From the Pacific to the Atlantic - Crossing Canada by Train
2 October - 5 November 2024

Canada 2024
12 October 2024: Day 11

Cow Head to Twillingate, Newfoundland.

Introduction

Breakfast was set for 8am at the B&B. We were greeted by the owners who produced an excellent breakfast of bacon, eggs and French Toast (with genuine Maple syrup). Suitably set up for the day we headed out into the strong, gusty winds and light rain. We drove back south as the rain cleared, opening up gaps of bright sun so we could see glimpses of the Gros Morne mountains. Back at Deer Lake we found a petrol station and then headed east across Gros Morne National Park and into the centre of Newfoundland. We travelled on the Trans-Canada Highway No. 1, a 4-lane highway in good condition. We caught glimpses of Fall colours, distant mountains and lots of small lakes (which the Canadians call ponds).

At Exit 28 - Notre Dame Junction - we turned north onto Highway 340 - "The Road to the Isles". At Lewisporte the road took a sharp turn to the right. Here we paused for lunch beside a railway memorial, dominated by a relic snow plough. Then on to Twillingate, the road passing many small ponds and inlets from the sea. Here the land is low-lying and mostly clusters of islands, connected by causeways and bridges. Through the town and up the steep hill to Twillingate Lighthouse - a remote windswept headland that faces into the Atlantic storms. Back to Twillingate we found the Anchor Inn and settled into our room. By this time of year most of the tourist places, including accommodation and restaurants have closed, so the Anchor Inn was one of the last to remain open. They had a restaurant; we were one of 8 groups that dined there. Food was the ubiquitous Fish and Chips, but sadly in a region dominated by the fishing industry this was once again commercially processed and frozen.

Cow Head and the Wreck of the SS Ethie

A few km south of Cow head and St Pauls is a small pull-off area where the wreck of the S.S. Ethie can be seen amongst the rocks on the shore. The SS Ethie was driven ashore by a fierce hurricane at noon on 11 December 1919. All persons onboard were rescued. There is a good descriptino of the events here. The event prompted a song written by Miss Burney Easin and a long-running theatre production.

The Trans-Canada Highway to Lewisporte

We continued south towards Deer Lake, where we headed east on the Trans Canada Highway. This took us through the Gros Morne Mountains and on to Notre Dame Grand Junction, a distance of 260km. Here we headed north on Highway 340 to Lewisporte, where we stopped for lunch at a roadside park, complete with steam train and fairy trail.

Lewisporte to Twillingate Lighthouse

After exploring the fairy trail at Lewisporte, and avoided being eaten by a bear, we turned east then north towards the northern coast at Twillingate. Apparently this is a major tourist area in the heights of summner, but now it was nearly deserted. We continued on past Twillingate to the Long Point Lighthouse, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.