GOOD LUCK, GAIL!
TRAVEL DAY
From: Peyton’s Woods RV Park & Campground, Twillingate, NL.
To: Brimstone Head RV Park, Fogo Island, NL.
Day 58 – It rained last night and was still raining this morning when we got up. At 6:30 a.m. it was 46 degrees. We departed Peyton’s Woods at 9 a.m. after dumping tanks. The temperature had dropped to 41 degrees; it was windy & raining. Certainly not a good day for taking pictures from a ferry.
The drive southeast to Farewell, the town where the ferry terminal was located, was uneventful. There was almost no traffic whatsoever, probably due to the lousy weather. One large tour bus did pass us heading for Twillingate. Those passengers wouldn’t be too happy seeing Twillingate in these conditions. As we crossed the causeway bridge, we said good-bye to the icebergs we’d seen several times over the past few days as they changed positions and size.
We continued southeast on Route 340, then turned northeast on Route 335. The road at times was quite rough; the kitties were not pleased. We arrived in Farewell at the ferry terminal at 10:10 a.m. It was windy with light rain and fog.
The ferry was scheduled to make two stops, first at Change Islands and then Fogo Island. Since it wasn’t a huge ferry and those going to Change Islands would get on the ferry first, we’d wanted to get to the terminal early. There were several vehicles in line already including another RV when we arrived. (RVs, trucks with trailers, etc. take up a lot of room in the smaller ferries.) More vehicles continued to arrive including two RVs for Change Islands; they would get on first. The ferry was scheduled to depart at 11:30. The next ferry would be leaving at 3:30 p.m., so we really hoped we’d be able to get on this departure and wouldn’t have to wait for the next ferry. We were glad we got there early.
We let the girls out to roam the RV while we waited. Lots of Goldfinches were flitting about in the trees. Sea Gulls and Terns flew overhead. We saw the ferry in the distance heading towards the terminal. The vehicles in line were moving forward, stopping at the ticket booth to pay the fare. As far as we could see in the distance behind us, vehicles were lined up. We were pretty sure by this time that we would make this departure. Much to their dismay, we put the girls back in their travel place in the bedroom.
The ferry departed at 11:35 a.m. It was raining and foggy, 44 degrees and quite windy. Passengers were not allowed to stay in their vehicles during the trip, so we headed to the second level and grabbed a seat. We’d brought our books to read. We could also see outside somewhat, although the windows were fogged up and the conditions outside were poor. We stopped at Change Islands to let some of the vehicles and passengers depart, then continued to Fogo Island. The ride was comfortable; the wind and rain didn’t affect the journey. We arrived at the ferry terminal in Stag Harbour at 12:30 p.m. It was pouring down rain.
We quickly disembarked and headed to our campground at Brimstone Head, just outside the town of Fogo. We passed through a couple of very small towns and turn-offs to other small villages that we will explore soon.
We arrived at Brimstone Head RV Park at 1 p.m. It was 39 degrees, rainy, foggy, and windy. We checked in and drove to our campsite, #11, right on the ocean. There was a small iceberg just outside of the small cove. We parked the RV facing the rocky hills, and one side faces the ocean. Very nice! Only 4 other campsites were taken. But then again, the weather wasn’t exactly perfect. The wind gusts were rocking the RV. But the girls settled in immediately, glad the journey was over.
This campground is run by the Lion’s Club. We stayed here in 2019. We’ll be here for six nights, a longer stay than before. We have electric & water hook-ups; there is a dump station in another town on the way back to the ferry terminal. We’d been fairly certain that we wouldn’t have an internet signal at the campground. We were wrong. You can never tell!
The fog lifted somewhat in the late afternoon revealing two additional icebergs further out barely visible in the haze. It was cold and windy, but there were Northern Gannets circling above the cove searching the water below looking for fish. They will dive straight down into the water from far above when they spot their prey. It’s quite a sight to see! The Northern Gannets nest on rocky cliffs in Labrador and southern Newfoundland. They travel huge distances to look for food during their annual nesting season. Next month we will be camping near Cape St. Mary’s, the location of a large Northern Gannet nesting colony. Rob went outside all bundled up to get some pictures.
