We’re Coming Back; Here’s Why

We needed to rotate the tires on the trailer. The man from the trailer next to us saw us working and came over. Thursday, when we started the second side, Dennis was right there helping. He noticed the wheel bearings were loose. This is everything left as Bud drove to town for more grease, because of course there was at least one thing we needed that we didn’t have. In any case, Bud got the grease, we checked all four wheels and found the leak in the tire that had been very slowly loosing air.

Friday morning while Bud took our tire in for repair I walked over to talk to Dennis as he was picking up to leave. His wife, Florence, stuck her head out. Since they are from Newfoundland I asked where they would recommend we go now that we had a sunny day. While chatting I asked them if they were born in Newfoundland. Oh yes, said Dennis, “my last name is Porter and I grew up in Porterville”. He asked me if we ever got to see an iceberg. We didn’t, we came too late in the summer. So Florence got a baggie and they gave me some of their stash of iceberg ice! And they let me take this picture.

They said it was worth it to go back to Bonavista in the sunshine, so we did. The rocks were even more beautiful.

The deep and narrow slots in this region are spectacular.

And this time we could see the light house.

We discovered a puffin colony right by the lighthouse. Their island was a bit further from shore than the one in Elliston, but it was easier to see them in the sunshine. I got to watch them with the binoculars, you could see them going in and out of the burrows they dig for nesting.

Florence and Dennis also recommended the Skerwink Trail, on the way back from Bonavista. They had hiked it and seen whales. This is another trail maintained by the people of Newfoundland.

It started as gravel and there were a lot of people there. However, on the north side it passed two capelin beaches. Capelin are a small, silvery fish that come here to spawn. Whales love them, so we decided to hike as far as the capelin beaches.

It went quite a ways along flat land, although with lovely scenery.

We passed a house with a garden with this ingenious woven fence.

The gravel ended at this sign. We took the coastal route.

Yes, there were high cliffs. And beautiful views.

But the trail was well maintained.

This is the first capelin beach.

There were a lot of peeks at the high cliffs,

and downright dramatic views.

We went as far as the next lookout where we saw the second capelin beach as well as Skerwink Head. But capelin season is over and there were no whales.

So we are planning to come back next year, arriving in mid-June. We want to be here in iceberg and whale season and we love the hospitality of the Newfoundlanders!