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| Overlooking the protected area |
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| Nicely designed visitor center |
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| Cute |
I arrive just in time for a guided tour, and get first hand experience on how to spot and identify fossils, and I am hooked instantly. After, I walk down the beach on my own and explore some more.
We are warned to stay away from the cliffs as rocks can fall off unexpectedly, and I have seen it happening while walking along. Also we get instructed to keep an eye on the incoming tide. Yep, fossil hunting is a dangerous sport.
Here a few examples of what's lying around. One is allowed to touch but not move or take away findings. All quite exciting if you are me...
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| Petrified bark |
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| Traces of an ancient centipede |
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| Tree in situ |
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| Piece of log |
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| Roots in situ |
With every tidal change and weather change more fossils will be exposed through erosion. And every day new species of flora and fauna from ancient life will be discovered, determined and catalogued.
Moving on... after a quick lunch break including free wifi at the visitor center the bike is ready to go around the bay. I am now leaving Nova Scotia, and re-entering New Brunswick. Out of curiosity I went down the main street of Moncton but there was nothing there really catching my eye.
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| Old water tower |
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| Feeling Top Gun |
Today's journey ends at the opposite of the bay at New Brunswick's major tourist attraction: The Hopewell Rocks. I find a (fairly run down) motel of the same name, it is reasonably cheap, and adjacent to the park entrance, giving me the opportunity to visit the bizarre looking rock formations a.k.a. flower pots at high tide. The park is open to visitors around the clock and can be entered at their own risk, however during daytime it cost a fee.
Warning signs explain the dangers of falling rocks and tides changing. Due to the funnel shape of the bay the tidal range is almost 10m (30ft). I enter at my own risk, to get a closer look of the oddly shaped structures. It's quiet, and there is only one other visitor around.
As I track my way back I discover that the tide has begun to cut off my path. A well, my boots are waterproof, no problem, but I understand now how one can get in trouble by the tide when not paying attention.
The setting sun creates an explosion of colours at the opposite coast. Another great day comes to an end. (And the weather played along nicely for a change, it was a bit nippy, but dry and sunny.)
All secondary roads today, it took awhile to get around the bay.
***
HIER gibt's wieder die deutsche Fassung.
