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DUNCAN , 60km north of Victoria, begins inauspiciously, with a particularly scrappy section of highway spoiling what would otherwise be an exquisitely pastoral patch of country. Still, the town's native centre - the Cowichan Native Village - merits a stop, unlike the Glass Castle, a messy affair made from glass bottles off the road to the south, and the even sillier "World's Largest Hockey Stick", arranged as a triumphal arch into the town centre. Duncan's infocentre is at 381A Trans-Canada Hwy opposite the supermarket on the main road (mid-April to mid-Oct Mon-Fri 8.30am-5pm, longer hours July & Aug; tel 746-4636, duncancc@islandnet.com ), close to the bus station , which has six daily connections to and from Victoria (1hr 10min). Duncan is not a place you want even to consider staying in - though there are plenty of motels and campsites if you're stuck - but for meals you could try the excellent Arbutus Cafe , 195 Kenneth St, at Jubilee (tel 746-5443), which is much-frequented by locals keen for the usual Italian- and Pacific Rim-influenced food. Just east of town, the Quamichan Inn , 1478 Maple Bay Rd (tel 746-7028), serves up a similar menu and also has its devotees. You could also visit one of several local vineyards: one of the best is the Vigneti Zenatta Winery , 5039 Marshall Rd (call for tour details on tel 748-4981 or 748-2338), which has been in business for over forty years; as well as their wine, you can also buy meals here. Three kilometres south of town on Hwy 1, the Pioneer House Restaurant has a rustic log-cabin feel helped by a genuine saloon bar transplanted from a period building in Montana. Alternatively, head 10km north of Duncan to the Red Rooster Diner (by the Mount Sicker petrol station), reputed to be the greasy spoon immortalized by Jack Nicholson in Five Easy Pieces . It's still a classic - good, cheap food, vinyl booths and all the authentic tacky trimmings you'd expect.
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