Frontenac Challenge - Solo Hike - Big Salmon Loop (18 km = 4 hrs)

Wetland

Beaver Pond

Big Salmon Lake Lookout

Me at the lookout

New Brunswick, Canada

Aug 2012  Deer Island NB, Canada

Spent one week here kayaking and walking on the beaches.  Very cold salt water here in the Bay of Fundy that is not welcoming for swimmers.  The tides here rip violently during the transition between the flood and the ebb tides (and vice versa) however the tides are spectacular as they rise a vertical 28 feet on the flood and then retreat the same distance on the ebb every 12 hours. 

There is a free ferry from the mainland near Back Bay that takes about 20 min to cross.  The ferry runs every 30 min until evening when the trips are on the hour.  The ferry ties up at 11 pm and there is no exiting the island until the next morning.  The Atlantic side of the island is much cooler than the Passamaquoddy Bay side of the island.  Often there can be fog on the Atlantic side and sun on the back(Passamaquoddy) side.  Many tourists use Deer Island as a day excursion on their way to or from the USA. 

Many mainlanders come to the island to get away from the inland humidity for the day.  Bring a picnic basket and head to Deer Island point for a lovely afternoon.  If you arrive on NB Day long weekend you can take part in the annual gargae sale of books, clothes and an assortment of trinkets at "the point" on Sunday.  If you forgot a picnic basket you can buy lobster rolls and hot dogs in support of the sale.
The squid came into the wharf at Lord's Cove when we were there and so we went squid jigging after dark.  The newly transplanted islanders from the Phillipines taught us the technique of catching and releasing the squid with no squid touching involved. The preferred cooking technique is deep fried.

A few photos

 Adrian, Marion & Nancy

 Dylan on the Princess

 The first marker from Butler's Point

 Marion looking into the fog during flood tide

 Mackeral fishing

 Theresa on shore

twenty seven years happy

Back home

Arrived back home in Canada a few hours ago.  I hope the pictures gave you a taste of a country that needs 3 months of travel and not simply 3 weeks.  It is a beautiful place with terrific people.

Some notes:

- Thanks to Collin who towed us out of the soft sand on Bayley's Beach.  I found him far up the village hill chatting with friends on a front lawn.  He told me to jump into his 4WD truck and then chuckled at me as I began to climb into the drivers side (the steering wheel is on the other side in NZ).

- Thanks to Mike from Ireland who put us onto Keresone Creek (not in the Lonely Planet guide).  An entire natural creek that runs with hot water from the springs.

-  It was nice to meet (another) Collin from NZ who I met in a grocery store near Wellington.  He was wearing a Saint John, Canada hat.  He and his wife said they had been there on the cruise ship.

-  Thanks to Singh and the Wicked Camper Co in Auckland who promptly gave us a new van when our Atheist van began acting up.  The Chuck Norris van was more my style.  The Atheist did not suit me.  To Singh, best of luck in NZ with your family.

-  Thanks to the unknown farmer who gave us the tip to camp under the bridge in Takaka when we found out that the road to the camp ground we were headed to had been washed out in a flood.  We could have done without the 4 wheeler piled with impaired teens who visited us in the night.  We did get to "live in a van down by the river" however and that was worth it!

-  Thanks to the lady in Russell who did all she could to help Nick find an old acquaintance.

-  The best hostel we found (we didn't stay in many) was the Global Village Hostel in Greymouth.  Great place.  Of course we might also have to include the night in 'jail' in Christchurch.

-  Good luck Miss Bliss, a singer we heard from the street.  She is from Australia.

- Good luck Bob with your mountain climbing.  Maybe someday you will be able to tell us why all those shoes are on the fence in Takaka.

-  My favourite place ... too many to count but the 19 km on "the crossing" is up there (no pun intended)

-  If you go to NZ you have to stay at some DOC campsites.  Great 'out of the way' locations.

-  When the Lonely Planet guide book says the caving at Harwood's Hole is for experts, they mean it.

-  The 500m mining tunnel at Broken Hill's Gold Mine is worth the tramp but NOT the hike further up to the lookout.  It is all grown up with trees and you cannot see anything.

-  Thanks to Nancy, Brenda and Adrian.
 
-  Thanks Nick, for going to NZ.  I really enjoyed our time together seeing the country.

Update from Vancouver (YVR)

The Jailhouse Hostel, Christchurch, NZ ... our last night in NZ

Our last night in Christchurch was very enlightening.  The recent earthquake damage is still very apparent as the city centre struggles to rebuild.  There are many buildings still being torn down and detour traffic routes will drive your GPS to insanity.  The people, however, are upbeat and patient as they continue to help tourists like myself find our way.  They themselves, await a new city that will exude the style of life that helped these Kiwi's weather natures force yet again.

View driving from Gillespie Beach to Fox Glacier

Sunset at Gillespie Beach, South Island, NZ

Sunset at Gillespie Beach, NZ

Moon on Gillespie Beach, NZ

Our campsite at a Holiday Park in Queenstown, NZ

Driving from Queenstown to Glenorchy, NZ

Sheep near Glenorchy, NZ

The Beech tree forest, north of Paradise , NZ

A tramp to Chinaman's Bluff, north of Paradise, NZ

The valley near Chinaman's Bluff, Paradise, NZ

Just north of Lake Wakatipu, NZ

The mountains on Lake Wakatipu, Glenorchy, NZ

Inside the Cathedral Caves, the Catlins, South Island, NZ

Our DOC campsite not far from Invercargill,  NZ in the Catlins.

Lighthouse at Nugget Point, South Island, NZ

Train station in Dunedin, NZ

Downtown Dunedin, NZ

Seals on the beach in the Catlins

Retro cafe in Ashburton, NZ ... check the menu prices (single click the photo).  By the way...gas is $2.20/L

I have been without the luxury of internet until now.  I did not want to lose any time touring around so we drove past the internet spots. It is nice to be in a Canadian airport where internet is free and accessible for all.

Update from cold Queenstown

Fox Glacier, Mt Tasman at the top

Looking left at Fox Glacier

Breakfast at the Fox Glacier (in back) terminus

Enough said

Gillespie Beach camp

Haast Pass on the way to Wanaka

Town of Wanaka, NZ

Supper at "the Cow", Queenstown, NZ

Queenstown is a lot like Banff .. a ski town of 10 000 people ... Nick says mostly workers for the outdoor activities.

Update from Greymouth, NZ

We drove along the west coast of the south island today.  Lonely Planet says it is one of their top 10 picks for a drive.  It reminded me of the PCH in California.  Tomorrow we head south to the glaciers.

A tramp to Harwood's Hole near Takaka, South Island, NZ

I am not hanging on for dear life ... enjoying the sun

"Living in a van down by the river" (for one night) ... thanks Chris Farley (SNL)

Shoes on a fence in Takaka ... Bob (a local) says that he has no idea why they are there, just a quirky NZ things

Sunset at our campsite near Karamea on the West Coast

A new moon (and Venus) over the beach at Karamera camp

Beach at Karamera campsite