NEWFOUNDLAND

Day 77   August 11    Argentia to Placentia    5km.

Arrived in Argentia, Newfoundland, the final Province of our trip.

Our first sight of Newfoundland from the ferry was a rather gloomy one. The land was shrouded by clouds and mist like a scene from a movie. We disembarked after a 16 hour journey and were greeted by heavy rain and strong winds so we decided to rest for the day. The few kilometers to the Tourist Information were uphill and the winds were so strong it was a battle to stay on our bikes. They found us a room at a Bed and Breakfast in Placentia. Rosedale Manor Inn which turned out to be a gem. We arrived dripping wet, we must have been a sorry sight, but we were warmly greeted by Philip and Linda. They found a safe, sheltered place for us to store our bikes, hung our wet gear in a warm place to dry and made us a very welcome pot of tea which they served with the most delicious cookies. (Home made by Philip who is a pastry chef).

The Inn had a comfortable guest lounge with interesting books and the garden offered a nice place to relax given the right weather. For us bikers it was very well situated,being  just a few minutes walk to restaurants, food store and the Library.

In the late afternoon there was a break in the rain and we went out for supper and a stroll. Placentia has a nice boardwalk by the sea, an ideal after supper walk.
The Bed and Breakfast was full and in the evening we relaxed in the lounge and talked with the other guests they were all very friendly and showed great interest in our journey.


Day 78  August 12   Placentia to St. Brides     85km.

Today began with a wonderful breakfast. Bob had an omelette and I had oatmeal with all kinds of fruit. It was beautifully served with fresh juice, homemade bread and jams , all was delicious. After breakfast Linda found time to help me with our route planning and kindly booked us a room in St. Brides. She also called the local newspaper and a reporter came to interview us before we said our goodbyes and hit the road (see article) .

The journey to St. Brides was wonderful. There was a short flat section at Point Verde but after that it was all very steep up and down. It was a very challenging day but we were rewarded by spectacular scenery. We passed by many lovely Coves. This area is remote and unspoiled. Gooseberry Cove has a lovely sandy beach, an ideal place for a swim.

We stopped and talked to a family who were picking blueberries. They told us that once there were many sheep farms in this area and sheep would wonder across the road but sadly today only a few remain.

When we arrived at St. Brides we dropped our luggage at the Capeway Motel and continued our journey to Cape St. Mary's Ecological Reserve  (what a joy to be on our bikes without all the weight-the hills suddenly did not seem so steep). The 13km. road leading to the reserve was well paved and fairly flat, a wonderful ride . The Ecological Reserve is a must see. We found out later that we were lucky to have visited it on such a clear day, as apparently it is often very misty there. To obtain a good look at the millions of birds it is necessary to walk a little to the cliff edge. It isn’t dangerous and there is a well worn path but we would not want to attempt it in heavy mist.

On the way back to the motel we stopped at the Gannets Nest  (which is also a small campground) for a meal of crabs legs. After dinner we ended our ride with a downhill into the setting sun, a perfect ending to a perfect day.

Our accomadation at the Motel was a one bedroom very well equipped efficiency unit. It would make a perfect place to spend a few days while exploring the area. The owner Hilda greeted us warmly we enjoyed a cup of tea with her before going to bed.

Day 79   August 13   St. Brides to St Catherins      91km.

After breakfast in our room we took our leave of Hilda and The Capeway Motel. Before continuing our journey we took a little time to see St. Brides. It is a nice town with a pretty cove and a  small harbour which cannot be seen from the main road.

We continued on route 100 stopping at Branch to buy some provisions (stores are few and far between on this road) Branch was a very friendly place. There was  a man sitting outside his house and he offered us a cup of tea as we passed by. The harbor is very attractive and there were sheep on a field in the middle of the water. The road to North Harbour was a good ride with nice views but definitely not flat. At times we were riding right alongside the seashore. Every once in a while we even had to sahre the road with a car (doesn't anyone drive in Newfoundland ? ) We stopped at Colinet for an ice cream and information. We discovered there was no place to stay in the area so we continued to St. Catherines where we enjoyed a great meal of fish and chips at a restaurant on the corner of the junction with route 90. We found a place to camp by the river just off route 90.

Day 80   August 14   St. Catherine's to Trepasse     93 km.

Continuing our journey around the Avalon Peninsula we followed route 90 to route 10 which goes all the way to St. Johns, this circuit  know as the Irish Loop Drive. We stopped at St. Mary’s for lunch and soon after this we passed a garden with a miniature village in it.

At St. Vincent ‘s we crossed a causeway and stopped at a place renowned for whale watching. Apparently the whales come all the way from the Caribbean without eating until they arrive at St Mary’s Bay where they feast on spawning Caplets. We believe all this but we saw no whales.

There was a very long climb out of St. Vincent’s up to a plateau which was long and flat all the way to Trepassey. After a nice downhill we did a circluar route along the coast for another 10 km. before arriving at the actual town. Thinking we had missed the place we stopped and asked a couple for directions and they invited us for a beer, very friendly the Newfies! Trespassy Motel was very nice even though the tap water was brown. We met a man at the Motel from the Department of Fisheries who was there to tag swordfish and salmon with computer chips at $4,000 per tag. After a year the tag releases itself and floats to the surface and transmits a signal back to his office in Ottawa.

Day 81   August 15   Trepasse to Tors Cove      106 km

Our day began with a tough uphill climb out of Trepasse to another plateau. It was a gorgeous ride as flat as the eye could see. We were told we were bound to see moose and caribou in this area but we didn't. After this plateau it was back to steep ups and downs. We had lunch at Fermeuse where Jean had a very good turkey sandwich (turkey and cod are on every menu in Nfld.) After lunch we continued towards Tors Cove but missed the turnoff for the campsite we were looking for. It was very hot and we were tired so we stopped for a milkshake. The man at the shop suggested a place for us to camp. He drew us a map but we had to stop and ask for help at a house. Scott, the owner, suggested we camp opposite his house which we did. A little later he invited us for a beer which we enjoyed on his balcony.

The view from his house was amazing. It overlooked an old fishing cove that had a fish plant that was no longer used. We could not see this view from the road and we wondered how many places like this we miss. We would like to come back one day and walk the East Coast Trail  from St. John’s to Cappahayden.

Day 82    August 16   Tors Cove to Goulds       35 km

As usual when we awoke everything was damp (this is the most unpleasant part of camping - we always seem to be packing up a wet tent). Before setting off we walked down to the Cove to enjoy the view and take some pictures.

We stopped at a garage just past Witless Bay for a much needed coffee where we had a long talk with the couple that ran the place and we were once again struck by the friendliness of the people.

At Bay Bulls we took a Gatherall's Puffin and  Whale Watch boat tour. Witless Bay Ecological Reserve is comprised of four small islands that in the summer are home to millions of seabirds. We were a little disappointed in the size of the puffins. From all the pictures we had seen we imagined them to be much bigger. They were very cute though, and we did see some whales.

After the boat ride we had lunch before continuing to Goulds and Wild Roses Bed and Breakfast which was very friendly with no airs and graces. They served us tea with cheese and biscuits. It was a full house and we met a man and his daughter from Thunder bay and a couple who were walking parts of the East Coast Trail.

That evening Mary the owner of the B & B took Jean to a dinner theatre in Bay Bulls. She had a great time and ate the most delicious roast pork.

Day 83     August 17   Goulds to St. John’s      51 km.

Mary served us a great breakfast so we left fortified and ready to face the long climb to Cape Spear Park. We passed through Petty Harbour which was a very attractive little town. The climb to Cape Spear  was not as bad as we expected but our arrival at the most easterly point in North America was much more emotional than we expected. Our Journey was over, we did it, we biked across Canada!

After savouring the moment we walked around the site which is also the home of the oldest lighthouse in the Province and WW2 artillery batteries.

After leaving Cape Spear we had to climb some long hills to get to St. John’s. We found them very tough - it was as though our will to bike another kilometre had left us. After achieving our goal our bodies said no more. At St. John’s we abandoned our bikes and walked everywhere until we had to use them to get to the airport. We had a nice surprise to end our adventure when, the day before we left St. John’s, we discovered The Telegram  had published an article about our trip.(click here to read)

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