My family and I were recently invited to try an Eco-Odyssee Tour in Gatineau. This water maze through a marsh is a wonderful way to spend time outdoors with your family, and learn about local flora, fauna and wildlife!
Spread out over 6km, there are different adventures to choose from ranging in duration and difficulty. We selected the two-hour Observer adventure which promised simple directions allowing all aspects of experience in the maze.
There is something really amazing about this place. It’s beautifully preserved and laid out, seemingly undisturbed. The paddleboats seat two adults and two small children so the four of us could experience the trip together. Armed with a list of clues and our guide book (as well as an emergency compass and two-way radio) we set out determined to find our way.
During our trip we saw replica animals which acted as directional signals while also teaching about the marsh environment and ecosystem. Our kids were able to help spot the bat houses and replica turtles, birds, frogs and ducks, verifying the correct answers in our guide book. Up until we got lost, it was easy to navigate, easy to find and easy to get from A to B. But, we have special skills and we managed to somehow, get ourselves lost.
The compass and the walkie-talkie are in case you get lost so we were very happy to have them. We called the special channel and were able to find a navigation point to get us back on track but to no avail, we got lost… again. Let me say that I expect for the average person, this would not happen, but I have special skills so falling down, getting lost or breaking something are my specialty. We finally managed to see a marker from the beginning of our tour so instead of completing our adventure, we retraced our steps back to the beginning. Luckily the kids had a good sense of humour as did my husband and I so getting lost turned into something really fun (ok funny but something we all laughed about, eventually).
The adventure lasted just over two hours, so we were happy we had brought along water bottles and snacks (my five year old is always starving). Our part of the paddleboat had a canopy but the kids were in full sun, so hats and sunscreen are a must. At the end of our adventure, the guide took pity on us and helped us complete the clues so we could solve the riddle and receive our prize.
Visit our Facebook page to see photos from our wonderful adventure!
52, Chemin des Sources
La Pêche near Wakefield
819 459-2551
