“On day 1 we flew in a single engine plane to Tuk. The pilot was helpful and we got good views of the land and pingos. We were met by the local guide, John, and given a tour of the town, ending up at his house where we had a taste of whale meat and a dip in the ocean. Because there were only two of us for the tour it wasn’t feasible to return by boat so the company flew us back and then arranged for Gerry to take us out on the McKenzie Delta for an evening cruise. Gerry was most informative and his sharp eyes spotted wildlife long before we did – moose and beaver as well as various birds. It was a relaxing end to the day and we got a feel of the vastness of the water network of the McKenzie.
The following day we did the Dempster Highway tour with him. Fortunately Gerry got us to buy some lunch before leaving town since he wasn’t sure any place would be open. It was a long day and we were pleased not to have to drive so we could concentrate on the scenery. We saw wolverine and fox. When we reached Fort McPherson the cultural centre was open acting as a day care for the school holidays. The children had finished lunch and we were invited to share their food. Gerry is very knowledgeable and his love and respect for the people and way of life shone through everything he talked about. We visited his local family members and walked around a fishing camp sampling various smoked fish. We can’t thank him enough for his generosity of spirit in sharing his life with us.
The third day we flew to Herschel Island for an explore of this research station. We carried our own lunches with us. We liked the ramshackled layout of the buildings, hearing the history of the place and going on a short walk with a ranger. A family with some young children were also on this trip and they seemed to enjoy the experience as much as we did. We had an interesting take off from the island which highlighted the skill of the pilot and general northern resourcefulness. We were fortunate that our whole stay in Inuvik was in sunny weather. Yes the cost is high but this is northern Canada and I think the unique experience makes the price reasonable.
The people we encountered were all eager to share their knowledge and made the trip memorable for us. One thing the tour company could do to improve is to let people know if they should be packing food for lunches and snacks – or provide some in the transport.” – Trip Advisor