When my best friend Tricia asked me if I fancied doing something a bit mad, I had visions of another 100km non-stop trek somewhere in the UK and immediately replied: “OK, cool, what are we doing?”
Never in a million years, did I expect that she meant racing across all but two of Canada’s provinces and territories over eight weeks for series three of the BBC’s Race Across the World.
Canada is the world’s second-largest country and is culturally and geographically diverse – each province or territory is like a different nation.
Ultimately, we had to get ourselves from Vancouver, on the Pacific west coast, to St John’s in Newfoundland – Canada’s easternmost city – on the Atlantic coast. There were rules: we were not allowed to fly; our phones were confiscated; and we had a limited budget (about C$125, or £71, a day for two). Oh, and we were racing against four other pairs.
We didn’t have the best start. Our stress levels rose during the first three-and-a-half hours as we wandered aimlessly around Vancouver’s Stanley Park trying to find the way out. Had we bitten off more than we could chew? Was our friendship going to survive under this much pressure?
The relief at finally getting out and into the city was immense.
In British Columbia, Tricia, who is severely sight impaired, became emotional when she could see some of the features of the snow-capped Rockies.
We experienced our first taste of Canadian generosity with a man named Rob, who gave us a free lift along a highway – for nine hours. He offered us his trailer to sleep in that night, refusing to take any payment. This kindness of strangers became ubiquitous.
Many of the places we raced through were off regular tourist routes, which meant public transport was often scarce.
There were several times that we were told we had just missed the bus and the next one was days away.
We spent hours at gas stations asking everyone if they were going in our direction. In Western Canada, hitch-hiking was normal. “Rideshare” Facebook communities help to make travel easier.
Sometimes we forgot we were in a race. By the side of a frozen lake in Jade City, I felt a sense of freedom that I can’t explain.
Tricia describes her perfect moment as watching the sunset while standing on the frozen sea in Churchill. She was in awe of the clarity of the air and attributed this to why she could see more than usual.
We missed some important landmarks. We only saw the car park at Lake Louise, for example. There were lots of places we wanted to revisit.
Two years after our epic challenge, we seized the opportunity to go back to Newfoundland. This time, the travel was easy: a five-hour flight with WestJet direct from Gatwick to St John’s.
Two things happened in Newfoundland that ensured we won. First, a lady called Laurie gave us a lift from the ferry we’d caught in North Sydney, Nova Scotia, to Port Aux Basques. She drove across Newfoundland to Grand Falls-Windsor, about halfway to the finishing line in St John’s.
Then, a gentleman called Dean collected us from the gas station where Laurie had dropped us off and took us home to his wife, Terri-Lynne. They tried to get us a lift to St John’s for the next morning, but nobody was going that way. So, at 5am, Dean drove us the four hours to St John’s.
Gasping for breath at the top of Cape Spear, a headland on the Avalon peninsula that marks Canada’s most easterly point of land, we opened the Race… book to discover that we were the first to arrive – we had won. It was the best way to say thank you to all the amazing, selfless people who’d helped us.
When the shock had worn off, the positive emotions were mixed with a hint of sadness that our epic adventure was over. We had fallen in love with Canada, its beauty, magnificent size and sense of community spirit. We knew we’d miss it.
So, it was emotional to find ourselves back on Cape Spear this summer. As we retraced our steps, we both felt overwhelmed, remembering the enormity of what we had achieved. We stood in silence, absorbing the sounds of the waves below and the birds circling above.
We had kept in touch with Dean and Terri-Lynne and arranged to meet them in Grand Falls-Windsor. It was an emotional reunion.
The evening was spent talking about that day two years ago when Dean brought home a couple of “waifs and strays”.
We headed onwards and upwards to Twillingate at the tip of the central north of Newfoundland, and the rugged landscape reminded me of south-west Wales. I could almost imagine the rocks being torn apart over millions of years of continental drift.
Being back in Newfoundland allowed us to get to know this fascinating island, where indigenous culture is layered with French, English and Irish influence, and millions of seabirds swarm the rugged coastline while humpback whales glide by.
The provincial capital St John’s has a proud fishing heritage. One evening was spent sampling fresh seafood, including lobster rolls, in one of the many restaurants and enjoying cocktails such as partridgeberry mojitos. The city has such a vibrant feel, with a definite Irish essence.
Without the adrenaline of the Race…, we decided to give zip lining and kayaking a go. We left St John’s the next morning and drove four hours north-west to Grand Falls. We spent an hour or so whizzing back and forth across the gorge, the Exploits River raging beneath us. It was fantastic.
Our last day was spent back in St John’s, beginning with an early lunch at The Gypsy Tea Room on Waterstreet, an upmarket restaurant and bar.
Then we made our way back to the harbour for a boat tour with Iceberg Quest Ocean Tours. The highlight was following the coast down to Cape Spear and getting a last look, from a different perspective.
Our final stop was Christian’s Pub in St John’s where we were “Screeched in” – an initiation of sorts that involves a shot of rum and, traditionally, kissing a cod – as honorary Newfoundlanders.
Cathie and Tricia flew with WestJet. They were guests of Destination Canada and Tourism Newfoundland and Labrador.
The new series of ‘Celebrity Race Across The World’ begins on BBC One tonight at 9pm.
Getting there
WestJet has direct flights from Gatwick to St John’s in Newfoundland and Labrador, with prices from £359 return, westjet.comStaying there
Hill Road Manor Bed & Breakfast has rooms from £68 per night, hillroadmanor.ca
Whitsha Inn B&B has rooms from £77 per night, whitshainn.netMore information
UK travellers arriving by air must have a valid ETA, canada.ca
newfoundlandlabrador.com
explore-canada.co.uk
