Day 9 – To Newfoundland!

Well, not quite, though the notice on the highway to set my clocks ahead by 30 minutes appeared while still on the mainland. The ride was about 8 ½ hours total with a riding time of 7 hours and the rest stops along the way. While in the desolate 292km stretch of nothing I did stop to make some more breakfast and coffee, and was checked on by a truck who offered help and water in case I should need it.

The 510 is called the Labrador Coastal Highway despite that, 90% of it is crossing through the interior of Labrador. I don’t think I saw the ocean until KM 70 and it starts at 600km in HV-GB. I was attacked by ravenous birds (flying at my head) at one stop and the black flies were just as persistent along the route.

It started to rain a few hours from the end and the temperature dropped from 16C down to 12C and I was dry, but cold and a little miserable. I stopped in Red Bay, to see the iceberg that wasn’t there, had a Fish & Chips late lunch at 3pm and searched for a motel in the area. Pinware Provincial Park was not going to be graced with my presence tonight.

Room booked at the Oceanview Resort, just south of Red Bay and checked in. Two lovely ladies were operating the place and gave me lots of great advice to check out a big iceberg in L’Anse-Au-Loup as well as how the ferry schedules work (Departing from Blanc-Sablon in Quebec, but scheduled in Newfoundland Time).

Repacked my gear and started thinking about the parting ways with the bike in Halifax and how to carry home on Porter what I want to carry home.