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Published: August 16th 2010
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ARRIVAL IN NEWFOUNDLAND
Met a couple of chaps on the ferry who came from St John's in the far east of NFL who spoke with a cross between an Irish and Canadian accent - that is how they talk down there apparantly. Elsewhere in NFL I have found the accent impossible to understand but Mark seems to be coping. Brian and Jim also told us that the St John's area is undergoing an economic boom with oil revenue coming in and boosting the economy. "The kids are coming in from the back woods rather than leaving for other parts of Canada."
UNIQUE TIME ZONE
The time in Newfoundland and Labrador is half an hour ahead of maritime time - I have never crossed a boarder before and had to move my watch by the half hour.
TEMPERATURE
About 10C colder here in NFL for the first couple of days - now back up to the mid-20s.
ROADS
There is really only one road though NFL - the Trans Canada Highway - with branch roads off it that you have to retrace your steps on. The road is generally in good condition although on
the side roads there is evidence of frost damage - now there is a surprise!! The vegetation is cut back a long way from the highway - c25 yards so that you can see the moose emerging and take avoiding action. So far I have seen lots of interesting skid marks on the road, some droppings and some hoof marks, but no actual moose even though we are now in the Gros Morne National Park where there are supposed to be tons of them.
The road signs in both Nova Scotia and NFL do seem to be a bit OTT with warnings of bends that are merely gentle curves and also one mile's notice that a roundabout is coming up (we have only seen two so I think they must be a rarity here).
BIKES
I (Sally) have been getting amazing fuel consumption on my bike showing 65-70mpg in some places as a steady 55-60mph is maintained in top with no stops, etc. Think I will have forgotten how to do bends before long (I know some of you who ride with me think I have a problem in that area anyway!). 2000 miles done and only
a little oil used in both bikes - not the norm for these GSes which usually drink it as fast as petrol.
ROUTE
We have travelled about half way across NFL and the TCHighway was telling us we were still heading east but we want to go west!! We travelled about half way around NFL stopping in various places for a night or two and then decided that as we would have to retrace our steps for the entire route that we would turn around at Springdale and head up the northern arm of NFL towards the ferry as two weeks and 2000 miles have already gone.
We travelled up and down many of the branch roads from TCHighway where you travel for maybe 20 miles without seeing any building at all and very few cars to find at the end on the coast a thriving community with several hundred houses. These places are called "outports" and built up from the sea with the access roads being put in later.
All of the houses are the clapper boarded type, many of them here much smaller than we have seen before, but all in tip top condition
with neatly trimmed grass all around.
We stopped for a picnic one day at one of these outports and saw jelly fish, starfish, sea urchins and a few fish in the water in the harbour.
We camped for a couple of nights by a wide, fast flowing, shallow river but the salmon were now few and far between although we did see two beaver swimming about. We have spent the last two days in the Gros Morne National Park and watched a stoat circling our wooded camping area whilst we were having lunch. He was obviously out hunting for mice whilst most of the people were off camp and the area relatively quiet and Sally saw one of his intended victims in the pot washing area this morning, a little wood mouse.
The Gros Morne National Park reminds us both of Scotland - it is stunning and the weather fantastic, warm and sunny and no rain. Yesterday we did a few hiking trails - strangely they are pretty few and far between and a bit awkward when you have to derobe from riding gear first.
ATMs
Our cards are not working in the ATMs here
as they have to have the mastercard symbol - so we are short of cash but luckily everywhere you can pay with plastic - only 2 hours north from here (Rocky Harbour) to the nearest cash machine!!
WHAT'S NEXT
We are heading north with the intention of crossing over to Labrador in the next day or two depending on availability, etc.
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Ann
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It seems like yesterday we were enjoying the scenery of Gros Morne National Park, hard to believe it was a year ago - glad you are having a good time, thanks for the birthday wishes xx