16th September 2022
It is time to leave Prince Edward Island and move on to our next stop, Moncton in New Brunswick. Fortunately we only have a short drive today, a bit over 2 hours not including stops. Access to New Brunswick from the Island is via the Confederation Bridge. The bridge is 12.9km long and is the longest bridge in the World covering ice- covered water. The toll for the crossing is CAD50.25.
Today it is very windy and as we approach the bridge, we see trucks pulled over to the side of the road. It soon becomes clear why. Because of high winds the bridge is closed to all trucks. Wind velocities all day have been around 80-85 km/hr.
Just over the New Brunswick side of the bridge we looked for a spot to take a photo and ended up at Cape Jouriman Nature Centre, just beside the bridge, that had great bridge views but a lot of other things including a large centre that contained a lot of exhibits about the wildlife in the area, some history, a small café and the usual gift shop.
From other side
There were a number of short walking tracks from the centre, but the howling wind made them less than appealing. We did venture off onto one, which was a 2 km return trip to a lighthouse. The trail was relatively sheltered from the wind by the vegetation. All of this for a $5 entry fee seemed a bargain. The lighthouse has had to be relocated 4 times since original construction due to the erosion of the shoreline.
Once we had taken our photos and had a stretch of the legs, it was back in the car and headed for Shediac, “The Lobster Capital of the World”. We had two tasks here, firstly to have lunch at a highly recommend eatery, The Lobster Deck Restaurant, renowned for its lobster rolls. Second task was to see the Big Lobster.
Lunch was a success at the modestly appointed Deck Restaurant. Finally we found a restaurant that had not sold out of Seafood Chowder, so 3 of us ordered the smallest serve available, supposedly a cupful.
For main fare, it was lobster rolls, a fish burger and I couldn’t resist trying the lobster poutine which came highly recommended by the staff. It was tasty but so rich I picked out the lobster and ate some of the chips.
Our hunger satisfied, we waddled out of the restaurant in search of the big lobster, the main tourist attraction in Shediac. We found it in amongst some major roadwork and road detours that ran right past the front of the location. I am not sure what I expected , but a giant lobster statue sat in the middle of a carpark without much more going on.
Photos were dutifully taken, and we moved on to our final destination for the night, Moncton.
Moncton’s claim to fame is the tidal bore. The tidal bore is caused by the huge tides in the Bay of Fundy, which make their way up the Petitcodiac River. When the quickly rising waters of the Bay of Fundy meet the river, it pushes against the river, overpowering and producing a tidal wave. This causes the water to roll back upstream in a wave that can be up to 750mm high.
Arriving in Moncton about 2.30 pm, 30 minutes before the expected arrival of the wave, we positioned ourselves along the muddy shoreline of the river to await the spectacle. Two surfers on surfboards entered the river sat around 2.40 pm, and at about 2.50pm the wave appeared. The surfers rode it for a good while as it moved upriver, and eventually petered out as the rising tide took over.
Our hotel is only just down the road, so 5-10 minutes later we were checking in. Chateau Moncton Hotel and Suites is a modern hotel, located by the river, with generous sized rooms.
Dinner tonight is at a restaurant that is supposed to be the best restaurant in Moncton, Little Louis Oyster Bar. The restaurant is located in an industrial area, so first impressions when arriving are a bit disarming. Once inside though, it is a different story. The menu had a good variety of choices and the service was excellent. A couple of us went for the duck main course, which was quite exceptional.
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