Digby Neck, Scallops and Ferry Tales

Pond Cove Beach on Briers Island, Nova Scotia

The past few days we have been on a mission… busy feet and busy minds. So please bare with me as this blog entry is a mouthful covering allot of ground. We would not want you to miss anything because this is jaw dropping scenery including a little unknown white, long and private sandy beach in Pond Cove on the tip of a long peninsula on the Bay of Fundy.

We have time warped in and out of historic sites, we visited the Village of Digby, Nova Scotia and sampled their world famous scallops, we visited lighthouses and we island hopped to the very tip of Digby Neck to a land of peace and quiet and amazing beach scenery. All were fascinating, enlightening and fueling the engine of adventure.

Just in the immediate area around our base camp in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia region are a series of historic sites… all around us is sacred ground like the Port Royal Historic Site, the Melanson Settlement (an Acadian homestead) and the Fort Anne Historical Site in the centre of the Village of Annapolis Royal. The streets of Annapolis Royal are lined with heritage homes wearing history well – many in a very dignified manner. Downtown the pastel shops and brick buildings compliment each other. People walk in and out of shops and boutiques.

Digby, Nova Scotia Waterfront

Digby, Nova Scotia located at the root of St.Mary’s Bay is famous for their scallops. We know because we read the signs telling us so and we ate some. Actually allot. Take it from us they were pretty darn good.

The boats bounce up and down in the marina with the tides of the Bay of Fundy in Digby, Nova Scotia. Most were working fisheries boats, some were Canadian Coast Guard vessels, a few Whale Watching Tours and some personal sailboats. A boardwalk path near the marina leads to patio restaurants with pastel umbrellas waving in the wind. At the other end of the village are flags, canons, information signs and some picnic areas with wide open ocean views. Centre stage in the village is a viewing deck, a statue of soldier and two cannons.

The seaside village of Digby connects to a long peninsula named Digby Neck… which then connects via a ferry to Long Island… which then connects via a ferry to Brier Island and the most western tip of Nova Scotia, Canada. It was a must do printed in bold on our short list.

Bro and I headed out early… we were eager beavers wanting to explore this famous part of the province sandwiched between St. Marys Bay and the Bay of Fundy. The first stop was Lake Midway Park. It was a picnic park on a lake on the peninsula. Nothing big to write home about but a nice spot for a picnic. We soon left as a picnic was not on the menu today. The rest of the route before the first ferry consisted of places like Sandy Cove, Mink Cove, Little River and East Ferry.

The first ferry connects Digby Neck with Long Island. Being from British Columbia where the ferries are always under scrutiny… the ferry ride was a bit of an eye opener. Vehicles in this part do not wait for the ferry to dock before they unload. They unload as the bridge is being lowered deck hand or not.

Tiverton, Long Island, Nova Scotia

Arriving on Long Island we found ourselves in the town of Tiverton. Homes were built on stilts, boats tied to the docks and lobster traps lining the streets. Out of the village we hooked up with the local tourism office. They were so cheerful and happy you almost felt like hugging them.

First on the schedule was the Balancing Rock Trail. It is a short hop-skip-and-a jump boardwalk path connecting to a series of 200+ steps leading down to a viewing platform stapled to the side of some cliffs providing views of some unusual rock formations and St. Marys Bay. The cliffs looked like the jagged teeth of a lion… the star of the show was the long pillar rock balancing on its edge. It looked like some circus trick. One has to wonder how much longer it can hold off the winds, storms and tides of the Bay of Fundy before it comes crashing down. Lets hope many life times.

After a few “wows”, “ahs” and “holy cows” we begin the long trek up the 200+ stairs. We knew the Balancing Rock Trail would result in some burning legs because what goes down must come up. Funny how hiking hills, mountains and cliffs work that way. A price to pay to reach the prize at the top I guess.

Balancing Rock Trail

Down the road we came to another picnic site named Central Grove. Hidden in the backyard of the picnic park is a short trail leading to the coastline of the Bay of Fundy. The hike was up and down, side stepping exposed tree roots and boulders… and twisting and turning around corners like a mountain highway. The end of the trail was lined with a rocky coastline for as far as the eye could see. There was even an elevated lookout platform. But it was down on the rocks, at low tide, the views take hold. Bro and I had the whole coast of the Bay of Fundy to ourselves. Too bad the Balancing Rock gets all the press, because this view was the cat’s meow.

In Freeport, Nova Scotia we met with the last ferry connecting Long Island with Brier Island. The Ferry show continued. On this route we watched as a deck hand smoked his pipe by the loading doors. And our ferry boat captain was wearing a t-shirt with Banff on it. We thought he might of been lost or it was a new work uniform… who knows. There seemed to be no standard dress code. Just a treat to watch in awe.

Western Lighthouse, Brier Island, Nova Scotia

We unloaded safely in Westport on Brier Island which is a one store island. The store was one of those “Mr. Everything” stores. You name it we got it. There was a Whale Watching Tour company also. They seemed to be the only two players on the island. The main road was paved and lined with oceanfront boat barns standing on stilts (that is what we called them) and lobster traps stacked high like a deck of cards. All other roads on Brier Island leading to adventure were gravel. Brier Island is a one paved road town straight out of a fairy tale.

First we headed to the north western part of the island following a long deserted gravel road leading to the Western Lighthouse looking over the Bay of Fundy. It was a tall automated lighthouse dressed like a “barber shop pole” perched on a rocky point. Surrounding us were some rocky cliffs, the Bay of Fundy and a birding wildlife preserve dotted in white dots (later we found out they were seagulls). It was as Atlantic Coast as it gets… blue skies, gusts of winds, birds and waves foaming at the mouth slamming against the rocks.

Pond Cove Beach, Brier Island, Nova Scotia

Next was the Grand Passage Lighthouse. It was a more developed lighthouse with groomed lawns decorated with benches and picnic areas. However… the lighthouse was nothing to make a scene about. It would not be in my lighthouse calendar if I had one. It was like a box with a light on top.

Last on our list was a visit to the southeast corner of the island in search of a trail leading to a sandy beach. However there was no trail as described but just a grassy knoll on a point with a dyke path leading to a sandy beach. The beach, called Pond Cove Beach, can easily be seen from the parking area. It dominated the landscape.

Pond Cove is shaped like a high-banked oval race car track. Behind the high bank is a wetland pond and forests which fills at high tide. The trailhead we did find was a 4.5 kilometre trail following the coastline connecting Pond Cove Beach to the Western Lighthouse. Now if only we knew about that trail we would have planned for it.

We did hike the trail to the far end of the large beach and to the first point and then took our time walking the boulders, rocks and white sandy beach back. The trail is a shared trail with atvs. The island is best accessed with atvs. We saw more people on the gravel roads and trails riding atvs then cars and trucks. It is a life style.

The day was ending and we headed back to the ferry. On our way back we were celebrating because the ferry was just coming in and we would time it right for boarding. However, as luck has it, the ferry was in and out of the port in no time like Flash Gordon on steroids and… get this… on the way to the ferry two locals decided to talk to each other from their cars in the middle of the street thus blocking access to the ferry as we watch it pull away. We politely waved and waited… it is their island not ours. Got to laugh at yourself about the ferry tales on this trip.  Life goes on with a smile on our faces.