Golden wolves

Golden is 713 kilometres east of Vancouver in the Columbia Valley, built around the confluence of the Columbia and Kicking Horse Rivers and surrounded by three mountain ranges and five national parks — Yojo, Banff, Jasper, Glacier and Kootenay. Much of its history is tied to the Canadian Pacific Railway and the logging industry.

Northern Lights Wildlife Wolf Centre promotes wolf and bear conservation. The centre's wolves — Aspen, Tuk, Maya and Wiley — were born in captivity and live in a half-hectare enclosure. Educational talks take place right at the fence. Each wolf has been socialised from a very young age, allowing the centre to use them for education and photography.

For exercise, the wolves are leashed and led from their enclosures to a truck, driven to the trailhead where they are released and allowed to explore for a couple of hours. There are no barriers and they could run off, never to be seen again, but they never do.

Wolf photography sessions are arranged through Blackwolf Photography for amateurs and professionals. The wolves vary in colour from whitish-grey to cinnamon to black. Even if you are just a point-and-shoot photographer, the experience of being with wolves running totally free is stunning.

Location

Cost

Starting in November, Air New Zealand will have three services a week to Vancouver all year round.

From	fare
Sydney	$1897
Melbourne	$1979
Brisbane	$1988
Adelaide	$2196
Perth	$2380

Valid for sale until September 23, 2007, and for travel between November 4 and 23, 2007. Prices correct at September 13, 2007.

For more information

Tourism British Columbia
Website: www.BritishColumbia.travel

Canadian Tourism Commission, Australia
Ph: (02) 9571 1866
Website: www.canada.travel

Air New Zealand
Ph: 132 476
Website: www.airnewzealand.com.au