Newfoundland (Gros Morne)

July 21, 2011: Nova Scotia to Newfoundland

A wicked storm rolled over the campsite last night around midnight. The wind came in gusts every two to three minutes and reminded me of the Arctic outflow winds that we often get on the west coast. Heavy rain followed for a couple of hours. By morning, the fog that had blanketed us for most of the last couple of days had blown away. We had a beautiful clear view of the coast as we made our way south to Sydney to catch the boat to Newfoundland.














Our ferry was a modern vessel, although it was quite a bit smaller than the largest class of ferries running between Vancouver Island and the mainland. There were large, comfortable, reclining seats in the rear lounge. Prominently displayed throughout the lounge were signs stating passengers are not allowed to sleep in the chairs. Within minutes of departure, a couple seated behind us were snoring blissfully.

At the front of the ship was a large bar complete with a Newfie folksinger bashing away on his amplified guitar. This was by far the most popular spot on the ship. We observed several bar patrons struggling to walk to the comfy seats in the stern. They, too, ignored the signs and were soon contributing to the symphony of snoring.

Our six hour cruise through thick Atlantic fog came to an end when we were unceremoniously deposited onto the “Rock” into a hellish rainstorm. Heavy ruts in the highway were filled with water and the car was hydroplaning. Transport trucks and tourists alike were driving far too fast for the conditions, and I just wanted to stop for a while in hopes the rain would cease. Unfortunately, there were few places to stop in Port aux Basques so we drove on, slowly, to Corner Brook. As dusk began to fall, my attention remained on the rain, but I was also starting to think about moose. Many people are killed in Newfoundland every year when their vehicles strike the animals. We arrived at Corner Brook, but there were no rooms available. I had decided that we would continue east to St John’s and try to get out of the weather system we were experiencing. On our return trip we would try again to get up to Gros Morne. We drove on to Deer Lake and again were unable to get a room. I asked if they had a stable. Our only option was to continue to our original destination, Gros Morne National Park. After a slow drive through rain and under threat of having a collision with a moose, we finally reached our campsite. Hannah and I moved as much of our camp equipment to the front seats and slept in the back of the car. It was just too dark and wet to even attempt to set up the tent. As it turned out, our campsite was filled with moose, and we even encountered one on our way to brush our teeth in the washroom.

July 22, 2011: Newfoundland

Stuck our heads out the car and were greeted by a beautiful, cloudless sky. Now we had decisions to make. Go north to L'Anse aux Meadows (where the Vikings landed) or go back an hour to the TransCanada and continue on towards St. John’s? We decided to travel up the northern peninsula. The drive was long, but words cannot describe the beauty of this place. Large fjords cut deep into the coastline and reminded me a lot of Norway.

Our small camera just could not capture the scope and size of it all. On our right ran the Long Range Mountains and on our left the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Across the water, we could clearly see the shores of Quebec and Labrador. The coastline was dotted with small fishing villages (outports). Seabirds hovered in midair against the onshore breeze before plunging suddenly into the sea after a meal. People in this area spend their time either out on the water or in the bush harvesting timber. The highway was of excellent quality and seemed to stretch on forever.

We noticed little “grow-ops” in the most obscure places. Some were kilometers away from any habitation. Upon closer examination, the grow-ops were actually vegetable gardens. Individuals were growing potatoes and other root vegetables. Initially people had settled near the sea for obvious reasons, but the rocky soil was not conducive to growing food. When the highway came through, the locals squatted on sections of land on the shoulders of the road and grew their vegetables.

After climbing for a while, we found ourselves crossing a large plateau sandwiched between the sea and the mountains. Lakes, bogs, scrub and stunted trees dominated the taiga-like landscape. The area is an ecological reserve that stretched as far as the eye could see.

We arrived at L'Anse aux Meadows and the first thing that caught our attention were the enormous icebergs floating just off shore. They have to be some of the most beautiful things either of us have ever seen. Apparently, it has been a very good season for viewing icebergs, and we felt fortunate to have been able to see them on this trip so late into the summer.

We took the tour of L'Anse aux Meadows and learned about the history of the area. We saw where the Viking village was and were able to enter several sod buildings that Parks Canada had replicated. It was interesting to learn that the village was never meant to be a permanent settlement, but rather a repair and replenishment center. The Vikings used the area to forge iron nails and repair their boats. They lost several battles with the local aboriginals and apparently decided never to return.

The interesting thing about this place is that it is where east met west. The human race began in Africa and then spread east and west. L'Anse aux Meadows is the spot where Europeans first came into contact with people who had migrated west across the globe.

We ran into a retired couple of teachers from Campbell River who were doing the same trip that we were. They were even driving the same vehicle. We exchanged information about must-see sites and accommodation options before stopping at a Tim's in St. Anthony. We returned to Gros Morne and stopped at a different campsite on the ocean in a place called Shallow Bay. After dinner we wandered down to the beach and watched the sun slip behind the horizon. A close to excellent day!

July 23, 2011 Shallow Bay (Gros Morne) to Terra Nova National Park

Awoke to dark clouds and a sick child. Hannah woke with a bit of a cough and some congestion. We retraced our route from Thursday night as we left the park. The sun appeared as we neared Deer Park and kept us company all the way to Grand Falls Windsor. Our goal today was to get to a Hyundai dealer to get the car serviced. Discovered the dealership isn't open on Saturdays and all the campsites were full. Decided to drive up the highway to Gander. Checked the Hyundai dealership there and discovered they also don't work Saturdays. Stopped for lunch and then drove to Terra Nova National Park and took a campsite at Malady Head. We scouted out the perfect site and then went to register before driving out to a small town for some provisions. We returned to our campsite and started to set up our tent when we witnessed the third of three cars pull into the neighboring site. The stereo began to blast and cases of beer were offloaded from the vehicles. It became obvious that this was going to be Party Central so we proactively took the tent down and went back to the registration kiosk to get a new site. We got a new site, set up our tent, and then went back into town to explore the local beaches. Hannah and I enjoyed a long walk along a crescent-shaped beach at Sandy Cove. Cold, crystal-clear sea water lapped against the sand while children played along the shore. Tomorrow we plan to head to a small seaside town two hours south to visit a family friend.

July 24, 201: Port Rexton

Although the drive was short in comparison to some of our earlier drives, today's was particularly tedious. There were several stops to accommodate paving, but otherwise there was not a lot to break the monotony of dotted white lines and endless expanses of forest. We listened to the CBC for most of the trip. It is easy to see how important the CBC is in Newfoundland. The radio is a thread that connects every community.

We drove off the TransCanada to a little outport called Port Rexton to visit with Graham Hookey, an old friend and former principal of a school Jodi and I both worked at. Graham graciously invited us to come for a visit. He has semi-retired in order to return to Newfoundland to look after his elderly parents.

Hannah and I were able to experience Newfoundland hospitality at its finest! Upon arrival, we visited with Graham and his parents. Graham's father had left Newfoundland years ago to work on a lake freighter on the Great Lakes and, like most Newfoundlanders, has returned to his birthplace after retiring. Hannah enjoyed Graham's lunch of fried bologna and fresh bread with partridge berry and bake apple jams. Two helpings later, we were off to Bonavista (the closest point in Canada to England). There we were able to see whales and a puffin rookery out on a small rocky point.

The three of us went out for dinner and some theater in the nearby town of Trinity. We enjoyed a delicious dinner of fish and chips. After dinner, we went to watch a play about the history of the outports entitled, "The Marvelous Terrible Place". The production used traditional song and storytelling to convey the social history of the small isolated fishing communities that dotted the Newfoundland/Labrador coastline. We learned how difficult it was to live and about the sacrifices the men made who went to sea to fish, hunt or work on merchant ships, and the hardships the women who were left behind endured.

Having the opportunity to see the outports and listen to the stories about the loss of the cod stocks gives one a much better understanding of how the disappearance of fish has impacted life in Newfoundland. Imagine Ontario losing all its manufacturing, Saskatchewan its wheat crop, or B.C. its entire forest industry and you might have a better understanding of how the loss of the cod fishery has impacted the island. That being said, I think the relationship people in Newfoundland have with the sea is richer and more profound than can be found anywhere else in the country. Our night ended with an elaborate fireworks display to celebrate Port Rexton Day. The fireworks lit up the night sky and reflected off the sea. We picked the right time to visit!

July 25, 2011

Hannah and I woke up early in anticipation of Graham's arrival. This morning was magic! Blue sky, green shores and sunlight flashing off turquoise water set the stage for a beautiful day on the water. The contrast between land, sea and sky was fantastic.

We went out into Bonavista Bay in Graham's father's dory. The inshore fishery was open for a few days so all the locals were out trying to catch a few of the once plentiful cod. It was interesting to listen to the old-timers who had already returned from a morning of fishing as we were going out. All agreed the fishing was poor, probably because of the amount of bait fish in the water. Some were lucky to catch a few cod while most returned empty handed. More than one fisherman lamented, "We be eating chicken again tonight!"

We motored out of the arm and into the bay proper. Salt spray flew off the bow as the small boat cut through the chop. Soon we came across a humpback whale feeding deep inside a small bay. We cut the engine and drifted for awhile and waited for the whale to reverse course and come back to us. We could see and hear the whale exhaling as it prepared to dive. Once, twice, and then on the third breath the humpback arched its back and lifted its tail before sliding silently beneath the surface.

We tried our hand at jigging for cod. Hannah was quite concerned because she knew, if successful, she would be required to kiss the cod on the mouth and to eat her catch. It turns out mainlanders aren't very good fishermen. We didn't even manage a bite!

On our return to the dock, we spotted a large pod of dolphins cruising back and forth in front of the boat chasing down capelin. After tying up the boat, we returned to the house for lunch and said our goodbyes before heading off for St John's.

Once in St John's, we went to Signal Hill, a national historic site overlooking the city. This was the place where Marconi sent the first radio message across the Atlantic. The views of the harbour and ocean were spectacular.

We traveled into St John's to look for accommodation for the night. Due to the late hour, we were not optimistic; however, at the Information Center they have a list of hotels/rooms that were sitting vacant so the owners are motivated to rent them even at a reduced rate. Hannah and I got a full apartment (3 floors) for $100 cash right in the downtown area, which during the short six week tourist season, was a bargain!

Once settled, we were off to explore the city. We walked down to the waterfront and through the historic streets of old St John's. Great place for a pub crawl! Hannah and I settled for a frappuccino and a coffee at the Starbucks, sat out on a patio and watched ships come in and out of the harbour. A relaxing end to a very full day!

We have elected to take a ferry back to Nova Scotia from St John's rather than traveling back to Port Aux Basques on the TransCanada. We will be taking the overnighter from Argentia to North Sydney, Nova Scotia. Before heading to the ferry, we are going to take the car to a spa for some TLC, especially since we've already travelled over 12,000 km. We've booked a service before embarking on the return leg of our trip.