Unusual choice

Atlantic Canada won’t feature high up on many newlyweds’ list of top honeymoon destinations. After the stress of planning a wedding most opt for a relaxed couple of weeks on a beach somewhere remote. But we wanted something a bit different, somewhere with beautiful landscapes, plenty to do outdoors and excellent food.

The eastern provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick fit the bill. Only six-and-a-half-hours from the UK, the region is easily accessible.

Our journey starts in Halifax on a warm late summer day. It’s an easy city to stroll around and on our first morning Laura and I take in the views along the wharf area. Heading north out of Halifax we make our way towards the Annapolis Valley. Lunch is at the charming Evangeline’s – a destination straight out of the 1950s. Burgers are followed by a slice of homemade pie as the wedding diet is quickly abandoned.

The drive to Wolfville takes about an hour and to break the journey we stop at Hennigar’s Farm Market: one of the many home-grown produce outlets that line the highways. As well as ogling the piles of brightly coloured fruit and vegetables, there’s the opportunity to indulge in a round of farmer’s golf – a version of the game originating from the Netherlands, which uses a club with a wooden shoe on the end.

The Blomidon Inn sits like something out of a 19th-century novel. Set back from road, the property was formerly a sea captain’s mansion. Our room is cavernous and its position at the back of the building in a separate annex gives it even more privacy. Dinner is a glorious run-through of the area’s highlights, complete with homemade bread and a bottle of the locally made wine. In fact the wine is so good, the next day we make a special trip up to the estate to buy another bottle.

The north-west tip of Nova Scotia turns into a peninsula just past the town of Digby. Trees tightly skirt the road and there’s a growing feeling of remoteness as we head further and further towards the tip, with the sense of calm only punctured by my slightly erratic driving.

Across a narrow strip of water sits the village of Tiverton. Stacks of colourful lobster pots are a constant reminder of its fishing heritage but more and more people are making the long trip down in search of something bigger.

Whale of a time

The Bay of Fundy is a haven for up to 12 species of whale and our captain for the day, Tom Goodwin, all but assures us a sighting is guaranteed. We soon discover that this type of trip isn’t for the faint-hearted. My only previous whale-watching trips have featured large unwieldy vessels; this time we’re in an inflatable “Zodiac”. Captain Tom tells us to “hang on” as he pulls back on the throttle and we speed out on to the open ocean while holding on to each other for dear life.

It’s not long before we spot our first whale – a female humpback and calf – who spend the next half an hour frolicking fairly close to us.

Sadly, we don’t manage any other sightings and with showers on the horizon Captain Tom decides to head back to dry land.

The next day we are back on the water bound for neighbouring Saint John, New Brunswick from Digby.

Canada’s third smallest province is also the only one to officially be bilingual. This creates the occasional comic situation where – like an airline safety video – any kind of explanation has to be given first in English and then in French.

Like Halifax, Saint John is fairly compact and easy to explore on foot. We stroll over to the City Market, which claims to be the oldest such building in North America. Inside, it’s another foodie heaven. Restaurants and cafes offering fresh produce from across the region and world are squeezed in tightly.

After indulging in a cookie sandwich ice-cream we decide to fill up on culture. Close to the market, the New Brunswick museum is a great introduction to the area’s culture as well as its nature. Our guide Victor explains the history of the province and how it became important for both the First Nations and subsequent colonists.

North-east of Saint John the tiny village of St Martins is a great place to stop if you want to take a closer look at the coastline – although our trip should have probably come with a health warning for married couples.

Art of collaboration

As our guide Nick explains to us the best technique for tandem kayaking he casually mentions that they’re known as “divorce boats” by those in the know. Quite quickly we find out why.

My main job at the front is to provide the power, while Laura at the back uses a peddle-operated rudder to direct us.

No sooner have we made it out on to the water than we each start blaming each other for our inability to turn the boat around, “You’re not steering properly” is followed by “you’re rowing the wrong way”. Nick, who’s clearly experienced in this type of conflict resolution, steps in and diffuses the situation. We come to an understanding and make our way back towards the rest of the group.

An hour in things get even better when Nick takes us to a deserted beach and unpacks a picnic containing the best smoked salmon I have ever tasted. He tells us it was as a result of a bonding exercise with his father-in-law who has passed on the secrets of smoking, while Nick has reciprocated by offering him an education in whisky.

After lunch we head back out to sea and eventually come to the joint conclusion that when you work together, kayaking is bliss. There’s probably a lesson for married life in there somewhere.