SO! I'm heading to VC as a single traveller all the way from Australia, i'm needing ideas of what to do before i head to south america in september. i really want to (in my small trip) head to yellowknife/yukon/north areas to catch a small glimpse of the aurora borealis ~

any ideas/trips suggested for a very -ON BUDGET traveller?

Here's a website that should have some helpful information for you: http://www.northtoalaska.com/

We took an interesting driving trip in British Columbia this September, driving up as far north as Williams Lake and then over the Freedom Highway to Bella Coola. Timewise - from Williams Lake to Vancouver was a day's drive, but we did not take the shortest route (took the scenic one).

Northern lights are somewhat seasonal, and always not guaranteed. Good luck; they are startling if you do catch a glimpse
You should understand that travelling to the northern areas you mention is equivalent to going from Adelaide to the Northern Territories. Whether driving or flying, the words "budget traveller" are incongruous; there is no "cheap" way to get there. So yes, it will take some astute planning and budget calculations to find relatively economical solutions.

Indeed, the distances are daunting - looks to me like at least 28-35 hours of dedicated drive time (Yellowknife or Dawson City) one way, best case. That time of year can get snow, and of course days are getting shorter.

Wish I could suggest a budget solution, especially one that would let you fly up. Perhaps look at flights to Fairbanks, Alaska.

I'm no expert but I doubt you'll see the Northern Lights in August?

thank you guys! yeah, its very unlikely i'll be able to see the northern lights in August, but since i'm there for around 4 weeks i'll try find something to do! any suggestions on activities for budget travelling? fishing/camping etc

any recommendations on hiring a car and driving to calgary from vc? or driving up north to whitehorse just for the hell passing time and have a sneaky look in alaska.. scenic views would be number 1 on my list!

hiring a car? bus trips? thoughts?

In addition to the link I provided earlier, take a look at Hello BC - http://www.hellobc.com/

They have a selection of suggested driving loops, with varying recommendations depending on how many days you have to spend. They sort them into types of scenery and activities, which I find most helpful.

Also, they have camping and lodging information that would be helpful for you.Since you are traveling alone, I am not sure how you feel about camping, but that would probably be the friendliest on the budget.

BC is absolutely spectacular. As many times as we've gone and as many routes taken, we have probably only scratched the surface of what this beautiful province has to see.

perfect!! thank you!!

yttan, once you can stomach the cost of car rental and <b>gas</b>, for the path along the Alaska Highway, the trip is as scenic as you could ever need.

Now there are hours upon hours of just you, a thick forest, and the one road you're on, with nothing else... but beyond those <I>zones</i>, you will find impressive mountains all around, and nature/wildlife like you seldom get to see.

I rounded a curve near a big lake, to find a whole herd of Cariboo in the roadway (with plenty of time to stop... <I>and wait</i> )... and in other spots, Bison were visible in droves just grazing at the side of the highway.

Some of the lake scenery is spectacular, and if you get to Whitehorse, be sure to go on at least as far as Kluane Lake.

August should bring relatively comfortable weather in Whitehorse, so you can have some fun exploring the biggest town around (22,000 last time I looked), with the mighty Yukon River as a backdrop.

I'd suggest doing whatever you have to do to obtain budget lodging in various spots, and then happily entertain yourself with driving and watching the sights go by. The remoteness in some spots is amazing.

Once you get to Alaska, mountains are quite plentiful, and August viewing should be fairly favorable.

Awesome!
Well, what i've decided would be best is hire out a wicked camper van, pick up & drop-off in VC, then drive to calgary/banff/whistler/lake louise for roughly 3 and 1/2 weeks, once i'm back in VC take a train to seattle and spend a few days there.

anyone have any idea on how much gas would be in this wicked van?
in australia our petrol is about $1.60/L
rough estimations would be great!!
cheers

When we were there in September, it was running around $1.29-$1.39/L

Glad to hear you have so much time! Wish we got vacations like that here in US...even though I get almost 5-1/2 weeks a year (vacation + sick time in one pot), taking more than 1 week at a time is frowned upon...it's a crisis every fall when I try to take 2 weeks.

Should be a great time.