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Testimonials

"Unfortunately, our week at Kingfisher Cove is over. What a place!! 

As Australians, we particularly enjoyed seeing the Canadian wildlife close up -the seals, the otter, the mink, the porpoises and much more. We loved those amazing and colorful hummingbirds constantly zooming in on the feeders and entertaining us with their aerial displays and the American Bald Eagles seem to have found a few favourite perches over the Cove, allowing for great photo opportunities. 

Our son, Kyle was was in charge of catching crabs for dinner. Fresh crabs and bubbly - what a great combination! Don't forget to bring a fish head for best ever catches! 

The cabin itself was a wonderful experience - the cozy wood fire, the loft bedroom overlooking the forest and the sea;  and Neville's unique artwork and interior decorating. I am taking a lot of his ideas home. However, the bathroom was the highlight of the cabin, with a huge shower looking out through the Arbutus (Madrona) trees to the sea, surrounded by orchids and candle light, we all voted it the world's best bathroom. 

Thanks Mariette and Neville, for providing us with such a lovely place to start our holiday in Canada. We will be back."

  Leslee and Bruce Evans, Rick and Kyle,  Nelson Bay, N.S.W.,   Australia     April, 2002 guests

 
Antique Soaker Iron Tub at
Kingfisher Cove

Hi Mariette,

Wow - fantastic place ! What a beautiful site you have and we just loved the artistry of cabin and surroundings. It was a great place for us to be together and enjoy the surroundings together. Everything was set up very well and seemed efficient. 

We gave the bakery quite a bit of business - we all loved the bread!! Rick and I would love to come back in the spring or fall some time.

Thanks for sharing Kingfisher Cove,

Maryann Kirkby for:
Kirkby family, Mercer Island, Washington     August, 2002 guests



Mariette and Neville,

"Oh, how we loved staying at your house on Pender Island! The house and the grounds are works of art. From the sea turtle glass topped table on the deck to the fantasy bathroom, the memorial deer sculpture to the incredible wrought iron gate and beyond, it is an amazing atmosphere".

"We spent a lot of time on the dock, gazing at the scenery (above and beneath the water). We saw two kinds of starfish, anemones and jellyfish. One day, we cooked and ate crab. What a feast!

Some comments from our friends, when looking at photos and hearing our description, have been: "I want to live in that house!" "How long were you there? It wasn't long enough!" "Why did you leave?" And in regard to the environmentally sound lifestyle of the island and particularly as you have practiced it in the house's design: "We should all be living like that! They are well into the 21st century!"

We would love to return any time!"

Matt Rankin and Laura Bourgeois,
Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.A.
October, 2002 guests



Mariette and Neville,

"Thank you for giving us the opportunity to experience island living, at Kingfisher Cove. After driving all over both islands, we concluded that your cabin is in the best location for hikers. We had three walks to go on right from the house, felt very isolated and yet were only a five minute drive from stores and an impressive restaurant, the Pistou Grill."

"At nearby Shark's Cove where North and South Pender Island were originally joined, an archeological dig discovered that native peoples traveled to the area from ancient times. They came to harvest shell fish and to drag their canoes across the narrow land bridge, now a cannal. An historic marker plaque on the roadside says that Xelisen -- 'the place between' -- is 6,000 years old. It was a delight to learn that your unique location has attracted visitors for thousands of years."

Gary and Teresa Gillespie,
Kirkland, Washinton USA
July, 2003 Guests



Mariette and Neville,

"We had a wonderful time! Took in Twelfth Night (wonderfully done by the local theatre group) kayaking, beachcombing, farmer's market, art show, book sale, hiking, etc. There's lots to do on the island, but we also just relaxed around the cabin and enjoyed the peacefulness of the surroundings and the clarity of the night sky. You have a very charming, rather 'Mexican' getaway."

Janet Mumford and Greg Burley,
Vancouver, B.C., Canada
July 2003 Guests



Dear Mariette and Neville,

"Thanks for the use of your beautiful cottage. It turned out to be the perfect honeymoon getaway that we wanted. We were able to REST, REST, REST in such beautiful surroundings and were visited by the deer daily. Thanks for your wonderful hospitality.

All the best,"

Katharine and Mark,
Ladysmith, British Columbia, Canada
August 2003 Guests



Dear Mariette and Neville,

Wow! What a perfect place for our �honeymoon�. We came from the sea coast of New Hampshire and feel so lucky to have found Kingfisher Cove. It is obvious that a tremendous amount of care and thought has been dedicated to Kingfisher Cove. We loved coming home to the cabin after a day of hiking. Even the smallest of details were not overlooked and it shows. The crabs were delicious and we had a ball checking the crab pots, hoping we had caught some. What a wonderful way to spend a honeymoon! We made many happy memories!

Thanks, Mariette and Neville.

Polly and Robert Carty,
Exeter, New Hampshire, U.S.A.
June, 2004 Guests



Dear Mariette and Neville,

"Having experienced this Shang-ri-la was something we will never forget! You have put yourselves totally into this place and made available something not found anywhere else on the planet! Thank you for giving us a slice of heaven!"

Bill and Carol Branch,
Jupiter, Florida, U.S.A.
July 2004 Guests



Dear Mariette and Neville,

Re: Our Wonderful Stay

Wow! Double Wow! Words don�t do this piece of paradise justice. We were wowed by the scenery, the �dancing seal�, the starry nights, the heavenly surroundings. Every few hours we discovered something new, something else, or something �funky� about the house. Thanks for the restful holiday, and thanks for leading the way with respect to the environment! We�ll definitely be back! It was such an awesome place to relax and hang out, and we were so impressed with all the environmentally-friendly features. I also wanted to let you know that we had the killer whale sighting of the century leaving on the ferry to Galiano. We couldn't even keep track of all the whales or pods! We counted at least 30 or 40, and saw whales breaching, sky hopping etc. It was amazing!!! Anyways, thanks again for everything,

In good humour,

Michael Kerr and Claudine Dumais
Canmore, Alberta, Canada
August 2004 Guests

Michael Kerr, The Workplace Energizer!
Speaker, Trainer, Author and Nice Guy,
web: www.MikeKerr.Com
Toll Free (Canada & U.S.) 1-(866) 609-2640
Phone: (403) 609-2640
FAX: (403) 609-4637
Author of "You Can't Be Serious! Putting Humor to Work"



Dear Mariette and Neville,

What a wonderful honeymoon, exactly as we had imagined ��..rest, relaxation and plenty of fun too in beautiful surroundings.

Pender is a great island full of friendly people � we must thoroughly recommend Kayak Pender Island for a great day out on the water spotting otter, oyster catchers, and more; Sound Passage for a brilliant fishing charter, even in the absence of the salmon (who had all gone upstream followed by the bald eagles) and last, but not least, everyone should visit the Islanders restaurant for a fantastic meal!

But, back to Kingfisher Cove --- the place is a slice of heaven! We had great fun living with solar power, the high tech composting toilet, and being frugal with water; we�ve learned lots that we�ll take back to Oz with us! You have undoubtedly the best shower and bath in the world!

The bird spotting was great. A walk up Mount Norman is a must. We loved the disc golfing too!

Thanks for the bottle of bubbly!

Mr and Mrs Gregory (Cath and Andy)
Sydney, Australia
September, 2004 Guests

Dear Mariette and Neville,

Another honeymoon couple! Enjoyed catching and cooking crabs � but my, the little creatures are fierce � crab wrangling is not for the faint hearted!

We had a good afternoon orca spotting on the �Sound Passage Adventures� Ecotour � 3 pods totaling 86 whales and it was great to be collected from our private dock.

Good horse riding with Lori Kay opposite the Driftwood Shopping Centre.

We highly recommend sunset trips to Brooks Point and Oak Bluffs (up the signposted trail from Pirates road) but bring a torch unless your idea of fun is blundering around in the forest in the pitch darkness wondering if you�ve lost the trail. The Pistou Grill served a great evening meal and the price seemed very reasonable. What a beautiful island � don�t want to leave � when can we come back?!


Heather and Andrew Savege,
London, U.K.
September, 2004 Guests



Dear Mariette and Neville,

Kingfishers have long been thought to be a symbol of peace, prosperity and returning love.   They are associated with the "Halcyon days", the approximately 2 weeks of winter that span winter solstice. The association and origin of their lovely symbolism comes from a Greek myth which I will try to recount.  The essence is here although I may have misrecorded the odd detail:
 
In the time of Zeus's reign there were a pair of mortals, Ceyx and his bride Alcyone who were very much in love. In fact, they were so much in love and so happy in their union that they dared to play at being Zeua and Hera. One day, Ceyx was called overseas to search for his lost brother.  It was the stormy season and fearing for her love's saftey, Alcoyne begged Ceyx not to go.  Ceyx calmed her fears and left, but as surely as Alcyone had feared it, he was lost at sea.  In her grief, Alcyone went daily to the sea's edge, mourning her loss.  
 
Zeus, who had always held a special sentiment for the young couple, took pity on Alcyone and turned both her and the drowned Ceyx into kingfishers.  He then created a 2 week period of calm in the midst of the winter storms, so the pair could reunite each year to breed and nest (at that time it was thought that kingfishers breed and nest at sea........... which in fact, they don't). 
 
Henceforth, the Halcyon days were born and the sighting of a kingfisher was said to foretell of peace, prosperity and reunion for the observer. 
 
I have long had a special relationship with the kingfisher myth, as it relates to my own life.  When I called to book this cottage,  I had seen an online listing for a longer term, low season rental of a "Gulf Island Cabin"   (the owners were going overseas for a few months) but I did not know its real name as Kingfisher Cove.  At the time, I was in a storm of hectic activity, very much in need of respite, peace and calm. 
 
To say thank you is not nearly enough.  This was exactly what I needed!


Julie Gordon, 
Victoria, B.C., Canada
November-December 2004 guest


Dear Neville and Mariette,

Wow!  And to think I came all the way from Australia just for the snow? How silly was I?  I never realized I was just around the corner from sunshine to bask in while fishing for crabs and watching the bald headed eagles perched high above and the otters swimming by.......... all this with snow sitting on the mountains, only kilometers away!! To describe this place as picture perfect would be simply unjust... I flattened two batteries and filled up the memory on my digi-camera and I still couldn't capture the magic of this place!! See you again soon!!

Jai  Sudholtz,
Adelaide, South Australia
January, 2005 guest

Dear Neville and Mariette,

What a beautiful and relaxing vacation!  We had a wonderful time on the island, following some of your recommendations especially �The Islanders Restaurant " - excellent food!  We enjoyed kayaking  (our daughters saw sea otters and over a dozen whales! ), and the water taxi to Sidney  was fun. We went shopping at the farmer�s market  on Saturday,  drove around the entire island  and took lots of beautiful photos.  Mostly, we relaxed in the hammocks and enjoyed the cool breeze on the deck in the middle of summer. At night ,  it was so peaceful � our family had some great quality time together...playing scrabble most nights�something we hadn�t done in a long time , and going down to the dock after sunset to watch some amazing shooting stars.  We also made friends with some of the wildlife - we had a beautiful doe on our patio whom, I believe, enjoyed watching us as much as we enjoyed watching her. We plan to come back and will certainly tell our friends about your unique and beautiful place.

 

Ken, Milena, Christina  and Jacquelyn  (The Christophers)
Dripping Springs, Texas, U.S.A. 
August, 2005 guests


 

"We are enjoying this beautiful hideaway - it is just what we wanted and more!
The perfect honeymoon  - a great place to just be us and to realize what a
lovely little family we are and to feel greatful for what we have in life.

You have created the perfect place to relax - I feel like I can breathe in these
surroundings and reflect and feel positive.
We feel inspired to move and build our own home more than ever now.

Our little boy became two years old today and he has a great birthday - what a lucky
little boy - he had chop suey cake from the local bakery for his birthday cake - he loved it!
We found everything we needed here and enjoyed some great meals.

The bath!  Well, I enjoyed this soooooooo much and felt so relaxed and happy having a soak
at the end of a full day of walking up mountains, etc. We will never forget it!"

Thanks,
Hannah, Rob and Lucas

South Hackney, London, U.K. 
June 2006 guests


K i n g f i s h e r   C o v e
c/o 1002 - 5989 Walter Gage Road
Vancouver, B.C.  V6T 0A8
(604) 228-8079   info@kingfishercove.com