In the last week of October, we found ourselves in Moncton, so Lindsay could attend some meetings. Looking to take advantage of an unplanned trip to New Brunswick, we packed the car and set out to complete several long overdue New Brunswick kayaking adventures. After leaving Moncton, we headed south to initiate the first of four kayaking excursions over the next three days.

Hammond River & Darling Lake

Our first paddle was on the beautiful Hammond River near the community of Nauwigewauk, just south of Hampton. It was near suppertime when we got there, but we knew instantly we were in for a treat. The flat flood plain that the river flows through is sheltered from the rural life surrounding it and despite the fact you could see the rivers gentle flow, the water appeared as though it was a sheet of glass. We were lucky that the weekend was calling for perfect paddling conditions: little to no wind, excellent water and surf conditions, and surprisingly warm temperatures for this time of year.

While we should have launched from the Darlings Island Covered Bridge which provides easy access to the water and plenty of parking, we launched several hundred meters back the road where a gravel parking lot and steep riverbank provided adequate access to the water. After placing the kayaks in the water, we paddled towards the covered bridge, turning right and onward through the channel into Darling Lake.

The covered bridge is now closed to vehicle traffic, with the reason becoming apparent once underneath it. Here, you could clearly see the bridge’s piers were questionably tilted and deformed. In more than one place the pilings no longer contacted the overhead structure. Adjacent to the covered bridge was the current vehicle bridge and in New Brunswick fashion, was architecturally designed to resemble a stone castle.

The tranquil river system caught our attention because of its numerous channels and inlets contained within its floodplain. You could spend days here, but with the sun setting we made a straight trek to Darlings Lake where we traced the shoreline, exploring its many inlets and wetlands before turning around and heading back to the car. While I imagine the river gets busy in the summer, we saw just one boat, two other paddlers, and a bald eagle who continually circled the lake, hoping to find supper.

The river system is worth the visit and because of its protected, calm waters and proximity to nearby communities, it is a paddle that can be enjoyed safely by paddlers of all skill levels. I do recommend getting out before dark, but as with most of our adventure’s, we loaded the kayaks on the car in the dark and continued to our overnight “accommodations”.

Car Camping – Mispec Beach

We have always said that campgrounds close too early and as we were looking to make this trip as cheap as possible, we had hoped on trying a second go at car camping. Using recommendations provided by internet friends and the great website, freecampsites.net, we picked up something to cook for supper and set up camp in the parking lot of Mispec Beach Park just outside of Saint John. The night was cold, but with little wind and beautiful, moonlit views of Mispec Bay we never complained much. It was a quiet area, with plenty of space, garbage cans, and a tidy port-a-potty and the only other visitors were a curious raccoon and a few drivers out for a cruise After transforming the back of our Forrester into a bed and light-proofing the windows, we crawled into bed.

Despite a clear forecast, we woke up the next morning to rain, fog, and wind. The anticipated sunny, twenty-degree day for kayaking Saint John Harbour seemed doubtful. Eager to make the most of the day, we packed our gear, navigated around a morning yoga group, and ventured into Saint John in search of a Tim Hortons, hoping for improved weather later in the day. Miraculously, luck was on our side, and just before 11:30, the sun pierced through the clouds, the wind subsided, and temperatures began to climb.