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Dale Wilson
Kayaking along the Fundy Coast
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Creative Imagery
Hopewell Rocks - The most iconic location in New Brunswick.
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Brian Atkinson
Fundy Trail Parkway - Walk it, bike it, drive it
By Asloob Mohammed
A Natural Splendour: New Brunswick’s Bay of Fundy
New Brunswick’s Fundy Coast is one of the most distinctive, unspoiled ecosystems in North America. Four spectacular natural attractions on the edge of the Bay of Fundy, each with its own character, experiences, adventures and charm are best places to connect with friends, family and the wonders of the bay.
Adjacent to the Fundy National Park, and serving New Brunswick’s Bay of Fundy’s region, is the quaint village of Alma, located on highway 114 about an hour drive from Moncton. Here you will discover a community and culture shaped by the tides of the Bay. It’s the kind of place where you find everything you need to explore New Brunswick's Fundy coast and to experience the Fundy way of life through maritime hospitality, music, food, and art. An eclectic array of fresh local seafood is always in season here, and there are endless ways to enjoy world famous scallops and lobsters.
The landscapes of Canada are varied and many. Each national park protects a sample of just one. Fundy National Park’s charm is, in part, created by the giant tides. These mysterious water movements in the Bay of Fundy influence the climate, making conditions for the growth of the lush coastal forest that has been likened to a rain forest. Locals like to call this magical place the fog forest. Protected since 1948 from major human activity, the park’s forest is increasingly unique within New Brunswick. The oldest known Red spruce in the world lives here: a 450-year-old tree.
From the summits of the park’s hills, tumbling streams carve channels deeply into the land making waterfalls as they dance their way to the coast. These troughs in the land invite moist air from the bay to penetrate deeply into the park creating localised conditions for life in these ravines. In summer, the bay is cooler than the land resulting in cooler summer weather near it and sometimes stunning banks of fog. Here you find yourself under Fundy’s spell.
Throughout the summer, the park’s interpreters lead a variety of engaging and creative activities. Every trick in the bag like comedy, music, drama, video, and stills are methodically used to help you deepen your appreciation and understanding of the area. Campfire, evening programs, and guided beach walks to discover the inter-tidal zone are some of many well-attended summer activities. During the annual Rising Tide Festival held around the third weekend of August, well-known Atlantic Canada musicians perform in the park while local artisans put their best creative side forward.
Like most national parks, Fundy offers four campgrounds that suit all sorts of camping preferences along with a number of picturesque backcountry campsites. It also offers yurts and other roofed accommodations like oTENTiks and rustic cabins. Also, like most national parks, Fundy’s trail system will take you to the most amazing places: plunging waterfalls, secluded beaches and breathtaking coastal cliffs. However, unlike most other national parks, Fundy boasts a challenging 9-hole par 70 golf course designed by world-renowned golf course architect Stanley Thompson. Nestled in the Dickson Brook valley, it presents a great challenge for the novice and experienced golfer. Water lovers can enjoy natural pools cut out by rivers, dip their toes in the Bay or jump in a solar heated salt-water swimming pool. Kayak and Canoe rentals are available at Bennett Lake. More adventurous types will appreciate the sea kayaking experience; guided tours can be arranged in the village of Alma.
Hopewell Rocks
The reddish cliffs at the Hopewell Rocks were first formed millions of years ago as a massive mountain range – older than the Appalachians and larger than the Canadian Rockies – slowly eroded. Mud, pebbles and rock washed down the mountains into the valley. Over time, these deep layers of sediment compressed into solid rock, forming the basis for the flowerpot formations. Through the millennia, as the earth’s crust twisted and tilted, the rock layer broke into blocks, creating vertical fissures. Rain and ice whittled away at these fissures, separating the cliffs into chunks of rocks.
Each summer, for a 4-6 week period beginning in mid-July, 1-2.5 million shorebirds (up to 75% of the world’s population of the Semipalmated Sandpiper) congregate in waves at several key locations in the upper reaches of the bay. The Bay of Fundy is their only stopover on a 4,000 km migration south. The sheer distance and physical ordeal of this journey re-emphasizes the importance of allowing these birds to feed and rest without disturbance.
Part of the Hopewell Rocks experience is a beach walk along the ocean’s floor among the flowerpot-like formations. This main beach is accessed from a set of stairs off the main viewing deck and stairs/ramp beside the lower parking lot. However, the park also has two sandy beaches – Seawall and Demoiselle – backed by marshlands, one at each end of the park.
Cape Enrage
Cape Enrage is so named for the turbulent waters that pass over the reef which continues southward from the island for nearly a kilometre at low tide. Cape Enrage is actually an island now called Barn Marsh Island and is only connected to the mainland by a beach-head along which the road has been constructed. It is separated from the mainland by Barn Marsh Creek.
Jutting out into the Upper Bay of Fundy, Cape Enrage is also the location of one of the oldest lighthouse, originally built about 1840. Recently, records have been found indicating that a second lighthouse (the current one) was built at Cape Enrage in 1870. The attraction has a cliff rappelling and zip lining adventure centre, and a natural treasure where one can see fossils and experience the tides. Savour the view and selection of lunch and dinner dishes at Cape House kitchen and don’t miss the tour through the gallery of works by local artisans.
Fundy Trail Parkway
The Fundy Trail Parkway opens up previously unreachable areas of the Bay of Fundy coastline and panoramic views. The 16 km (10 mi) trail begins just outside St. Martins. It is the ultimate Bay of Fundy eco-adventure. Here you find hugging cliff tops above the world’s highest tides representing the last remaining coastal wilderness area between Florida and Labrador.
Depending on the season visitors can hike, bicycle, cross-country ski or drive the Fundy Trail. It connects to paths and stairways, which lead to pristine beaches and tumbling waterfalls. At the interpretive centre, one will find original artefacts and old photos from a bygone era. Above the interpretive centre is a suspension footbridge across the sparkling waters of the Big Salmon River.