like to climb up on the tennis court wall and jump down to “kick the can and free the bunch”. When the searcher is tall I like to go to the bushy area where my cousins and I have a base with distracting stones and portable camouflage (big leaves and ferns that we use to hide ourselves. There is a place where a pitch black shadow hides you from prying eyes in the top left corner of the tennis court. And a mini wall that acts as a checkpoint when trying to kick the can.
Quadra is my favorite place to be. Even if I was born there I would think it was special. I can’t stand to see the beautiful paradise fade away as the ferry honks its horn almost as if saying goodbye.