Lobsters and Lighthouses...

One of scores of lighthouses (really, navigation beacons) lining the Nova Scotia south coast, this one at Medway Harbour.

The Nova Scotia tourism people divide the Province up into a number of regions and conveniently colour-code on maps and in brochures. We made good use of this systematic approach to plan our itinerary, stopping places and hotels. The Lonely Planet was also a great resource. There is also a tourist drive which rings the entire Province, shaded in yellow on the map, and signposted with tourism icons. This signposting was not quite foolproof, and let us down at some key intersections, but overall, it was very helpful and often reassured us that we were on the right track.

We followed the Lighthouse Route west from Halifax.

The rocky countryside around St Margarets Bay.

Leaving Halifax, we headed south-west into the tourism region referred to as South Shore. Mostly we were following Route 3, and the icon to guide us was this Lighthouse Route. This route twists in and around innumerable inlets and coves, some very large, while the main road, Route 103, takes a more direct path. We estimate that the Lighthouse Route is about 3 times as long as the 103, and it lets you see countless beautiful waterfront vistas, tiny harbours, frozen coves, rustic boathouses, cute lighthouses etc etc.

Some inlets off St Margarets Bay seem to accumulate a lot of ice, others are clear.

We followed the long road pretty faithfully, but did shortcut on 103 occasionally to save time when the weather looked like turning, or night was approaching. The weather seemed to alternate daily, one day was warm and raining and the next was cooler and clear, then back to rain. We didn't let the rain interfere with our progress, but it does discourage avid sightseeing, and produces dead lighting in our photos.

Live lobster is available at the Sou Wester Restaurant at Peggy's Cove.

The Lighthouse Route is a pretty poor road, especially when compared with the main roads and freeways. We expected it to be narrow and twisty, but it is also potholed and rough, and we wonder how the snowploughs handle such a surface. Maximum speeds permissable are typically 80km/hr, dropping to 50km/hr in the many towns along it.

Peggy's Cove, the most picturesque fishing village imaginable.

Retired School Bus at Churchover.

Fishing boats tied up in Gunning Cove.

Everywhere was beautiful and interesting, but the highlights were Peggys Cove (supposedly the most photographed lighthouse), Lunenburg (a UNESCO listed old-town with a stunning colourful waterfront vista), LaHave (a very spread out town divided by a long narrow inlet), Shelburne (the largest cluster of pre-1800 houses, and a claim to being the 'lobster capital' of the Atlantic) and Gunning Cove (cute picturesque harbours). Truth is, this entire coast is one huge fishery, with every inlet harbouring from a few to many dozen boats, and lobster pots and fishing floats draped around everywhere.

Lobster pots and floats awaiting duty at one of dozens of Nova Scotia fishing harbours.

The lighthouse at Peggy's Cove is reported to be the most photographed in Nova Scotia.

Garishly coloured shops adorn Lunenburg's UNESCO listed old downtown area.

Lunenburg's famed waterfront gleaming in the midday winter sun.

View into the sun from our lunch table at the Grand Banker in Lunenburg. We had lobster sandwiches.

Village of Shelburne has a large cluster of pre 1800 buildings.

The buildings of Shelburne have a more authentic feel than the newer but garish buildings in Lunenburg.

A grand Tudor-like building in Shelburne.

We spent 3 days touring the South Shore. One night we stayed at Liverpool, a pleasant town where many establishments seem have the name Privateer, a reference to the type of pirates who frequented these waters. We ate a restaurant in a pub called Lane's Privateer Inn. Every day or night we each consume a lobster dish of some sort. You can choose your own live lobster, or go downmarket and have a lobster roll or sandwich. We tried everything, and found them all delicious. The taste seems to be sweeter than it is in Australia (and certainly cheaper), maybe because it is fresher.

While shooting with our camera, a duck-hunter gave us the low down on the various breeds & where to find them.

Many properties have adirondack chairs ready for summer relaxation on Nova Scotia waterways.

Just another waterside outlook on Medway Harbour off the Atlantic Ocean.

An incredible number of churches line this route. We can't imagine how the population sustains so many, but of course, mariners are always at the mercy of nature and the sea, and faith is a common way of building hope and confidence in one's safety. Many churches and business carry large notices wishing lobster fishermen safe journeys. This is serious business here!

Nova Scotia seems to sustain many churches, this incredible line-up in Chester.

Ice sailor making good speed near Upper LaHave.

During this sector of our travels, we realised that the population here seems to lack the cultural diversity that seems to be more common in much of North America. We haven't seen any coloured people, any Asians, any Hispanics or any native descendents in all of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. We know they are here because of mentions of racial issues in the media, but their proportion in the predominantly white population is, by our observation, quite low.

Memorial to Swissair 111 which crashed in 1998 on this horizon in line with the slots in the granite.

Unusual hand-made instruments at the LaHave Bakery, a converted waterfront factory.

Lobster boats at Port Medway.