For those who’ve been everywhere, there are even more exotic places
Joseph Kula, The Province
Published: Sunday, December 09, 2007

- Enchanted Isle — The Southern Gulf Islands, by David A.E. Spalding; photography by Kevin Oke (Harbour Publishing, $34.95).

How many of us have seen the Southern Gulf Islands from the deck of a B.C. ferry? Good.

Now, how many have actually gotten off to explore?

If you answered the first question in the affirmative, let this splendid coffee-table book whet your appetite.

Part history, party commentary and travel guide, the book covers the entire island chain from Gabriola in the northwest to James, Sydney and D’Arcy to the southeast.

In between are the more familiar Galiano, Mayne, the Penders, Saturna and Saltspring, where eccentrics, artists and artisans have found a refuge from the chaotic world on the mainland.

David Spalding’s sometimes whimsical style melds beautifully with Kevin Oke’s artistic quality of his photographs to capture the essence of these tiny, remnants of Eden on the Pacific.

His portrait of an arbutus tree painted in gold by the setting sun, brings back memories of a laid-back, carefree lifestyle — a fitting symbol for the Southern Gulf Islands.