Wednesday 19th August
Our easterly progress is coming to an end as we enter the famed city of St. John’s. Pippy Park is a massive natural park not far from the St. John’s centre. In the middle is a camping/RV park where we’re booked in for a couple of nights.
There are several Ponds (lakes) within the park and we walked round Long Pond that is close to the Confederation Building, Newfoundland’s Legislature.
On the walk we heard what sounded like random music. It was produced by children playing with this interesting feature.
Each instrument produces a pleasant xylophone-like sound.
Thursday 20th August
The weather is kind of cloudy and cold again but it’s time to hookup with more sailing friends, met down south. We’ve spent time with Vic and Marilyn Greeley in a couple of places in Florida and even the Bahamas. They were in town for a speech by one of their daughters and offered to pick us up and show us the sights.
First stop - Signal Hill a well known St. John’s landmark.
From the top there are panoramic views of the harbour entrance;
and the city (note the cruise-ship that had disgorged 5,000 tourists into the city that morning).
Carol and Vic.
After a tour of the tower commemorating Marconi’s first transatlantic radio transmission it was onto Cape Spear, the most easterly point in North America.
Picture courtesy another tourist.
From the headland you can see Signal Hill and the harbour entrance in the distance.
By now it’s lunchtime and Vic suggests fish and chips in his home town.
Petty Harbour hosts Chafe’s Restaurant who have, justifiably, a high rating for their fish and chips - Outstanding! How is it possible to make batter like that?
Petty Harbour is another picturesque Newfoundland fishing village where Vic says, that when he grew up, the Catholics lived on one side of the harbour;
the Protestants on the other.
And never the twain did meet - that’s all changed.
On our walk round Long Pond the previous day we passed a building called the Fluvarium. Vic and Marilyn told us that was worth a visit so when they dropped us off we took a gander.
Looks like an aquarium, right? It’s actually a view into a brook and the fish are free to go wherever they wish.
They also had wildlife in and tanks and this one is a dead ringer for Moe from the Simpsons.
Friday 21st August
Time to leave Pippy Park and visit more Newfoundlanders in their habitat.
Vic and Marilyn live in Greens Harbour and we parked in their back garden.
That night we walked up the road to Vic’s daughter Joanne’s place. She has a free library on the road outside her house.
We had an evening round a camp fire, Vic and I talked to Terry (Joanne’s partner) while Carol talked to Joanne (the electrician) and her two visiting friends about women in the workplace and men’s bad attitudes (and behaviour) towards them. Joanne played guitar and sang a few songs.
Saturday 22nd August
An absolutely gorgeous day and just as well. Marilyn was involved with a garage sale on behalf of their church. I lent a hand setting up (and taking down) and Carol did some selling.
Sunday 23rd August
When people you meet tell you about a ‘must see’ then you should.
St. Mary’s Ecological Reserve is on a peninsula south of where we were. On the way down couldn’t resist driving through this place.
It's just another fishing village.
When we got to St. Mary’s it was quite foggy and although we hiked out to Bird Rock visibility was limited.
Sheep in the mist.
I’m not usually into rocks but I thought these lichen covered beauties were worth a pic.
I took a walk with Buddy down to the lighthouse.
Apparently they have fog most days here where the warm Gulf Stream meets the cold Labrador current.
In hope of a better day on the morrow we stayed overnight in the parking lot listening to the foghorn from the lighthouse every 30sec.
Monday 24th August
The following morning the fog lifted some.
I took another walk out to Bird Rock.
To get there you walk along cliffs that are 300 metres above the Atlantic. This is looking back at the Interpretation Centre where they have knowledgeable park people, a movie, pictures and description of the bird life.
The building on the headland is the Interpretation Centre where we were parked.
You can hear the birds (and smell them) before you get to the best vantage point to see Bird Rock.
The white speckles are birds.
The rock looks a little crumbly.
And to get the best view of The Rock, the path leads out onto a promontory with a staggering drop on either side.
However, you can get really close.
The birds you see on the top are all gannets but way down below there are strata of other birds, murres being near the sea as they’re not great fliers.
Fluffy chicks are everywhere.
The noise is cacophonous and the smell is not good.
Moving on through Placentia and Argentia (where the other Nova Scotia ferry leaves from) we made it to Bellevue Beach leaving the Avalon Peninsula.
Not obvious from the pic but over the cliff edge behind us the surf was pounding on the beach and made a fabulous lullaby.
Tuesday 24th August
Back on the Trans Canada and to Notre Dame Provincial Park where we stayed before.
Wednesday 25th August
Back to the infamous Howley but this time to the right campground. What a difference this place is. Friendly, lovely washrooms and site with a lake view out of the side window.
When we were in River of Ponds I went for a swim in the lake. I lasted about 30 sec - it was frigid, so when the campground owners told me their lake was quite warm, I didn’t believe them. I had a go anyway and swam across the lake which apparently is 90km long.
Tuesday 25th August
Last leg to Port Aux Basques for our Saturday ferry sailing. A stop in Corner Brook for odds and ends and then back to the J.T. Cheeseman Provincial Park where we started our Newfie adventure.
