Latest edition : 19 September 2016
At the site of the Hopewell Rocks, at low tide, you can walk to the bottom of the ocean (without diving gear) and, a few hours later, make the same trip aboard a kayak! The incessant movement of the water has sculpted the rocks, giving them surprising shapes.
This is the first stop on our journey through this still too little known Canadian province.
A short 15-minute walk through the silent forest leads us to the beach of Demoiselles.
It is French sailors who gave it this nickname: seen from their ship, the rock formations would have looked like gentes young ladies. For us, they rather evoke… elephants….
This morning, in bad weather, one would believe it was alone in the world.
Hunger, or rather an irresistible desire to taste a lobster, leads us back to the interpretation center and its cafeteria. And yes, in New Brunswick, lobster is not eaten (only) in gourmet restaurants, but in any tavern. Whole, in club-sandwich, in burger, in omelet, in salad….
In the small adjoining museum, we learn all about the formation of these impressive rocks, the phenomenon of the tides. Excellent videos show the site through the seasons.
In the afternoon we have an appointment with Pierre, a guide passionate about the site: "The history of the planet is contained in these stones and they tell us about this memory which dates back 340 million years ...
Here, we feel the movement of the water, the influence of the moon, the elements… Imagine: a single tide in the Bay of Fundy, that represents 160 billion tons of water, that corresponds to the volume of Niagara Falls over a two-year period! And there are two tides a day! Pierre is inexhaustible as he leads us, in the pouring rain, over a tangle of rocks which are usually hidden by the water of the sea.
As it is "only" raining and there is no wind, the kayak trip is maintained. While waiting for the high tide to cover the ocean floor again, we take refuge in our car to dry off a bit.
Our patience is rewarded: the rain stops! Supervised by three monitors, our group sets off on the ocean, at least 7 meters above the bottom that we trod a few hours earlier! Only part of the rocks emerge from the water, making them unrecognizable; we have trouble finding the elephant, the lovers ... Over the millennia, this incessant action of water patiently digs the rocks. So the elephant lost its head last winter…. To the chagrin of Pierre… ..
A little surprise awaits us near the Demoiselle beach, well covered by water: the first migratory birds had just arrived. For three weeks, they will revel in the tiny crabs, tripling their weight, before starting their long journey to milder skies to spend the winter. We were so surprised to be surrounded by a swarm of birds that we did not have the reflex to take the picture! Sorry!
Hopewell Rocks Park is located in southeastern New Brunswick, on the east coast of Chipoudy Bay. The city of Moncton is only about fifty kilometers away.
