My Last Day in Newfoundland

Port Aux Basque

Brightly coloured kiosks in Port Aux Basque.

Usually, Port Aux Basque is a place you drive by/through on your way to somewhere else, but that day there was time to look around before I caught the evening ferry. I could not believe the change in the weather from Corner Brook to Port Aux Basque. Although somewhat windy, there was a sunny, clear blue sky. I stopped at the visitor information centre and was given two options for places to visit. I figured if I timed it correctly, I could see both places. Grand Bay West Beach Trailway was the closest and the Rose Blanche Lighthouse was about an hour drive away. I hit the beach first.

Grand Bay West Beach Trailway

I parked my car in the sandy parking lot, grabbed my camera and started along the boardwalk which led to a gravel trail. I passed about five people on the beach but once I hit the trail there was no one. It was very desolate and the further I wandered down the path the more uneasy I felt. Across the bay I could see the brightly coloured houses of Port Aux Basques and I wondered what this area must be like during storms. I sat on one of the many benches along the trail and listened to the waves. The ocean was calm and I could see to the bottom for quite a distance through the turquoise water. The colours! The incredible colours surrounding me in the water, the white sand, the immense blue sky, and the rocks, it was mind blowing!

There was a well weathered sign explaining the Grand Bay West Schist. Basically, schist is a coarse-grained metamorphic rock which consists of layers of different minerals and can be split into thin irregular plates. You can see this clearly as you walk along the trail.

I suddenly realized that if I wanted to make it to Rose Blanche Lighthouse I needed to head out soon. It would take 2 hours to complete that trek and I still needed to grab supper before boarding the ferry.

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Rose Blanche Lighthouse

I thought I would see more of the shoreline on my drive to Rose Blanche Lighthouse but much of the drive is too far inland for that. However, the drive is quite scenic and worthwhile. The roads are narrow, worn and not very well maintained. Although I'm sure the locals could make it from Port Aux Basque to Rose Blanche Lighthouse in an hour, my little mini and I, not knowing where all the potholes were, or what I would find around the next bend, took much longer. Communities along the route were few and far between and traffic was sparse. I still had the frame of mind where I believed disaster was imminent. All the "what ifs" surged through my mind (What if the mini broke down? What if I had a flat tire? to name just a couple). Even though I was somewhat terrified, I forged on. Eventually, after an hour and three quarters, I arrived at the parking lot of Rose Blanche Lighthouse. Bright little huts greeted me. I'm sure they are open during "the season" but May was a bit too early for that. Now to find the lighthouse. The woman at the tourism centre told me it would be closed but that the drive was still awesome and she was correct.

I followed the signs to a path which took me along the curving rocky coastline. I had no idea how far it was to the lighthouse but I had come this far so I wasn't giving up now. With a watchful eye on the time (I could not miss my ferry booking), I hastily advanced. Finally! There is was, the tough little granite lighthouse, stoically standing there on the rocks. It was built in 1871 and restored in 1999. From a distance I snapped some photos, before literally running back to the car to begin the return trip. I'd like to visit there again when it's open and my time isn't so limited. On the drive back, mostly hidden by bushes, I found a darling model of the lighthouse (not an accurate replica). I was losing the light and wanted to be in Port Aux Basque before sunset so the race was on.

Just outside Port Aux Basque, I spotted an old boat glowing in the fading sunlight. I pulled to the side of the narrow road and nabbed a quick shot.

Before entering the ferry enclosure, I found a pizza joint and ordered a salad (I was still full from breakfast in Corner Brook!). And then it was time, time to leave this magnificent province. I drove to the ferry, was stopped, my car searched for any contraband, and then waved on to the ferry ramp. The Mini Cooper is a standard so the entire time I was on that ramp I kept chanting, "Don't stall the car. Don't stall the car. Don't roll back, Don't roll back" It was slow going. Once parked, I found my berth, watched a little TV, and then had a peaceful sleep so I'd be ready for whatever awaited me the next day. It's approximately seven hours from Port Aux Basque, Newfoundland to Sydney, Nova Scotia so purchasing a cabin on the night ferry is definitely the way to go.

Here is the route travelled so far on My Happy Adventure.

Newfoundland, your are magnificent. A jewel in the crown of Canada and, in my opinion, every Canadian should visit you at least once in their lifetime.

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