Although winter in Nanaimo has been cold and wet this year, we at the Painted Turtle haven’t let the weather dampen our spirit!  Recently, we enjoyed a get-together at a local ice rink in Nanaimo, to try our hand at curling!

Here, Verena gets ready with a special pair of curling shoes.

Outstandingly Awesome Owner
Australian born and bred, I worked in the Australian sports industry for 20 years starting in the sport sciences and progressed into sports management and consultancy.  I love to travel and it has taken me to many interesting places and to meet many interesting people, which has influenced the way I travel.  I [...]

Outrageously Awesome Owner

The Painted Turtle Guesthouse was the brainchild of Bruce and me during an 3-day stay in Petersburg, Alaska, culminating from our desire to create something wonderful from a heritage building, where visitors can be positively influenced by a memorable experience.  While our original intention was to return home to Perth, Western Australia, we [...]

Painted Turtle Office Manager, Go To Gal and Human Resource Queen.
I am a new Canadian from the Slovak Republic. I have been in Nanaimo for 3 years where I met my fiancé Tony.
I very much enjoy meeting our guests from around the world. My favourite pastimes are rollerblading, camping and enjoying a beer with friends.

This winter season in Nanaimo has been snowier than usual, although locals and tourists alike knew how to make the best of the ‘white stuff’!  A stroll down by the scenic waterfront boulevard looked like this:

Some folks decided try their luck on the slopes of Mount Washington, a ski-hill just north of Nanaimo on Vancouver [...]

Christmas was spent in style this year at the Guesthouse, as new and old friends came together in the Great Room to celebrate the holidays.  These travelers made the Painted Turtle their home this season, and much fun was had as we shared some laughs, food, and some friendly competitive board games.

The decorations had [...]

Halloween ‘08 at the Guesthouse: let the pumpkin carving competition begin!  Staff and guests alike gathered in the Great Room to try their hand at creating the most impressive jack-o-lanterns!  Some people were definately in the festive spirit, as you can see by the great costumes!

I am born in Berlin, Germany and just finished with school. I decided to
make an internship before studying and here I am!
I love Nanaimo. It is an amazing place: not to many people and not to less.
When you come from Berlin, nature is something very special to you and here
you can get a lot.
I just [...]

Born in Passau, Germany, I came to Nanaimo last year in August to pursue my Bachelor of Tourism Management studies. I stayed at the Guesthouse the first two weeks after my arrival and I immediately loved it.
Thus, as part of my education, I am currently doing my internship here as Guesthouse guest services host. I [...]

I was born in Oldham, England and moved to Mississauga Ontario with my family when I was 3years old. I lived there for 17 years; I have been living in Nanaimo B.C. for the last 11 years with my three kids Shane, Matthew and Sarah.
The best part of Nanaimo B.C. for me is the beautiful [...]