Havre Aubert Island Part 2

 

Hundreds of years before the arrival of the first Europeans, the Mi’kmaq Indians came to the islands to fish and hunt the large walrus population. A number of archaeological sites have been excavated on the islands to prove these findings.
In 1534 Jacques Cartier was the first European to visit the islands. It is believed the first islands he set foot on were Rocher-aux-Oiseaux (Bird Rock) and Brion Island.

In 1755, the islands became inhabited by French speaking Acadians. This was due to the “Grand Derangement” (the exile) of Acadian people from the Maritime Provinces. Today many Madelinots fly the Acadian flag as they think of themselves as both Acadians and Quebecois.

After the French Revolution in 1789 other families came to the islands led by father Jean-Baptite Allain, whom created the first records of colonization for the Magdalens.

The Magdalen Islands have seen its fair share of tragedy with more than 400 shipwrecks recorded. Today 6 lighthouses still project their life-saving beams to help guide the vessels.

With so much history and beauty I found myself asking the question how do I show the islands off in a fashion that I don’t repeat myself? Well I decided to showcase each island separately. Each has its own uniqueness and similarities.

Plage du Cap

 Further down the road is Anse Shea and La Grave with their steep cliffs.

Anse Shea

Anse Shea



One of the main attractions on Havre-Aubert Island is the historical site of La Grave which comes from the French “greve” means pebbles and sandy terrain. Preserving its original purpose as a meeting place, it now boasts several arts & crafts shops, restaurants, businesses, and cafes.



Overlooking the village of La Grave

One of many craft shops in La Grave

More unique craft shops in La Grave

Lobster boats at the La Grave Dock

Lunch at Vent du large-Bleu Mer in La Grave

Eating lunch we are sooooo happy the food was fabulous

Seal




When Sue and I go to different places we always like to try foods from the area. Seal is very popular in the Magdalens so we had to try it. To start the meat is very dark and strong tasting. It was tender but somewhat dry. However it was served with applesauce which is always good. If given the opportunity I would eat it again.



Our main course of fish and chips






Friendly Nova Scotians

We met these wonderful people walking through La Grave Tat, John, Kevin, & Lois. They decided to have lunch at the same restaurant.


Our happy waitress Pierette

High on the hill overlooking La Grave is the Musee de la Mer (Museum of the Sea)with exhibits depicting the Islands history. The puncheon boat is one such item. Until the 20th century, the islands were completely isolated during the winter. The ice made the trip to the mainland impassable by boat consequently communicate with the mainland was impossible. In the winter of 1910, an urgent request for help was sent to the mainland inside a molasses barrel (or puncheon), which they set adrift. Upon reaching Cape Breton Island, the government sent out an icebreaker to bring aid. Within a few years, the Magdalens were given one of the new wireless telegraph stations. The puncheon is now famous, and every tourist shop sells replicas.

The puncheon

Cannon found in the entrance to the Havre-Albert Marina dating back to Louis XVI 



Replica of Seal hunting boat

As we toured further around Havre Aubert Island we found many wonderful beaches. There are two types of rock cliffs on the Magdalens, one being gray sandstone and the other red sandstone.

A house getting closer to the sea

The Magdalen Islands have seen its fair share of tragedy with more than 400 shipwrecks recorded. Today 6 lighthouses still project their life-saving beams to help guide the vessels.

Anse a la Cabane Lighthouse

The lighthouse protects from these cliffs

 

As the road snakes around to the far west side of the island you reach Plage de l’Quest. With its long sandy beaches and beautiful sand dunes many hours can easily be spent here walking the beach.

The sand dunes of Plage de l’Quest



The red cliffs near Plage de l’Quest

The long sandy beaches

Enjoying a day at the beach

Moving away from the beach and going more inland, Havre Aubert Island has the most extensive forest of all islands in the archipelago.



Thick forests and a roadside filled with summer flowers

After a long day of sightseeing and soaking up the sun supper was calling. There are so many wonderful places to eat we decided on one in La Grave called Auberge Chez Denis a Francois. We were not disappointed.

Wonderful old house turned into an inn/restaurant

 

Magdelan Islands Part 1

The Magdalen Islands or the Îles de la Madeleine consists of a dozen islands, six of which are connected by long thin sand dunes. The small archipelago is located in the middle of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence with a land area of 205 square kilometers. Though closer to Prince Edward Island (105 km) and Nova Scotia (95 km), the islands are part of Quebec.


Geographic position of the Magdalen Islands

Iles de la Madeleine Archipelago

To get to the Magdalens, you either fly or take a boat. And that my friend is where our fun began. I will pop a few more tidbits of history, demographics, etc. in as we travel the islands. In order to get our rigs to the islands we had to cross on the CTMA Traversier ferry called the M.V. Madeleine how fitting.  Reservations had to be made well in advance and a $50 nonrefundable deposit given at that time. We arrived early and waited with great anticipation and excitement.

Souris dock & marina

Finally the ferry arrives and we are loaded on.

M.V. Madeleine

Jean is first on the boat, we are somewhere in the middle, and Louis & Guy are the last. All aboard.

Louis & Guy last to board

The crossing itself takes about 5 hours, leaving Souris at 2pm and arriving in Cap-aux-Meules at 7pm. During the crossing all propane has to be turned off on the rig. Dogs are allowed up on deck but not inside the ship. We left ours in the rig below that way we knew they were safe. No one is allowed down by the vehicles while crossing which made it hard because I wanted to check them.

We all met up on deck and watched as the shoreline disappeared from the horizon.

The Maggie Group all ready to sail

About an hour out of port we saw some dolphins jumping out of the water. Of course they were too fast to take any pictures.  The ferry is fully equipped with everything to make a trip across more enjoyable. There’s a movie theater, cafeteria, internet, bar, quiet rooms, arcade room, dining room, gift shop, and more. Did someone say bar. Looking at water for 5 hours can be boring so we all headed to the local drinking establishment.

Bar Bums

After a couple of drinks we decided to go for supper as the day was getting on and everyone was hungry.

Ready to eat



Fern stop playing with your food

My supper

Some opted for their first taste of seafood while others stuck to more traditional food. The lobster was fantastic. Hopefully this is just a taste of the next two weeks. After dinner we walked back out on deck to await the sight of land. And yes there it is land ho matey.

Land Ho

As we docked I can’t help but think what a gorgeous day and how smooth the crossing was. Departing from the ferry took no time at all and before you knew it we were at the campground and all set up.

Home for the next two weeks

Our site #25

What a wonderful day and experience. 

Stonehurst RV Park

As we continued our travels through New Brunswick our next overnight stop was Stonehurst RV Park in Moncton.

Upon entering the campground you have to go down a hill that's at least a 30% grade. After that everything is flat. All the sites were very wet and soft due to the amount rainfall in the last 5 days. We were all together in one area which made it nice.

 

The campground was clean and tidy. We had W/S/50amp which is all you really need for an overnight stay. The WiFi was very iffy at the best of times. I checked out the golf course, the price seemed okay but the fairways were very narrow. The driving range was just behind us. The only thing stopping the balls from hitting our rig was a large row of trees.

The permanents

The tenting sites were half way down the hill coming into the park. The sites themselves were level and very shaded. I walked up and down the hill a couple of times and it was a good workout. I'm sure my truck(Precious) will make it no problem. Would we stay here again, yes only if we had too.

Tent camping on the hill

We had our own welcoming committee at our site. The ducks enjoyed the wet sites more than we did.

Add caption

They were there when we left in the morning also. Goodbye ducks hello sunshine.

Riverside(Iroquois) Campground

When planning the trip, this park had everything we needed for an overnight stay. It is located just outside of Edmundston, NB close to the Trans-Canada Highway, and had pull thrus. Upon arrival we were met by a lovely host and escorted to our site. The sites are grass with lots of space between them.  The pull-thrus are long enough you don’t have to unhook. The power worked great, the water smelled okay, and the washroom/showers were very clean.

Riverside(Iroquois) RV Park, Edmundston, NB

Our site #25

Showers

Washrooms (Note the angle of the trailer, you had to hold on)

It’s a small park so walking around took ten minutes at a very slow pace. It’s quite pretty, set in a wooded area with a river running alongside.  I spotted a young deer frolicking along the river providing my entertainment for quite sometime.

Small park with gravel roads

Their beach

A river runs through it

It was a long drive today but very enjoyable. It’s an early night.