Friday 9 June 2017

We made it to the ROCK!!! (Tuesday, June 7th)


*** You can skip to the video at the end if the write up is too long! 

Waking up on the Ferry!  They give a warning when we are 1hr from port but we kept sleeping and finally got up at the 30 minutes warning.  My plan was to get up earlier and bring Gab on the top decks while we were actually sleeping but it didn't take much for Justin to convince me that we should just chill.  So, we are rushing to get everyone showered in our mini bathroom and get everything packed.  By the time we make it to the elevators to bring us to the lower deck, they are calling for the owner of a Black Dodge with a travel trailer....oh boy!  Justin takes off using the stairs and we get off the elevator just in time to see Justin pulling away with the trailer..... The lady on the deck tries to figure out if they can stop him and if we can join him but it's too late and she tells me we have to get off using the passenger only buses.  Problem is that Bones is still up in his kennel and I have no idea how I will manage to carry all our bags, the kids, Bones and his kennel.  She tells me to head to reception on the 5th deck and they would figure something out.  Once I finally find it, they tell me to just go get my dog and leave him in his kennel and to come back and we would go on the passenger bus.  Hugh....my dog is 80lbs in a 4X3 kennel....no way.  Plus, I am not sure if Justin has the muzzle or if he left it up there.  Thank God we both have our cell phones and I can call him and he tells me that he left the muzzle it in the kennel.  I get to the top deck with the kids and look frantically for Bones.  He is so happy to see me.  I get him out and put the muzzle on him (which he manages to take off in record time, but I really don't care at this point)  I put our bags in the kennel, grab onto bones, Gab is pushing James and we head back down.  When the doors open a nice lady is there waiting for us.  She sees how nice Bones is and says that they will take us to the lower deck and have a bus for us. We get our own bus and get driven to Justin who is waiting in the yard for us.  Boy...are we happy to finally be in NEWFOUNDLAND!!!!!

Our tiny room 
tiny bathroom which included a shower


We made it!
So tired! Yesterday was a long day!







































We decide on a campsite in Codroy Valley in Doyles.  About a 30 minute drive.  3 service, free firewood and super friendly service all for 36$.  The lady gave us a super well put together flyer of things to do in the area so we have a quick lunch and head out.  Our first impression of NFLD is WOW!  The drive to the campsite takes us on HWY 1 through Table Mountains.  We drive to most westerly point of the island where there is a cute lighthouse and then make a stop at a beautiful beach.  Gab is having a blast picking up seashells and trying to skip rocks on the water with Justin.  We then head back towards Port-aux-Basques to discover the communities that lie east of there.  Our first stop is in Isle aux Morts where we take what we guess is about a 4km loop walk along side the ocean.  The Harvey Trail is breath taking.  It's a gravel, coastal trail honoring the site of the daring rescues by the George Harvey family

Next, onto Rose Blanche.  This community is the last one going west inland.  You can catch a passenger ferry to get to 'La Poile'. (Had to mention it because it made Gab laugh big time).  We turned into Rose Blanche thinking we were heading to the lighthouse.  The tiny winding roads are crazy! There are tiny little houses all right next to each other with roads that only allow one vehicle at a time.  We are happy we turned in because driving through the village was fun.  We kept thinking of people who would accidently turn in there with their trailers!!! When we initially got off the ferry, I had thought of maybe going to west first to see these villages in order not to backtrack! Thankful we didn't.  We found the lighthouse and it was a nice little walk to go see it and visit inside. It is a restored granite lighthouse.  Unfortunately, we are not aloud to go to the top. 


On the way back, we decide to stop at a waterfall that we spotted on the way in.  We gave Gab the option to hike to it or not.  Our little trooper was all about it.  It's about a 3km there and back hike to Barachois Falls.  Very nicely done and well worth the easy hike.  James was sleeping in his stroller the entire way and Bones was a little tired from his first day so he stayed back in the truck.  Gaby and Justin went and touched the water and of course Justin had to try and get a hero shot and climbed up the fall a bit.  He had to take his shoes off to come back as he couldn't make the jump back to the trail (I think he was playing it safe seeing as on our last trip,  a hero shot landed him in Emerg with a sprained ankle!).  

Barachois Falls

Rose Blanche Lighthouse

Back to the trailer we go, via a small pitstop at Foodland in Port-aux-Basques.  Cauliflower was 8.99, it stayed on the shelf.  I bought broccoli for a crazy 4.29!  The meat on the other hand, was fairly priced. Some good chicken breast and broccoli for supper and we all call it a night!  The kids were both passed out on the way to the camper!

Day 1 on the ROCK did not disappoint.

A little video of today's highlights!




















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