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!

Nova Scotia - a Taste of History and Geography!

Nova Scotia - a Taste of History and Geography!

Having arrived in Digby, Nova Scotia, for our latest house/pet sit, we decided to take advantage of the windy, but dry day, here on the Southwestern part of the province. 

Just at the end of the road where we are situated, there is the Point Prim Lighthouse - the fourth of such built there since 1804. It services the mouth of the Digby Gut, which connects the Bay of Fundy with the Annapolis Basin. The wind was whipping up the water so that the surf and white-capped waves really stood out when the sun showed itself. 

Prim Point Lighthouse, Digby

The Bay Ferry crosses from Digby to Saint John, N.B.

No holly on the bush, but Holly by the bush - like an early Christmas scene!

Just as we got there, we observed the arrival of the Bay Ferry, which connects Digby with Saint John, in New Brunswick, the crossing taking just 2 hours 45 minutes, cutting 3 hours off the journey by road. 

Passing through Digby, we stopped to take in the numerous fishing boats that were moored in the harbour. Just like so many of the houses in the area, the boats show themselves off in splendid, vivid colours. Digby is known for its world-famous scallops.

Digby Harbour

Digby Fish Market - Mark was able to get his first taste of fresh scallops from here!

The movie theatre in Annapolis Royal - also home to live performances

Our hosts had taken us into Annapolis Royal for breakfast, the morning before. We had used the highway to get there, but they recommended that we take the more scenic route which follows the Annapolis Basin. 

Our first destination, this morning, was Fort Anne, named for Queen Anne after the British replaced the French settlement of Port Royal, in 1710 (see below). The banks and ditches surrounding the moat provided great walkways and a couple of picnic areas. There were also a couple of buildings that emerged out of the earth mounds - the 'black hole', built in 1702, and the powder magazines of 1708. It was easy to see why the location was a perfect defence for the area, protecting an approach from the water. 

Fort Anne

View of the bay from the fort

Before leaving the town, we noticed a rainbow crosswalk, which made us feel right at home!

Several towns in Canada have painted these crosswalks to celebrate LGBGT communities

The next destination enabled me to check off a long-held bucket list item of mine. Back in 1992/1993, I had the honour of being a part of the original staff of a new school in Scarborough, Ontario. As the founding staff, we had input in the naming of the school. We chose the name, Port Royal Public School, after what was one of the first European settlements in Canada. 

Our Public School - with its emblem (a representation of the Habitation)

The French established the fort in 1605 (briefly named Charlesfort) and it remained in French hands until 1710, when it was renamed Annapolis Royal, after the Seige of Port Royal by the British. It was a personal thrill for me to visit the site and, although it was closed for the season and was undergoing renovations, it still allowed us to feel a sense of the past. 

Bust of Samuel de Champlain - one of the French founders of Canada

After spending some time there, we moved on towards Victoria Beach, from where we could see another perspective of Digby, just across the bay. 

Across the bay, the Bay Ferry may still be seen

Heading north east towards Port George and Margaretsville, we happened upon a quaint little area called Hampton Beach. 

We decided to take a break from the wheel, and hike along the rocky, stony shoreline. The scenery was breathtaking, and it was great to smell the redolence of the salty seaweed as the waves broke thunderously upon the shoreline. There's nothing quite like a good fresh ocean breeze to clear the head! 

We noticed how low the boats were sitting when the tide was out

Holly, the wonderful border collie we are looking after for the next three weeks, just loved it, and thoroughly enjoyed climbing some of the boulders, and sampling the taste of the foam from the spent waves - even though she got her front paws wet! 

"Uncle Mark and Uncle Alan... can I come, too, please?"

Lastly, we made our way to Middleton, where we stopped for a bite to eat before heading home along the highway. 

We had visited New Glasgow and Cape Breton, on the north-east coast of Nova Scotia, on our honeymoon, back in 2006. We had always wanted to visit the other parts of the province, and we're so grateful for this opportunity to explore the area.