Ferry To Newfoundland

Arm Of Gold Campground

I was up at 6:30 am to get everything putback into the car and eventually find my way to the Marine Atlantic ferry port near Sydney NS. I needed to be at the terminal two hours ahead of the departure time of 12:15.

The dew is very heavy in this part of Nova Scotia. It was as if it rained for the last few hours. The Arm Of Gold Campsite provided a covered area for each site’s picnic table, and I put a plastic tarp over everything to keep them dry overnight. The tent was soaked. I didn’t have time to let it dry in the breeze as others were doing.

It turned out that there were two cyclists near me. They both were traveling in minimalist style, one pack each on the back of their bike. They weren’t riding together. It looked like all their equipment was ultralight. I could hear them comparing notes about the wetness here, compared to other parts of Canada. They both agreed this was the worst. The older man looked to be in his 50s with a heavy beard and ponytail. The younger guy, who was talking to his girlfriend on the phone the night before, looked to be in his mid-twenties. They both had cyclist bodies.

Around, 8:00 am, I heard a “hello” coming in my direction. It was my neighbor on the other side. He was approaching with a cup of coffee in hand. He noticed that I was alone and shared that he had been traveling all over Canada for a while. He was 74 and his wife of 49 years had passed a few years ago. He told me he found himself living in the bottle and realized he needed to change and decided to travel while he could. He had a Toyota truck that he converted into a camper with a Thule cargo carrier on top and a bike rack on the back. He introduced himself simply as “George”.

He was a software guy in the Canadian military. We compared computing stories from the 70s, 80s and 90s. We laughed about punch cards and modems. Looking in the back of his truck, he was clearly a military guy with everything neatly in its place. Another minimalist.

He had worked with NORAD in Colorado and was involved with flight tracking. His three-bedroom home, had been in Vancouver. He said that it was too painful living there without his wife. He told me every room was filled with memories, and it was hard to live there and keep remembering all the good times that were now gone.

He showed me his e-bike and said that he goes for a 20 km ride every day. He told me not to stop moving. I agreed that was a good idea. He wished me a wonderful time in Newfoundland and said he was off for his ride.

I filled the water bottles, deposited the recyclables and garbage, and made sure I had everything (passport, glasses, wallet, phone, and keys). After yesterday, I felt that I needed a preflight checklist.

Ferry Prep

I made it to the terminal early. There was no line and about ten cars had already arrived. I had an hour before they put us on the ferry. I figured out how to exit the terminal and go to the Tim Horten’s behind the terminal (my first time). Returning with coffee and blueberry muffin in hand, I presented passport and boarding pass to gain access to the terminal. I found my way to the terminal and opened the computer.

A woman in front of me had been chatting with someone and said she has used the ferry many times but never without a vehicle. Apparently, the process to get onto the ferry is slightly different and involved a shuttle bus. I asked her if they would let us know when it was time to go back to our cars. She confirmed that they would and asked me where I was from. This led to other topics and we stopped our discussion when I had to run to my car. I had missed the announcement.

It turned out that she was indigenous. She was fascinating to talk to. She told me about the spirituality in some of the ceremonies her tribe had. She told me to visit Gros Morne National Park Of Canada and Rocky Harbor. She said that it would be a transformational visit. She said I would never forget it.

She was involved in some of the politics of the indigenous tribes. She explained that tribes have a chief and counsel which is part of the larger national indigenous governmental agency. She talked a lot about of the corruption that occurs at the upper levels where money exchanges hands and hard fought for rights are given up for the benefit of a few.  She suggested I read Thomas King’s book The Inconvenient Indian.

She made a comment that Columbus didn’t discover America, it had been discovered thousands of years before he arrived.

 Ferry Ride

The ferry is run by Marine Atlantic and the hull is massive. There were sections with lounge chairs, others with tables, a restaurant, a few bars and a coffee section. I sat at the bow at a table looking out over the water. The trip would be over 6 hours and I decided to catch-up on my posts, but there was no cell or Wi-Fi available. 

About an hour before we were due to arrive, I asked the man beside me when he thought we would get into port, and we started chatting. He had been camping and was coming home. He was a fireman in St. John’s, NL for over 25 years. He and his friend were so friendly and gave me so much information on things I should see. As we arrived, he told me about how they brought into the dock. They turn this huge ship around in a very small harbor without tugboats. That was fascinating to watch. Once the ship was in position at the doc, two hydraulic arms attach to the side of the boat at each end and pull the ferry the remaining 12 inches into the dock.

We parted ways and he gave me his name and said if I need anything while I’m in St. John’s contact him.

Coming off the ferry, my first goal was to fill up on gas. I wasn’t sure how far I’d be travelling. I was then on my way. About 10 km down the road, there was a visitors center and I pulled in. The staff were extremely helpful and loaded me up with more booklets and pamphlets. They suggested that I contact Cheeseman Provincial Park for a tent sight.

Cheeseman Provincial Park

Cheeseman is located near a river with waterfalls. I was quick to setup my tent and get some sleep. It was already 9:30 and it had been a long day. The neighbors were rather loud and a generator was running nearby. Around 10:30, everything became quiet and I could hear the waterfalls behind me. It was soothing as I drifted off.