...: The topography starts high at the road, drops down a short stone bank to a shallow protected depression, then rises again slightly to a wide shelf above the water. A wooden staircase would be ideal. There is oak and fir and arbutus, salal berries, innumerable rock plants and sweet smelling mosses. A community well is nearby. Ruxton Island is completely off-grid with no ferry service, making it one of the last great peaceful undeveloped islands - though it's just 20km from downtown Nanaimo.