Catch up on our New Brunswick virtual event

You showed up in your hundreds for our New Brunswick event, when we were transported to the Bay of Fundy's whale-filled waters and bird-filled skies. The evening was kicked off by Alison Aiton from the New Brunswick Tourism Board who gave us a wonderful overview of the province. We were then lucky enough to hear from Simon Barnes, an award-winning writer with a passion for wildlife who shared some beautiful words on his experience watching the Bay of Fundy's birds and humpback whales. Next, it was time for award-winning writer Phoebe Smith to take the stage, who shared her first-hand experiences, stories and stunning photos from her time searching for the North Atlantic right whale in New Brunswick. 

If you missed the event, you can catch up on all the highlights and a full recording here…

Watch the full recording

Wexas Travel were on hand during the event to answer your questions. To speak to an expert at Wexas Travel, phone on: 020 7838 5950 or email: travel@wexas.com

Your questions answered

When is the best time of year to visit the Bay of Fundy?
It depends on what you are visiting for. The whales start to become abundant in the Bay of Fundy from the end of July until October. Late September to early October is a wonderful time for leaf-peeping in New Brunswick. July and August are the best times to come for a summer visit. Things start to open up from the end of May. Whenever you visit, it never gets too busy and you can always find accommodation and get into restaurants. People will always do their best to make you feel welcome. In the winter, you can enjoy cross-country skiing, snow-shoeing, ice-fishing as well as amazing outdoor skating trails through the woods and in the provincial national parks. New Brunswick is also great for dog-sledding adventures.

How long does it take to get to New Brunswick from the UK? 
Halifax is just under a six hour flight and then you can get into New Brunswick in a couple of hours from there.

What would you recommend as an ideal itinerary for someone’s first time in New Brunswick? 

Wexas have a flexible self-drive itinerary which provides the perfect balance of all that is good in New Brunswick, from a glimpse at Acadian Culture, scenic driving routes, secluded beaches and sand dunes, to cosmopolitan cities such as Fredericton and Saint John. Spend your final few days in St Andrews and the Bay of Fundy National Park area, with opportunities for dolphin and whale watching, and exploring the Fundy Trail Parkway. The highlight of the itinerary is spending time walking on the ocean floor at Hopewell Rocks – a once in a lifetime experience. See the itinerary here. 

Alternatively, if driving isn't the preferred form of transport, there are opportunities to reach New Brunswick by train from Halifax, or from Toronto or Montreal with stopping points at Moncton, Miramichi and Bathurst, allowing a combination with Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and / or Quebec. 

Do you need to be on a boat to watch the whales or can you see them from the shore? 
You can see them from shore when on any of the Fundy Isles (Grand Manan, Campobello or Deer Island). The best way to see them is to do a boat tour, as the captains help each other identify where the whales are gathering on a regular basis.

When is the best time to visit to see the humpback whales? Are there boat trips out to see them?
The best time to see whales is from the end of July until the end of October. There are whale watching boat trips that you can book from St. Andrews, Grand Manan Island or Campobello Island. You can also occasionally see them from land on one of the Fundy Isles, or even from the ferry to Grand Manan or Campobello. 

What is it like travelling as a solo female traveller? 
Phoebe said she felt so welcome everywhere in New Brunswick and it’s easy to get to know everyone. Canada in general for solo female travellers is wonderful and New Brunswick even more so. It’s one of those places where people take you under their wing. You feel like you are adopted by New Brunswick.

The Bay of Fundy is already on our itinerary but what else is a must-do? 
Fredericton is a wonderful city to visit and it is right along the beautiful Saint John River.  There are some really great places where you can interact with the Indigenous population and it’s a great place for water activities. The Saint John River is wide and calm and a great place to get out on the water if you are into kayaking or canoeing. You can also stay on a houseboat on the river. Fredericton is also the home to many artists and artisans in the province. Don’t miss the Beaverbrook Art Gallery where you can see amazing artwork gathered by Lord Beaverbrook and gifted to the people of New Brunswick in the 1950s. He was good friends with Salvador Dali so there are some unique Dali paintings including one of his largest, Santiago el Grande. The Grandfather Canoe, the oldest First Nations canoe ever made is on display there, too.

Do you have mosquito season?
We do have a mosquito season, that tends to run from late spring until autumn. They are not very plentiful in the cities and towns, or during the warmest part of the day. Instead they tend to be more plentiful in the cooler evenings, and of course in wooded areas, particularly where you will find any standing water, which is where they breed.

Does Canada accept the AstraZeneca vaccine?
Yes, Canada does accept AstraZeneca. As regulations are in flux, the best place to find the most up-to-date information about travel to Canada is on the official Government of Canada website. 

Our experts share their top recommendations for New Brunswick

Alison: One of the top things to do is go to Mount Carleton Provincial Park. It is in the centre of the province, there’s nothing around it, your phone probably won’t work and it is amazing! If you climb to the top of Mount Carleton (the highest point in the Maritimes), they say you can see 10 million trees. The view is spectacular and it’s worth the trek.

Simon: Whatever you do in your life you should make time to see the great whales and The Bay of Fundy is one of the greatest places you can do so. When you’re there, don’t worry so much about your camera. Use your eyes first, your binoculars second and your camera if you have one third. 

Andy: For me, it’s all about the food! In the evening, search out some good craft beer, some lovely lobster rolls, some fiddleheads and a good old DLC made from the local seaweed. It makes a good vegetarian alternative to a BLT. There’s so much amazing food to fill up on after an adventure-packed itinerary.

Phoebe: I would say Campobello Island because I feel like I went there as a visitor and came back as a long lost resident! I would say don’t over-exert yourself and don’t try and pack too much in. If I could have my time again on Campobello I would probably not have packed in so many whale watching trips and would have spent more time sitting on the clifftop, drinking beer by the fire and speaking to the locals.

What did you have to say? 

Loved this. One of the best virtual events this year.

Simon that was beautiful.

Very interesting. Thank you.

Thank you...Very interesting, particularly as a resident of the west coast.

Thank you very much from Warsaw, Poland! It was great!

Thank you for a really interesting presentation. Hope to travel there in the near future. 

Thank you so much. I can't wait to visit!

Thanks so much everyone for a fantastic presentation. 

Thank all of you for inspiring and interesting talks. 

Thank you

A big thank you to Destination Canada and Wexas Travel who supported the event, all of our incredible speakers and to everyone who watched the virtual event. 

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