Pack Up: What it’s like living in Vancouver, Canada

FREMANTLE-RAISED Matilda Gollan shares her tips on where to eat, drink and bike in a picturesque Candian city.

<b>FREMANTLE-RAISED Matilda Gollan first moved to Canada to chase the snow. Now based in Vancouver, she shares her tips on where to eat, drink and bike in the picturesque city.</b>

Q. If Vancouver was a person, how would you describe its personality?

A. A relaxed but active person who spends their weekends in the mountains hiking, biking, skiing and climbing. They would also really like craft beer.

Q. Why move to Vancouver?

A. I moved to Vancouver in 2013 after living in Whistler for three years. I really loved the lifestyle in British Columbia (BC) so I moved and got a great job in a local architecture firm. I’m now on my way to becoming a registered architect in Canada and I get to ski on weekends.

Q. Where do you always take Aussie visitors?

A. Up to Squamish, just north of Vancouver, to hike or I take the gondola up the Chief. It is a 702m tall granite mountain. The hike is pretty hard but the views at the top are totally worth it. If you take the gondola, you can get a beer and eat at the top.

Q. What’s the one must-do/must-see experience?

A. Head to the mountains just north of the city. Even if you don’t go to Squamish, you can go to Cypress (Mountain) and still have an amazing walk and views out over Vancouver Harbour and down to Mount Baker in the US. If you haven’t got time for that, then take a walk in Stanley Park in downtown Vancouver.

Q. Favourite shopping trip?

A. Gastown is a great place to go shopping if you are downtown. It has some great boutique shops mixed in with the tourist fare. There are also some really good bars to try afterwards. There are some great boutique stores on Main St in East Vancouver. Granville Island Public Market is a great place to go food shopping. There is fresh seafood right off the boats.

Q. Top three eating experiences?

A. My all-time favourite restaurant is Pidgin. It is in a pretty rough part of town but the food is phenomenal and the wine and cocktails lists are fantastic. A close second is L’Abattoir. They have really interesting French cooking with local produce, which is really good. Third is my local: Exile Bistro. Super-local food. Everything from a 100-mile (161km) radius of Vancouver and a really quirky cocktail list.

Q. Best fast and cheap meal?

A. Bestie in Chinatown. It’s a German hotdog place with really good beer and the best hot pretzels outside of Germany.

Q. Where are Vancouver’s best cocktails?

A. Forget the best cocktails. You’re in BC now and you should drink beer. My favourite local microbrewery is 33 Acres Brewing Company. It has really good beer and you can buy it by the growler (four pints) to take away.

Q. What is the city’s best-kept secret?

A. The anthropology museum. It’s on the University of British Columbia campus and there is nowhere to park but if you take the bus it’s easy. The museum has so much incredible art from the local First Nation people. You can also walk down to the beach from the museum afterwards.

Q. For kicking your heels up after dark you go to …?

A. Chinatown. It’s full of lots of cool little bars, you can grab something to eat and a couple of beers with friends.

Q. Best free fun?

A. Biking through Stanley Park. I love taking a picnic and riding around the park with my dog, then watching the sunset at the beach with dinner and a beer.

Q. How do you get around?

A. I don’t own a car here because you really don’t need to. In summer I bike everywhere. They have really good bike lanes and it’s the quickest way to get around. In winter I walk or use public transport. For the odd Ikea trip I use car share. You just pay a membership, then you can use one of the many cars around the city. It’s cheaper than owning one.

Getting there

Cathay Pacific flies Perth to Vancouver starting from $1815.80 return.

Where to stay

Skwachàys Lodge is a popular boutique hotel close to Vancouver’s vibrant Chinatown and Gastown districts. The L’Hermitage Hotel in the Downtown district provides easy access to the harbour area.

Originally published as Pack Up: What it’s like living in Vancouver, Canada