In their successful, internationally published book A Boat in Our Baggage, Maria Coffey and Dag Goering described their year-long, worldwide expedition by kayak. Since then, they have continued to travel many parts of the globe, including some of the last truly wild places of the British Columbia coast. Their latest adventure - a 1,000-plus kilometre journey circumnavigating Vancouver Island in its entirety - is detailed and illustrated in Visions of the Wild.

Coffey and Goering set off from their home on Protection Island, BC, in July 1999. For three months they confronted some of the most exposed, storm-battered coastlines British Columbia has to offer: infamous places such as Cape Scott, Estevan Point and the imposing Brooks Peninsula, all of which have become the sites of shipwrecks and fatalities. The voyagers experienced deadly currents, whirlpools and enormous waves, were buffeted relentlessly by wind and rain and spent many a wet, miserable camping trip ashore. But they also explored the serene waters of Nootka Sound, the Gulf Islands and the Broken Group Islands, where they saw stands of ancient rainforests interspersed with raw clearcuts, and spectacular vistas of ocean and sky juxtaposed with intricate coves, rocks and reefs. They had encounters with whales, bears, wolves, sea lions and puffins; and as they stopped at different Native villages, fishing ports and old homesteads, they made friends with many of the diverse people who call the island home.

Brimming with breathtaking colour photographs and compelling journal entries from all stages of their exciting kayaking journey, Visions of the Wild is at once an inspiring chronicle of the adventure of a lifetime, and a beautiful book of photographs that rejoices in the untamed spirit of Canada's west coast.

Maria Coffey is originally from England, and now lives on a small island in British Columbia. She and her husband Dag Goering spend part of each year in Ireland, where Dag practises as a large animal veterinarian. They also work as professional sea-kayaking and trekking guides, leading trips in Vietnam, the Solomon Islands, Ireland and Canada. Coffey is the author of a number of internationally published books, including A Boat in Our Baggage, Three Moons in Vietnam, Sailing Back In Time and two books for children, A Cat in a Kayak and A Seal in the Family. Her work has also appeared in numerous newspapers and magazines, including the New York Times, Globe and Mail, The Guardian, Outdoors Illustrated, Action Asia and Sea Kayaker Magazine. For more information about Maria, please visit her website at www.hiddenplaces.net

Maria Coffey's profile page

Dag Goering and his partner Maria Coffey are a married writer/photographer team whose home base is on Protection Island, near Nanaimo, BC. They also work as professional sea kayaking guides, leading trips in Vietnam, Greece, Turkey and Panama. They spend part of each year in Ireland, where Dag practises as a large-animal veterinarian. They have recorded their shared adventures in three books: A Boat in Our Baggage, Three Moons in Vietnam and Sailing Back in Time. Their work has appeared in numerous newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times, The Globe and Mail, The Guardian, Action Asia Magazine, Outdoors Illustrated and Sea Kayaker Magazine.

Dag Goering's profile page