To
Newfoundland June 1, 2023 – we boarded the ferry in North Sydney, Nova Scotia
to Port Aux Basque, Nfld, cost of $194 for our 20 ft RV, overheight so in with
the big trucks - & no cabin as we felt it was unnecessary. No access to
vehicles for the 7 hour trip but comfortable reclining chairs, TV’s, restaurant
& snack bar. Moved our clocks ½ hour ahead for Newfoundland time zone. Easy
smooth crossing.
We stopped
at JT Cheeseman Provincial Park for 3 nights, about 10 km after the ferry – we
decided that we needed power as it’s cold & will need the furnace – 11C.
Lovely spot on a river, 2 km hike to the ocean on a rocky, hilly trail. The
ranger told us how the area, especially Port aux Basque was hit by hurricane
Fiona – 85 homes lost. Still evidence of destroyed homes in the town.
We did some
day trips to Cape Ray & Cape Anguille (the most westerly point of Nfld.) –
lighthouses, lots of rock, green mountains, scrubby trees – like the high
alpine in places. Newfoundland’s nickname “The Rock” is well deserved. We
happened upon a local fish market in town where we filled our fridge &
freezer with lobster tails $32/lb. & cod filets $8/lb. Fun to see ATV’s,
snowmobiles, lobster traps & fishing nets in most yards. Spring is
definitely later here, daffodils now blooming, trees just leafing out. Had
lunch in Picadilly – shared a scrumptious seafood platter & seafood
chowder.
ATV, quad, snowmobiles 
this is how the power poles are held up, rocks within the frame
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| Port Aux Basque |
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| whale bones |
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| a common sight for garbage |
On to
Cornerbrook – 10C but the day before was only 2C! We took a scenic drive up, up
& up to Captain James Cook lookout – overlooking Cornerbrook, the ocean
& the huge pulp & paper plant. More side trips to Lark Harbor, found
seaglass & some seashells, popped into The Roost in York harbor – a funky
store with handicrafts & seaglass art.
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| Cornerbrook |
Another Nfld
“thing” but quite ingenious – garbage bags awaiting pickup are covered with
thick fishing nets to keep the birds out.
Spent the
night next to a river, just down from a power station, along with a couple
other small RVs (another IOverlander gem).
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| we sampled lots of great beer |
We spotted a
sign for Meyers Minerals in Pasadena so of course had to check it out – very
impressive! They only deal in Nfld & Labrador rocks & minerals – we
bought a few pieces & then we were told about the “bucket outside” – their
scraps from the lapidary shop – jackpot - several slabs made it into our
possession for free!
Northward on
the Viking Trail after gassing up at $1.74/l. & arrived at Gros Morne
National Park. First stop the park’s Discovery Centre with the info &
displays, then quickly to the Tablelands for a guided hike. Extremely windy,
gusts over 70 km/hr & cold – winter jackets over hoody’s, hoods up &
could have used mittens. Excellent guide - she explained how plate tectonics
created Newfoundland & how Gros Morne is evidence of this. The Tablelands
rock is actually from the earth’s inner mantle – the black rock that has
oxidized & turned orange/yellow is Peridotite (found on Mars & very few
places on Earth). This rock changes to Serpentinite by metamorphosis, leaving a
crackly snakeskin look. Very few plants survive as the soil is toxic. We found
the area & its story fascinating – not many chances to walk on what was
once the earth’s mantle.
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| a pitcher plant, also on the Newfoundland license plate |
There were
“moose crossing” signs everywhere (over 120,000 of them, 1st
introduced in1878) but we saw only a few plus a few caribou at a distance. We toured the small towns scattered within
the park boundary & enjoyed more seafood for lunch.
We camped
near the ocean at Green Point Campground $34.50 for power & water, windy,
cool & rain so great for sleeping. Another guided hike at Green Point where
we learned about the lobster fishery, community “resettlement” & then on to
the geology of Green Point. Here there are 60 million years of sedimentary rock
layers (all intact, none missing), now tipped vertical. The area is studied by scientists from all
over the world. We started where the oldest layers are & progressed thru
mudstone & sandstone layers to limestone, then sandstone with fossils near
the wave break. The large boulders at the edge are glacial erratics forming a
terminal moraine. Newfoundland saw 40 advances of ice during the Ice Age!
On to
Western Brook Pond – a 3 km hike thru peat bog & scrubby trees to get to
the boat launch for our 2 hour tour of this gorgeous “landlocked fiord”.
Beautiful imposing cliffs, some over 700 m. tall, 20 + waterfalls – some
spectacular, all impressive. Spotted a black bear with cubs & a bald eagle.
We
overnighted at Arches Provincial Park overlooking the ocean, watching fishermen
empty their lobster traps.
On to Post
aux Choix National Park site to learn about the early Indigenous & French
settlers & to have a taste of harp seal meat. The local grocery store sold
picnic plated with 3 colored potato salads – beet, mustard & regular – very
tasty!
a boat repair yard, big boats!
Heading to
the west coast of Newfoundland we spotted our first iceberg at Anchor Point!!
Very exciting as this was a “must see” for us & the reason we made the trip
out to Newfoundland fairly quickly. Robin of course had to chipe off chunks of
10,000 year old ice that had floated to shore – much enjoyed with our
Newfoundland gingerbread Screech.
On June 9 we
woke to only 6C inside the RV 7 3C outside! Doesn’t feel like spring!
We continued
north to Lanse Aux Meadows, the remains of a site of an 11th century
Viking settlement, evidence of the first European presence in North America,
oohing & ahhing over all the icebergs that we passed. The interpretive
centre has a very informative guide who knew the people who excavated the site
in the 1960’s & could give us first hand knowledge of the area – he has
seen polar bears, seals giving birth & pack ice extending out 15 km from
shore. We toured the recreation of the site, complete with costumed
interpreters – well worth the drive to the north tip of Newfoundland &
especially important to me as I have Norwegian heritage.
at L'Anse aux Meadows
On to St
Anthony, to a campground that still uses dial up internet! The annual Iceberg
Festival was on & we took in 2 local events. First a Viking feast in a
recreated sod hut – a meal of Newfie fare – fisherman’s bewis (salt cod &
hard tack), Jiggs dinner (stew with root vegetables & pork/ham), roast
beef, beans & more – all eaten with a spoon to be authentic.
Viking Feast
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| an "Ugly Stick", a Newfie musical instrument |
We went to a
hilarious “Old Fashioned Concert” in St Lunaire-Griquet, $10 admittance, mainly locals
enjoying skits, music & songs – Newfie style. A highlight of the whole
trip!
As we drove
about we saw piles & piles of firewood, stacks of lobster traps & dandelions, we smelled
wood smoke & marvelled at the roadside garden plots (soil was turned over
when the roads were built so now claimed for gardens).
saw these in all the campgrounds, for fire fighting
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| another common sight, wood sleds |
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| roadside garden |
We had
supper at the Lightkeepers Café in St Anthony where we tried cod tongues &
scrunchins (cod & pork fat), scallops & cod cakes. Really loving all
the seafood.
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| cod tongues |
On our way
back south (you have to backtrack on the same hiway for quite a ways) we
stopped to see a fellow selling live crab in black garbage bags for $4/lb – sad
that we had no pot big enough to cook them.
Back thru
Gros Morne & a hike to Southeast Brook Falls. On the road for 4 weeks now –
we still love the Roadtrek van for the ability to go anywhere, park anywhere
& everything is always with us. We have adapted to the lack of room &
are still figuring out where things are as there is a crazy amount of storage
in here. We haven’t tried the shower, we might never use it as we find
campgrounds that will let you shower, do laundry, dump & fill with water
all for $10, or we go to swimming pools to shower.
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