Tshikwaras on Tour: A Fundy-mental Bore

As mentioned in the previous chapter, Prince Edward Island (aka PEI) is the sacred land of Anne of Green Gables, be-plaited Patron Saint of Wholesomeness. Holy “Anne” relics are supplied scores of merchandisers – a profit is certainly welcome in this town. And yes, we too were suckered in, it would be rude not to. Although, being post-labour day (Nth America is now officially asleep), many places were closed so we didn’t do the whole Anne experience. We visited Green Gables House and strolled down “Lovers Lane” before kitting Mike out with the red plaits. Here he is having a sulky moment…….

Yes Virginia, there is an Anne of Green Gables

After this we had some Chocolate Coated Potato Chips created by Anne of Green Gables Chocolate, which helped us to perk up. Although marginally better than chocolate coated bacon, these were really a ‘lose-lose’ item - diminishing the flavour of both the chocolate and the chips.

Our spirits were further lifted by a visit to the very a-peeling Canadian Potato Museum. Marvel at the Big Potato! Be thrilled by the Potato Hall of Fame! Savour the delights of Chocolate Potato Fudge! (Why, oh why will these Canadians persist in ruining perfectly good chocolate?). My suggestion is that they need to put a potato in space – call the spacecraft “Spudnik” perhaps?

PEI North Shore

PEI South Shore- Victoria by the Sea

We crossed over the 13 km long C$1.3 billion Confederation Bridge from PEI to New Brunswick, parting with $44 for the bridge toll. It was teeming with rain and thick fog, so we didn’t see anything for our money. Once over the bridge we edged our way through buckets of rain towards Moncton on the shores of the Bay of Fundy. There were many moose warning signs so we hoped that today was not the day for moose to be on the highway – the cats and dogs raining down kept them away.

The Bay of Fundy is noted for having the highest tides in the world with the record standing at 47 feet tidal variation – to keep it in context the tidal variation in Sydney Harbour is about 4 feet. As the tide travels up a river it forms a wave (or waves) known as a “tidal bore”. The tide running in and out of the bay is gloriously described by Wikipedia as “being as powerful as 25 million horses” (How do they know this? Are these racehorses or Clydesdales? Whatever.) We had planned to kayak around the Hopewell Rocks on the Bay at high tide, then walk around them at low tide. Again, Labour Day thwarted our kayak plan, although the weather would have stopped it anyway. But we did get to walk around the rocks, paying careful attention to the tide tables so that we went at the time of the outgoing tide. The rain made an exit just in the nick of time. It was interesting to see the water receding like a bath emptying. The rocks are really groovy – kind of Dr Suess-ian.

Here's a picture we stole from the net, showing the high tide and what we wanted to do but couldn't

The highlight was the “Ride the Tide” adventure on the south shore of the bay. Kitted up in our survival suits we waddled for what seemed like several miles to the low tide shore line and loaded up into a Zodiac (inflatable boat). The river which joins the bay was slow and meandering, and a muddy brown colour – very appealing, not. Nothing much seemed to be happening, and I was wondering why this was billed as ‘exhilarating’. Patience, my dear, patience. We motored up the river to a large sandbank and went for a wander around. Suddenly, the tide starting foaming upriver and the sandbank was soon being engulfed by waves. Time to load up and hit the rapids. As the tide advanced up the river (with the power of those 25 million horses) it formed huge standing waves of 10-12 feet in height, and giant whirlpools, which we rollercoastered up and over and around and around. We were well and truly soaked with muddy brown salty water – now I know how those potato chips feel. The only thing that stayed dry was our guide’s sense of humour. “Well”, he’d say, “you may feel a bit of spray” just before the boat was enveloped by a giant wave. “Did I mention there might be some spray?” The tidal range on the day we went was 43 feet. When the tide had finished travelling up river, the river returned to being calm and flat. Amazing! It was a cold wet heap of fun. And yes, exhilarating.

Deirdre holds back the tide

This is what the inside of a washing machine looks like

Here we are in our inflatable submarine

Time to be a little more subdued as we travelled the country roads of Nova Scotia to the South Shore. We drove through farmland, passed beautiful old timber farmhouses, complete with cows, tractors and to our complete surprise……..a black bear standing by the side of the road. All these months in wild national parks with bear warnings left right and centre, and where do we see one but by the side of the road in rural Nova Scotia with not a bear warning sign in sight. It kindly stayed there for some photos then scrambled off into the bushes.

Lunenburg, on the South Shore, is a fantastic town established in 1753 and now a UNESCO World Heritage site. The beautiful harbour is lined with colourful wooden buildings, with many restaurants including one promising “freshly made deserts” – would you like sand with that? I’d be sacking the sign-writer if I were them. We visited the Fisheries Museum where Mike assisted in the launch of a schooner. In the evening, a local theatre group put on a performance called “Glimpses” which told the history of Lunenburg with short skits and songs, some funny, some sad. It was heaps of fun - they obviously love their town and love sharing it with visitors.

We followed the shore around little craggy bays and inlets, with quaint houses and boatyards lining the shore. Our destination was Peggy’s Cove which is the poster child for Nova Scotia - a really gorgeous little fishing village with the “Most photographed lighthouse in North America” (how do they know?), and about 10 tour buses when we arrived. It’s those bl**dy tourists again. A fog rolled in, making a wonderful brooding atmosphere which appealed to us photographically, while annoying the other tourists who like having their picture taken in front of things in sunshine.

When you're a midget pirate, Booty is only Shin Deep

Nova Scotia appears to be “Disaster Island” – we visited 2 memorials to the Swissair plane crash in 1998 which went down near Peggy’s Cove. Before leaving Halifax for the airport, we visited Fairview Cemetery to see the Titanic Memorial with graves of 330 bodies recovered from the site of the sinking and then the Halifax explosion mass grave from 1917. What a cheerful end to our visit!