Monday 27 August 2018

Into the wild

Maureen, Al, Michael, Janice, Des and Dave arrive in North Sydney.

North Sydney was the end of our riding trip, as Karen had suggested that riding in Newfoundland along busy highways is less than fun. Turned out she was right.

After our very comfy overnight ferry from North Sydney to Argentia, we piled into a bus and the vehicle and arrived in St Johns in double quick time, missing those rolling hills, the pot holes and the moose, about which roadsigns stated there had been 660 moose collisions in the previous calendar year between moose and vehicles.
Maggie and Janice get their first look at Newfoundland

Our ears were pricked and our eyes were out, as in 'keep an eye out', but alas, we remained moose-less.  Except for this...


Arriving at our hotel, very luxurious after most of our accommodations to date, we picked up bike boxes and began bike packing our newly-washed bikes in the downstairs car park. Fortunately not as airless as our experience in Barcelona several years ago.
Washing bikes in North Sydney

Packing bikes in St Johns

Dinner in North Sydney.
Our farewell dinner, coinciding with Maureen's birthday, was taken at a fancy-pants up-market cafe in St Johns, similar in insouciance to many similar establishments found in Melbourne. Awards were awarded:

  • Maureen the Bedding Award for services to accommodations; 
  • Des the Stacker, Packer and Cracker Award for his relentless vehicle packing and disgorging and the endless supply of jokes; 
  • Dave the Gentleman Moose Award for his chores, chivalry and chicanery when necessary; 
  • Kendy the Madeleine Albright Award for consistent diplomacy n the face of heavy odds; 
  • Maggie the Peter, Paul and Mary Award for achieving 500 miles on a bike; 
  • Angelica the Pearls Before Swine Award due to her flawless wardrobe choices and immaculate presentation both on and off the bike; 
  • Michael the I Didn't Like It But I Did Award for his persistent optimism even when things got tough; 
  • Al the Battery Award for being ever ready and ever charged;
  • Janice the Labrador Duck Award in the hope that one day she will learn to fly.

All in all a good night with stories and laughs.

After hugs and tears and promises to meet again, we scattered to the four winds.

Which is how come Des, Maureen and I got up at 6am to go moose spotting and we saw TWO MOOSE! Later in the day we saw another, albeit at a nature park, then the day after a golden eagle. Wow!



This has been an excellent bike trip full of hills and challenges galore. Pleased to report that not one single injury occurred! Amazing with up to 12 people riding along for 6 weeks.

We all got along so well and enjoyed each other's company immensely with our book and philosophy, nature and politics, sociology and linguistics conversations. It was so good to see Bill and Paul and Karen and Katherine again, even though they couldn't quite ride along with us for the whole 6 weeks. And Walli, hope you're back on your bike again.

Saturday 18 August: Pleasant Bay to Ingonish. We didn’t ride today and instead did a ride/shuttle the day before due to predicted heavy rain. Not so heavy, but it rained constantly all day. Included a mountain just out of Pleasant Bay.

Sunday 19 August: Ingonish to Indian Brook. Another mountain, this time Old Smoky, which was pretty easy to climb but not so easy to descend.

Monday 20 August: Indian Brook to North Sydney. And another mountain, Kelly’s Mountain, which meant climbing for 7 kms. Not steep however. Then an unpleasant ride into North Sydney along the Trans Canada.
Des, Janice and Maureen climbing the last part of the Cabot Trail


Janice contemplating the last downhill of Kelly's Mountain.

Yes, there were views to be had.



Friday 17 August 2018

Nova Scotia including Cape Breton Island

This is our last leg, so to speak, as we round off our trip with a tour of the Cabot Trail on Cape Breton Island.

However, before speaking of things bike riding I have to talk about the amazing Confederation Exhibition we saw in Charlottetown. Titled 'Shame and Prejudice' it is an exposition of what happened during colonisation by the French and British in Canada. Resonating with Australian experience at every level, it was not only poignant, but stimulating and evocative. I think David Walsh from MONA should commission this exhibition. The artist is Kent Monkman and more info can be located here.

The bottom right-hand corner of one of the vast canvases depicting English invasion.

Riding has been getting increasingly hilly and i have increasingly enjoyed the power in my legs propelling me upwards. Confidence has deserted me on some days where the massive yet mythical gradients have made my legs jelly.

Karen on top of her game after riding up French Mountain.
We had a serendipitous encounter with a fisherman on the way to Port Hood, who informed us about things Cape Breton. We have come across so many Canadians who are interested in us and interesting for us, such a delight.
Kendy, Angelica and Janice learning about the finer points of fishing, not catching.

Here in Pleasant Bay we have had rain which has interrupted our riding plans and sightseeing. People have been off trying to spot moose, which are proving to be very unreliable, and the whale watching tour was cancelled due to strong winds. We're off to the west coast tomorrow for our very last rides.
Des trying to creep up on a sleeping moose.

Cormorants at the harbour on a bleak morning.

Some more metrics
Thursday 9 August: Charlottetown to Murray Harbour. 80kms mostly all on the Confederation Trail after leaving Charlottetown. Al cooked up a storm in our cottages by the lake.

Friday 10 August: Murray Harbour to New Glasgow. This involved a ferry trip and a car check, Des and I being the drivers for the day. I escorted Walli to emergency at the local hospital which proved to be an interesting insight into Canada's health system.

Saturday 11 August: New Glasgow to Antigonish. A good ride of 80kms skirting the coast and going up and down. Antigonish is a lovely town with a university at its centre.
Relaxed and ready for anything! Maggie, Al, Kendy, Maureen, Janice, Angelica and Dave.

Sunday 12 August: Antigonish to Port Hastings. Absolutely lovely rolling hills and coastal views for 66 kms. Found our way to the Thrift Motel, still sporting its original furnishings!

Monday 13 August: Port Hastings to Port Hood. Along the coastal path for 46kms, incredibly benign.
Maggie, Al and Maureen left to their own devices.


Tuesday 14 August: Port Hood to Margaree Harbour. A 47km ride, bailing at Inverness to ride in the vehicle due to heat and traffic concerns. Turned out to be unfounded.

Wednesday 15 August: Margaree Harbour to Pleasant Bay. Rode the first 25kms to Cheticamp and chickened out of the hills. Another unwise decision in the main. The hills were big but we could have done them.

Tuesday 7 August 2018

From New Brunswick to the Island of Prince Edward




The bridge linking New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.

Maggie, Des, Dave and Maureen cycle down the last New Brunswick hill.


There are some things to note about this small island nestled between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Here are some, not listed in any particular order:
1. There are fields and fields of potatoes, some white, some cream, some purple flowered.


2. There are no moose or bears.
3. All roads are BUSY.
4. The Confederation Bike trail is very easy to ride and mostly shaded and scenic. The civil engineers who designed the original railway are to be congratulated as are those who built such a sturdy pathway through the fields and woods.
Paul rounds the corner on the Confederation Trail.

Des and Maureen on another part of the trail.































5. Drivers are courteous and stop for bike riders who need to cross busy roads.

6. Food is much the same as in Quebec and New Brunswick.
7. There are cattle and sheep grazing in fields.

Dairy cattle and Canada geese share the pond.

8. The quality of Airbnb accommodation is down and the price is up.
9. In rural areas where the middle-class don't reside, the human index markers are the same as in Australia (and probably the world): obesity, rotten and missing teeth, high fat and sugar consumption, smoking.



Ironman entertains kids at a rural derive station cum cafe to celebrate its launch. The whole town it seemed turned out for the event.
10. There is not so much French spoken.

We are spending our time in PEI in a variety of ways, individualised programs as such. Attractions have included hub and spoke rides, a farmers' market, driving to the north west and the east, dramatic productions, lazing around, sleeping, reading, visiting downtown...The next section of our ride will be the most challenging I think, so we need some R&R.

Paul chose to ride on the wet day.
The north west shoreline.

Ready to catch the salmon coming up the run nearby.


More metrics for the interested
Wednesday 1 August: Kouchibouguac to Boctouche. Pleasant back roads for 70kms. VERY sad to leave our marvellous accommodation in Kouchibouguac.

Thursday 2 August: Bouctouche to Port Elgin. A bit wet and with strong head winds, we pedalled 87km, the last 30 of them on a busy highway. A hard ride. Ended up on a deserted point facing the sea.

Friday 3 August: Port Elgin to Charlottetown. A big ride of 114kms, the first 42 in NB lead by Paul along quiet roads around the coastline. Once at the 22km long Confederation Bridge we boarded a shuttle bus to take us to the other side where we set off on the Confederation Trail.

Saturday 4 August to Wednesday 8 August: hub and spoke rides on PEI.