The other great ocean road

Over the duration of an extended trip, eventually everything starts to get a little fuzzy. I loose track of time, start to lose motivation and everything starts to look a little the same.

Then something happens that blows my mind. And I remember why I travel.

Enter the most eastern province of Canada: Newfoundland and Labrador.

I’ve wanted to come here for a long time. So long that I can’t remember how I even heard about this place. A few pictures of the coastline and the cute painted houses in St. John’s was enough to entice me onto a plane from Halifax at 6am. For my time in NFL I’m relaxing my budget ways: I’ve booked a hire car for two days. So a little nervous about driving on the wrong side of the road for the first time and a little buzzed on my Tim Horton’s double-double, I jumped in the left side of the car. OK, OK so I went to get in the right side first. Not a great start.

I followed the Trans Canada Highway from St. John’s. There wasn’t much sign of life – a lot of trees and power lines. I turned off onto Route 62 at Holyrood – partly because the lady at the tourism desk recommended it. And partly because Holyrood is a cool name. I will end up on the Baccalieu Trail.

Within a few kilometres I was by the water – and there I stayed, give or a take a few detours, for the rest of the day. It was rare that water – either the ocean in Conception Bay or little freshwater lakes and ponds – was out of sight. I weaved along the roads slowly. The standard speed limit is 50kmh for most of it.

My first destination was Brigus. It’s a cute hamlet home to about 800 people. If you can believe it, I got a little lost. The roads were narrow and I was never sure if they were one-way or not. The street signs were very quaint. I especially liked the one for Lobster Factory Road. The road was barely 50m long before hitting the water and there was nothing, nor seemed to be enough room for anything resembling a lobster factory.

After driving straight past the turn-off the first time, on my second try I found Cupids. This was another historical recommendation in the tourist guidebooks and it lived up to the gorgeous pictures. I found out later it is the oldest British settlement in Canada that has been continuously lived in. It actually celebrated it’s 400th anniversary in 2010. The landscape here reminded me a bit of Stanley, my favourite place in Tasmania.

There is never anything much in these places but somehow they still exist. They are all by the water so lots of action in the water: big fishing boats, lots of cars parked at the wharf etc. There are a few modern houses, but most are the small weatherboard types and usually quite colourful. It does make the landscape really gorgeous. Add that to the coastline: rugged in some parts with steep cliffs, then opening up to reveal little bays.

With my two main destinations reached early in the day, I had hours to continue my 200km drive along the coast of Conception Bay on the Avalon Peninsula. After nearly a year of not driving I had forgotten what a luxury it is. I stopped wherever I liked. If I drove past a nice view, I did a U-turn and went back to it. In Harbour Main I stopped at the supermarket for lunch supplies and stopped again by the water to make a sandwich. My budget ways haven’t gone entirely out the window: I cut up salad stuff on the boot of the car using a plastic bag as a chopping board.

I drove through more little towns: South River, Clarke’s Beach, Bay Roberts, Spaniard Bay. There were so many little places. I would leave one and find another within minutes, if not seconds.

As I came down the road into Harbour Grace I saw a large abandoned ship in the shallows. Oh cool, I said. (I did actually say this. I’m travelling by myself. I have conversations. With myself). Then I looked beyond the ship. OH COOL!!!! In the distance, just off the end of the land and before a little island, was my first iceberg.

I pulled over and ran up for a better view. Yep, there, almost invisible with the fog and the overcast skies and water, was a iceberg. It was big to me, but probably quite small as far as icebergs go. I was actually surprised by how excited I was. I may have shrieked a couple of times. I drove as close as I could to get a picture then reluctantly returned to my drive. Turns out, there were plenty to be seen along the coast. Arriving in June, technically summer, I was worried I may not see any.

I reached the end of the bay sooner than I expected so I explored a few of the towns right at the very tip of the peninsula before heading south down Trinity Bay (to the west of Conception Bay) about 10 minutes to my hostel. I’d left the airport at 9am and finished driving at 4pm. I did not see a moose. But there is always tomorrow….