Cape Jourimain Island and Confederation Bridge
As we continued our eastern Canada tour in September 2014 we headed north-east out of New Brunswick toward Prince Edward Island. There are two routes to the island, the ferry or the toll bridge. We opted for the bridge so we could stop off at the small Cape Jourimain Island and walk the short trail to the lighthouse there. It also provides a great viewpoint for the bridge.
The 8 mile bridge was opened in 1997 and the toll has slowly increased over time to the current eye watering sum of $45 (round trip) the toll is collected as you leave Prince Edward Island.
We took the appropriately named lighthouse trail the short distance to the eastern extremity of the island where the 144 year old lighthouse still stands, though it is now disused.
Built in 1870 the lighthouse is a beautiful structure; made entirely of wood the wonderfully ornate octagonal frame is adorned with cornices and aesthetic trim that still survives the rigours of nature in the Northumberland Strait.
Down on the rocky shore we found found piles of oyster shells (one of which has made the journey back to Calgary as part of Sarahs kleptomaniac collection)
We stayed a short time on the red rocks of the beach then headed back along the trail to the visitor centre for a coffee before setting out across the bridge.
As we reached Prince Edward Island we could see another small park which appeared to provide an even better viewpoint of the bridge so we stopped again to take a look.
The small park is littered with maritime artefacts (entirely for aesthetic purposes) some of which make an interesting foreground for a shot along the bridge.
From this small area it is easy to scramble down the rocks to the base of the structure and get a new perspective but at 8 miles long and winding like a snake the Confederation Bridge is difficult to capture in a still image.
After a short exploration of the PEI visitor centre and the collection of a couple of very good free maps we set out on to the island for a two day tour.