This last safari took me primarily to the 4 eastern Canadian "Maritime" provinces of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland & Labrador, and New Brunswick.  All are names well known to stamp collectors from their 19th Century independent issues.  I also drove into the most north eastern USA state of MAINE.

A fast moving itinerary of travel as usual, but with good forward planning and no jetlag ( partly due to an amazing amount of upgrades on my el-cheapo-cheapo tickets! ) and it all gets fitted in somehow. First up, some 30 hours in planes and airports, covering some 16,000 kilometres from Sydney-San Francisco-Toronto to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and pick up an unsuspecting Hertz Volvo, which did 3,000 kilometres soon afterwards!

Visited Sydney Nova Scotia and caught up with a client there.  Many of the major street names in Sydney (pop 30,000) are identical to those in downtown Sydney. (pop 4 million)  Names like Elizabeth, Pitt, Young, Park, Grosvenor, George, York, College, Argyle, even a Victoria Road, a Broadway and a Wentworth Park!  Sydney NS was settled before Australia was even founded, (one house from 1787 is still standing) so I was assured we must have nicked the names from them not the other way around!  “North Sydney” is a big seaport nearby and hotel rooms there boast "superb views of Sydney Harbour". They even have an iron bridge that looks very suspiciously like our "coathanger".

From Sydney one heads off on the Cabot Trail, a coastal circumnavigation (via Volvo!) of beautiful Cape Breton Island. JUST caught the end of the spectacular "Fall" of the autumn leaves which this area is world famous for.  The spectacular foliage colours everywhere are just amazing. Nova Scotia (quite literally "New Scotland") is very proud of its heritage, and the provincial flag is widely flown, often to the exclusion of the Canadian one!  Scottish based folk music was very popular in the odd pub I somehow forced myself to visit - strictly in the interests of culture.

A car ferry then takes you to the tiniest of all the Canadian Provinces:  Prince Edward Island, named after the father of Queen Victoria. P.E.I. has a minute population but has a separate parliament, and its own Lieutenant Governor.  Attended a rural house contents sale in P.E.I. on a side road. 50 pick-up trucks, and 50 baseball capped farmers gathered around - a real hoot!

Bought a carton of 100+ year old books including a huge leather bound, gold tooled 1889 version of "Wonders Of The Tropics - the Explorations and Adventures in Africa of Henry M. Stanley", with astounding woodblock illustrations - a real treasure for a very avid traveller like myself.  (Also there was a 100 y.o. World Geography Atlas with pastel maps, now in my next ad for $45!)  From P.E.I. you take the world record length 13 km Confederation Bridge (toll $A38!) that takes one into eastern New Brunswick. ( I'll never again complain about the measly 2 bucks round trip toll it costs to cross the Sydney Harbour Bridge! )

After driving completely across pretty New Brunswick east to west I went through the incredibly informal dual nation "customs" checkpoint on the border of New Brunswick, and into the USA state of Maine.  A few hours later you arrive at the very scenic seaport of Bar Harbor. (pop. 4,400)  Once a summer playground for VERY wealthy Americans like J.P. Morgan, Joseph Pulitzer and John. D. Rockefeller, until a devastating fire in 1947.

Tourist trap or not, an entire large Maine lobster, alive and kicking selected from a big tank efficiently appears on your plate 10 minutes later, broiled red, accompanied by salad etc. The whole deal costs only $8.99 full restaurant price! (and being in the USA, is GST Free!)

From Maine one drives on to the Tasmanian built "Super Cat" hydrofoil to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. The fastest ferry in North America, this travels literally at 100 kph the whole journey.  Makes the trip in 2˝ hours, compared to 6˝ hours on the old ferry. The one way cost is terrifying ($A180) as it is levied in $US the direction I came. (Canada to USA far cheaper using "old" rates!) Very comfy with airline type seats, a Casino, restaurant, bar etc.

A pretty coastal drive to Halifax passing Peggy's Cove, where the Swissair jet recently crashed losing all 229 on board. Months of salvage work officially ceased day I was there.  Then catch the Air Canada flight to St. John's Newfoundland, easily the most eastern city in North America.  Have you ever looked and seen just how far EAST that is?! ( It is on the same longitude as the capital of BRAZIL!! )

I think all collectors have a soft spot for Newfoundland, and certainly their stamp issues are the prettiest of the entire British Commonwealth in my opinion.  The 1911-38 De La Rue and Perkins Bacon emissions in particular.  The absolute height of beautiful steel engraved stamp design, and often not expensive to buy either, which is a bonus.  I just love handling those stamp issues. "REAL" stamps, surely.  My all-time favourite is the 1919 Caribou set 12. St. John's Newfoundland is not only the most eastern, but claims to be the oldest settled city in North America.  Newfoundland for me is THE tourist discovery of the 1990's.

Newfoundlanders are the friendliest people you'll ever meet.  Thick Irish accents on most of them.  The older ones you would NOT pick as being Canadian at all.  Until 1949 they were a 100% totally independent British Commonwealth country like Australia.  I understand the vote to Confederate went 49.9% to 51.1% or something!  Anyway, these people are still fiercely proud of their heritage.

I asked many in conversation whether they regarded themselves as Canadians first or Newfoundlanders first.  They all answered the latter.  The oldest European (Viking) settlement in North America from 1000 years ago is on this island and this is now a UNESCO world heritage site.  Newfoundland was "re-discovered" over 500 years ago by John Cabot : witness their superb 1897 stamp set.

St. John's and surrounding areas are like entering a time warp from 50 years ago.  Neat multi coloured wooden "terrace" buildings in the city.  No high rise, clutter, tacky signage, or ugly freeways - quite unique in a North American city of 175,000 people.  Wonderful little 1930's fishing villages everywhere in the countryside etc.  

In July they get many huge icebergs in the harbour, drifting down from Greenland. Also more seals, whales, Puffins and other birds than anywhere else on earth they tell you: some 300 bird species congregate only 30 km away in the humorously named Witless Bay.  I'll be back again one July - 100% guaranteed.  A "must" province to visit if you are ever anywhere near eastern Canada.

Stayed in a lovely 100 y.o. "Bed and Breakfast" terrace in St. John's.  Roaring log fire in both lounge and bedroom, big chatty breakfast with the family and local guests etc.  Really is a far more rewarding travel experience than simply checking into a faceless Hotel.

One old chap on Bell Island invited me into his house to give me some Moose sausages and steak from a licensed kill he made. (Moose are extremely plentiful there) The B & B cooked it all up .... tasted like a lovely beef steak.  Also ate the local specialty, fried Cod tongues.  Weather was delightful the whole trip, sunny and dry, and whilst chillier than Australia, will get a lot more so before Christmas!

On a closing note the "GST" in Canada was an education.  It is allegedly "only" 7% but in practice is 15% in most provinces on EVERYTHING as they add an 8% provincial sales tax to it, and call it a flat " 15% HST" or Harmonised Sales Tax".  I went to Post Offices all over on my travels.  To buy a $1 stamp over the counter costs $1 PLUS 15% tax!  In some Provinces it is slightly less, just to confuse you.  Perversely if you post a letter overseas that costs $1, the tax is not charged.

A stamp collector pays tax on ALL new issues.  Confused?  Wait until we get it in Australia folks!!  A wonderful system! Homeward it was first a 2˝ hour flight back to Toronto, a few hours layover, then 5˝ hours to San Francisco, then 14 hours non-stop back home.  30 hours in all with stopovers.  Then get off the plane at 9 am, and straight to the big Sydney ANDA show to take photographs for the 2 stamp & coin magazines I publish!  I slept extremely well WHEN I finally got to see a pillow.

Throughout this trip, which was a week or so before Halloween, (October 31st) it was amazing to witness the expense and time local people went to, in decorating house exteriors (and many business houses) with pumpkins, witches, ghosts etc. Some front yards were like static art exhibitions!  This primarily eastern American tradition is gathering acceptance strongly each year across USA and Canada.  Basically an unknown tradition in Australasia, but it will catch on, and I hope it does : a very cheery and friendly sight when travelling around.

The cleanliness of the roadsides and cities would amaze you - they put Australia, the USA, and most of Europe totally to shame.  I fly to Bangkok for a few days in mid-November to value and bring back the rest of the wonderful collection I bought part of in January when there,  so watch out for next list!