NEWFOUNDLAND – CONNAIGRE PENINSULA DRIVE #3.
Day 99 – The sun was still shining this morning at 7 a.m. A few clouds; a nice breeze. YAAA! We are leaving tomorrow for a different area & campground. We were REALLY hoping the weather would remain sunny for today’s drive to the remaining towns on this peninsula.
We left the campground at 10:20; it was 63 degrees. We drove north on Route 360 for 40 km, turning southeast on Route 362. Our first stop was the town of Pool’s Cove, 16 km after the 360/362 junction. Pool’s Cove was nestled beneath forested rolling hills on the scenic bay. It is the ferry launch terminal for a ferry that runs east to a town called Recontre East, accessible only by water. After Recontre, it terminates at Little Bay East on the Burin Peninsula, one of the most scenic areas we have visited. After unloading passengers & freight, then picking up more, the ferry returns to Recontre and Pool’s Cove. We got to the ferry terminal just as they were unloading by crane some of the freight they’d picked up.
We continued on Route 362 for about 20 km to the next two villages: St. Jacques & Belleoram, where the 362 ended. The scenery was amazing with rolling hills and big boulders and lots of greenery and plenty of lakes. The roads in these towns were very narrow, winding through the villages on the bays, really just big enough for one vehicle to pass at a time, especially if someone had parked in front of a home on the street. Reminescent of Quidi Vidi & Petty Harbour near St. John’s. Really nice little towns.
We went back to the 362/363 junction and drove south to a spot to eat our lunches overlooking the Ocean. We visited the six very small villages in this area that ran west across the end of the peninsula: English Harbour West, Mose Ambrose, Boxy Harbour, St. John’s Bay, Coomb’s Cove, and Wreck Cove. As usual, as we approached the end of the road, we liked those towns the best. That would be Coomb’s Cove & Wreck Cove. Both towns were situated in extremely beautiful surroundings. And all six were on the Ocean with red, rocky cliffs that came right down to the deep blue water & most had wharfs of various sizes to house a few fishing boats. The beaches had pristine, white sand, rather than the rocks we usually see. Just gorgeous.
Click any picture below to see a slideshow.
We drove back to the campground feeling quite mellow. Being around all this beauty really tends to keep you in the moment & you tend to just relax into it all. The high today was 79 degrees inland & about 70 by the water. Sunny all day with just a few clouds.
Deadman’s Cove RV Park: Route 360 south to Harbour Breton, turn right at the RCMP Station & continue 1.2 km; (709) 885-2354 or (709) 885-2885; e-mail tanyarogers_edo@hotmail.com; website www.harbourbreton.com. Open June 1 to September 30. This Park is operated by the Town. It is first come, first served; they do not take reservations. To get your campsite, stop at the Town Hall on weekdays or the Ultramar Gas Station on weekends, check availability & pay for your site ($25 per night Canadian currency – the Town takes credit cards; the gas station takes cash). There are only 5 RV campsites & 10 tent sites. We arrived on a Monday. There was only one RV site available. We grabbed it; site #12. The rest of our week-long stay, the RV sites all remained occupied. There is a dump station in town. Water & electric hook-ups were at the RV sites. The campground was extremely quiet & peaceful (except for the Teddy Bear & Community Events). There was a laundry facility, showers, restrooms & a playground. We would definitely stay here again, IF we could get a site.