IF you fancy getting up close and personal with fresh lobster, fly-fishing for wild salmon in crystal-clear rivers or moose tracking in acres of unspoilt woodland, then Atlantic Canada is the place to go.

Our tour started in Nova Scotia, a province on the eastern seaboard of Canada. Its name means New Scotland after immigrants arrived there more than two centuries ago, and I saw more tartan kilts and pipers in three days then I did in a whole week in the Highlands.

From the capital Halifax we were driven to Lunenburg for dinner at the trendy Tin Fish restaurant at the Lunenburg Arms Hotel for some of the best seafood I’ve ever tasted including lobster, crab cakes and scallops, all cooked to perfection.

This colonial town has changed little from the 18th century, apart from the multi-coloured houses that reminded me of Balamory in the children’s TV series.

We went geo-caching – a high-tech treasure hunt activity that is becoming increasingly popular around the world.

Once we’d got to grips with our GPS devices we were exploring the local surroundings, finding hidden booty ranging from bear bells to maple sugar shakers.

Then we set out on a sea voyage aboard the local lobster boat to haul in the traps and learn how to hold and hypnotise (and establish the sex of) the crustaceans.

Lunch at the chic Salt Shaker Deli included creamy seafood chowders and succulent mussels, a fortifying feast before we headed for the university town of Wolfville in the Annapolis Valley and an overnight stay at the historic Blomidon Inn with its chintz curtains, vast four-poster beds and historic oil paintings.

The next day we visited the Foxhill Cheese Farm and swung by the award-winning Domaine de Grand Pre vineyard on our way to Parrsbaro, a small seaside community on the Bay of Fundy.

I stayed at The Maple Inn – formerly the local hospital, where most of the older inhabitants were born (my room was the old delivery suite!).

On day three we called at the World Heritage site at Joggins Fossil Centre before meeting our new hosts in New Brunswick.

Our tour of Canada’s only officially bilingual province got off to a flying start with a speedboat ride around Kouchibouguac National Park to see the grey seals and terns.

One of the highlights of the trip was the Ponds Resort with its impressive lodge house and riverside cabins reminiscent of old-time fishing camps.

After a light supper of smoked salmon on the terrace overlooking the Miramichi river we headed out into the forest on a moose tracking expedition in a couple of four-wheel-drive vehicles driven by our guides.

It was an exciting journey that took us off road into the wilderness where we eventually found some moose – ungainly comical-looking creatures with their large heads and gangly long legs.

The next day we were kitted out with waders and wellies and taught to fly-fish by a qualified river guide. Although we weren’t particularly successful, it did give us the chance to soak up our surroundings.

There’s such a feeling of space in Canada and the opportunity for adventure seems endless.

But even if you’re not a fan of the great outdoors there’s plenty of culture in New Brunswick.

The last leg of our trip included a visit to New Brunswick’s oldest village, Red Bank – home to the Mi’Kmaq First Nation people for over 3,000 years – followed by a whistle-stop tour of Fredericton’s Beaverbrook Art Gallery and nearby Kings Landing Historical Settlement.

Our journey concluded with a shot of adrenaline at TreeGo, the region’s newest attraction, an aerial course set in the treetops of Mactaquac Provincial Park – an unforgettable finale to our once-in-a-lifetime experience.