Saint John, a Vibrant City where Continents Collide, Saint John, New Brunswick

On a beautiful June morning, having put on my harness and safety helmet, I climb the stairs of a tall tower by the Saint John River. My companion, Jillian, from the local tourism board, is looking very nervous and I’m not feeling particularly confident myself. Jillian has tried many times before to ride this series of ziplines but has never quite managed to pick up the courage. She looks terrified. I try to offer her words of encouragement without being overbearing. I’ve been on many ziplines but perched on this high tower I am the most scared I’ve ever been. I step up and onto my tiptoes (I’m only 5-foot-tall) so I can be hooked up to the first line. Then I’m away! Ziplining with a view of the Saint John River is just one of the many exciting things to do in Saint John, New Brunswick.

I arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick on the east coast of Canada, earlier that week as part of a campaign that saw 14 bloggers travel to different cities across the country to mark the celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday. Having flown in from Gatwick to Montréal, it was just a short internal flight to Saint John’s refreshingly small airport and I was soon checked into my room in the harbourside Hilton Saint John. As I was to find out over the next 7 days, it is in the perfect location for exploring this maritime city, being within easy walking distance of almost all the main attractions. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).