Landing in Newfoundland

The night was short; I still wake up at 5:30. I look forward to the boat ride. I pack up; the tent is wet from the dew. The sun is still low, behind the trees; I won’t be able to use it to burn off the dew. I shake the fly, and wipe the tent as dry as I can. I’ll use it again tonight, so I’m not that worried.

After riding for a bit, I remember passing through here on my way to the Cabot Trail on my first trip to the maritimes. I won’t have time to stop at Charlene’s this time; I promise myself to visit on the way back. Mmm! Seafood chowder…

The 223 is a winding backroad that takes me through cottage country. Most place names have second name in another language that looks Gaelic or Celtic. Fascinating.

I get to the harbour with 15 minutes to spare. It’ll take a while to board all the vehicles. Bikes are in lane 4 and they start with the 18-wheelers and cars in other, higher-numbered rows.

I notice that in addition to the upper deck for vehicles there’s an another one below ground level: three decks for vehicles. It’s a huge vessel! The bikes are loaded on the ground level deck, on the side lane, where we find the straps to tie them down. It takes me a while to figure out how to do it; thankfully, another biker helps me. Passengers aren’t allowed on the vehicle decks while the ship is sailing, so I grab my essentials for the trip.

The ship has full amenities: restaurant, cafe, bar, cabins, sun deck. It even has a helicopter pad. The mid-ship stair case has large photos of notable places in Newfoundland and Labrador. Cabins were sold out when I made my reservation, so I booked a reserved seat in the quiet area. I’m able to snooze a couple of times during the 7-hour trip: the time flies by.

The ship arrives at Channel-Port aux Basques. A cute little harbour town. I gas up and make my way to the Visitor Centre. Judy was really helpful. She helped me find provincial campgrounds, and suggestions for things I’d like to visit. She gave me plenty of guides for the trip and a detailed map. Surprisingly, some of the things on the map are not showing by default on the Google or Apple maps apps.

I’ll stick to Provincial or National campgrounds on this trip. By experience, they are well maintained, and are perfect for what I need. This time, I set up camp at the nearby J.T. Cheeseman Provincial Park. No alarm this time.

I’m finally here.

Riding distance: 293km