Ferries, Lighthouses - and a Balancing Rock!

Ferries, Lighthouses - and a Balancing Rock!

One of the delights about house/pet sitting is that you get to explore the local areas - especially when you have a cute doggy sitting happily in the back seat! 

On Monday, we set off for a trip along the Digby Neck and Islands Scenic Drive to Brier Island, via Long Island - with a few stops on the way. 

The first stopping place had been suggested by our hosts - a really nice beach at Sandy Cove. Apparently, Holly loves to romp on this beach but, when we got there, we saw a woman with another dog off-leash, so gave it a miss - with a promise to return another time. 

Whale Cove was very small, and a little run down, so we didn't stay there for long. However, we could imagine that it would be a great place to see whales when in the right season. 

Whale Cove

It didn't take us long to reach the fishing village of East Ferry, which is where we were going to take the ferry over to the small town of Tiverton, on Long Island. 

Ramp to the ferry at East Ferry Harbour

The village of East Ferry, from the ferry.

Tiverton Wharf

Parking the car, we left for the trek to the Boar's Head Lighthouse, a 20 minute, uphill hike. 

An uphill trek!

Holly waits patiently for the old fogeys to catch up!

About one third of the way in, we noticed a small trail to a lookout point, so we thought we'd investigate. 

We're glad we did as the views were well worth the detour. It would be a great place for a picnic, that's for sure. We could see the top of lighthouse a little further on, and so returned to the main path. 

Fishing Boat returning to Tiverton Harbour

Boar's Head Lighthouse - seen from the Lookoff

The Boar's Head Lighthouse is very well kept and situated on a point looking out over the Bay of Fundy. Built in 1957, it is the second lighthouse on the site. It sits on Long Island, above the Petit Passage, a narrow pass that connects the Bay of Fundy to St. Mary’s Bay. Like most of the lighthouses we are seeing, this is fully working, and the light may be seen flashing 24/7. 

Boar's Head Lighthouse

Chuckled at the name of Murray Outhouse - one of the Lighthouse keepers!

Looking out over the bay, we glimpsed a fishing vessel in the distance. Our visit, here, has given us both a better appreciation of those amazingly brave fishermen who battle all weathers out on the ocean to bring in the scallops, lobsters, and fish which we so easily take for granted. 

Fishing vessel seen way out in the ocean

Returning to the harbour, we made out way to the Balancing Rock Trail, ready for our second hike of the day. 2 1/2 km long, the trail was well-groomed, and had interpretive signs along the way. 

At the end of the trail, there are a series of 235 steps down to the lookout platform from where you can see great views of St. Mary's Bay, as well as the Balancing Rock, itself. 

The Balancing Rock Trail - begins

235 steps on the stairway down to the viewing platform

The stairs gave way to an enclosed boardwalk which allows the visitor to take in the awesome views across St. Mary's Bay and over to the mainland, as well as the Balancing Rock, itself.

Nature never fails to amaze us as we took in this narrow column of basalt just balancing on its tip! 4 feet wide, and 20 feet tall, it just sits their defying gravity by maintaining its equilibrium for all to see. Mark had been looking at this on the internet for months, and was so excited to be here to see it for real, finally! We loved the sign as we were exiting the trail. 

Continuing south on the Scenic Drive, we reached the southernmost tip of Long Island at the small town of Freeport. 

The ferry between Freeport and Westport

Freeport, from the ferry

Fishing hut at Freeport

Seasonal Restaurant at Freeport

While waiting for the ferry, we watched a truck bringing piles of lobster traps to the harbour, backing up along a precarious, rickety pier, and unloading them at the end. Apparently, the lobster season starts soon, and these guys were helping with the preparations. 

The three men in this truck backed up onto a precarious pier to unload several lobster traps

As with the earlier ferry, the ramp down to the boat was quite steep, and had a wall on only one side, with the open water on the other. I asked one of the ferrymen if a vehicle had ever slipped off the ramp when it was icy. He told me that this had, in fact, happened to the truck of a fellow worker, but it was not in the winter; apparently, his transmission failed, and he ended up with a submerged truck, and wounded pride! 

Steep ramp to the ferry - this one, at least, had a partial barrier

On the short journey over to Brier Island, we could see the lighthouse on St. Peter's Island, which is uninhabited, and is only accessible by a small boat, so we knew that we wouldn't get much closer than where we were on the ferry. 

Peter's Island Lighthouse - from the ferry

The boat landed us at Westport, another of this province's many fishing villages/towns. We paid a visit to the local grocery store, in which one could purchase a whole variety of necessities, above and beyond food, and which served the residents of the island. Grabbing a warm coffee, and some goodies, we headed off for the first of the two lighthouses we had come to visit. 

The Northern Lighthouse stands next to the Westport Search and Rescue Station, which is comprised of two buildings - the SAR itself, and the adjacent garage. The Lighthouse looks out over the Bay of Fundy, and the Grand Passage - the waterway between Long Island and Brier Island. 

Northern Lighthouse

Sea and Air Rescue Centre

The Western Lighthouse, or Brier Island Lighthouse, also stands with a view of the Bay of Fundy, but also guards the northwest entrance to St. Mary's Bay. It is almost surrounded by basalt rock coastline, and has been unmanned since 1987. It affords the most astounding views of the ocean, and we were torn between waiting for the sunset, and catching the next ferry. 

Western Lighthouse (or Brier Island Lighthouse)

In the end, the latter option won out, but we were able to catch a glimpse of the lowering sun as we made our way back to the harbour. 

 Returning to Westport harbour, we had about 20 minutes to wait for the boat. Had we been there in season, we would probably have availed ourselves of a little repast at the 'Just Above Water Cafe', situated right next to the ferry. 

 The hourly ferry service, which is run by the province, is open 24/7, connecting both Long Island, and Brier Island to the mainland. It's an excellent service and we found out that, after midnight, the ferries dock on one side, but will cross to pick up a vehicle - even if it's just one car!

All in all, it was an excellent day trip, though we were tired when we got back to our home base. It was a 'good tired', though!