Friday, June 11

Friday, June 11

0730 - Wake up, work on journal.

0800 - Eat breakfast at BnB.

1000 - Leave BnB, take Trans-Canada and 380 out to Roberts Arm and Triton.

1145 - Turn around at Triton and head to Shoal Arm.

1300 - Arrive at wharf in Shoal Arm, no ferry in sight.

1330 - Arive at King's Point.

1400-1500 - Lunch at Rattling Brook and take hike to falls. After hike, drive up 391 to Harry's Harbour.

1545 - Arrive in Harry's Harbour, then turn around.

1645 - Arrive in Springdale.

1710-1750 - Try to have dinner at The Galley, in Springdale.

1830 - Take ferry at Shoal Arm

1915 - Arrive at Little Bay Islands

2030 - Eat dinner at the Outport Inn, our BnB.

On Friday we decided to take the day at a leisurely pace. After breakfast at the BnB, Ann worked on the journal, while Ross did some research on the next leg of the trip.


380 Hwy

Our day became loosely planned, with an expedition to some of the northern points of Central Newfoundland. The first destination was Triton, a little town at the end of Highway 380. There wasn't much to see there, we took a couple of photos and turned around.

Our second destination, was Shoal Arm on highway 392. We were planning on taking the ferry to Little Bay Islands. Unfortunately, we misread the ferry schedule and thought the boat left at 1pm from Shoal Arm, when in fact that was when it left Little Bay Islands.


Town

This one mistake shaped the rest of our day. Still having the desire to visit Little Bay Islands, we decided to take the last ferry of the day, and then stay at a BnB on the Islands. That left us with plenty of time to tour around the area before we had to return to the ferry.

Backtracking along 392, we drove up 391 to King's Point.


Iceberg

According the our guide book, there were several hiking trails in the area. They weren't very well marked because we could not find any. One notable item, was seeing our first iceberg, easy to spot as it was quite close to the land. We were getting hungry by this time and started looking for a picnic area to have some lunch.

We found a spot in Rattling Brook, beside an inlet to the ocean. There was a nice gazebo with a picnic table that was sheltered from the wind - somewhat. It was very cold and we ate lunch quickly. Across the street from the picnic area, so lunch was a little truncated. Since Ann was too cold, we got back in the car to warm up for a few minutes before trying the hike.


Waterfalls

The hike up Rattling Brook itself was great, it followed a boardwalk and had stairs to several viewing points. Ross climbed out over the falls to get some better photos.

Moose Report
Item Count So Far
Moose
1
6
Icebergs
8
8
Ferry Rides
1
2

Following the hike, we continued on 391 to visit Harry's Harbour. Like Triton, there was not a lot to see, but there was a library with Internet access. Unfortuntely, it wasn't open that day of the week. We turned around and drove to Springdale, one of the bigger towns in the area. Our search began for postcards to send home. Apparently, not many tourists go to Springdale, there were no postcards to be bought. Then, we went to the library, which is open on Fridays, but the librarian was sick so it too was closed. By this time it was after 5pm and we wanted to eat some dinner before getting on the ferry. We ordered some food at The Galley, and waited for it to arrive. Unfortunately, the kitchen staff were distracted by a car accident outside the restaurant. When our food did not come by 10 to 6., we had to leave, otherwise, we would catch the ferry in time.

Upon returning to Shoal Arm, we noticed that the waiting cars were queued up backwards. It turns out that for this particular ferry, the cars back onto the ship and drive forward to disembark. The 45 minute ferry ride through a little fjord was quite enjoyable, and even thrilling when we spotted several icebergs in the water. The island is small, but is nonetheless fun to drive around. After exiting the ferry, you go over a single steep hill and descend into a picturesque little community - Little Bay Islands. The village's homes are not large, but they are unique, each one a different colour. A couple islands with only small channels between them make for a perfect, round harbour, rimmed with homes. It is a gem. Within the village is a fish plant that is constantly swarmed by gulls and terns, and just outside the harbour was an iceberg, which made an almost surreal scene.


Ferry View

We found our BnB, which was actually outside the village, closer to the ferry. After checking-in, we learned that we were the first guests, ever, at The Outport Inn. It was so new, that the paint was still drying in some of the rooms. The manager, Amanda, made us a tasty chicken stir-fry for dinner. Her boyfriend, Paul, came in after we were finished and offered to take us out to the icebergs in his boat the following morning, which we were looking forward to with great anticipation. That night, we worked on the travelogue again, and started watching Titanic on the laptop before going to sleep.
Reviews
Springdale Not worth your time. Especially avoid The Galley restaurant.
Triton, Harry's Harbour A nice drive, but hard to find the trails mentioned in the provincial tourism booklets
Little Bay Islands ferry Very nice little ferry, and the trip up the inlet is quite worthwhile
Rattling Brook Great waterfall, worth the climb.
Outport Inn For $65 you get an ensuite bathroom and a good bed in an immaculate room. Better yet are the picturesque Little Bay Islands, and the hosts, Amanda and Paul. This was probably our favourite place to stay, and memorable since we were their very first patrons. We can't recommend the Outport Inn enough.