Gros Morne

When day dawned it was another overcast but dry day and today was another moving day. This time we had a drive of only 130km to Berry Hill campground in Gros Morne National Park. We were in no rush so it was gone 11.15am by the time we left the site but by 11.30 we were pulled into a Tims for a morning coffee. The drive should have been 130km except that on the highway in Deer Lake there was no signpost to Gros Morne Nat'l Park or Berry Hill campground as I'd expected so hadn't bothered with GPS. It was very soon apparent that somehow we'd missed a turn so we pulled into Deer Lake airport where we studied a map (yes, a real, hard copy map) and saw where we should have turned north. Back out of the airport and a few km back to Deer Lake and turned north on route 430.

We arrived at Berry Hill campground at 1.30 in occasional showers but not  as wet as our earlier experince thankfully.

The rest of the day was spent by exploring the park as we tend to do upon arrival at a new park.

Yeah, the next day seemed to mark a turning point of our trip, weather wise, as the sun was trying to break through. Encouraged by the glimpse of the sun we headed out to Lobster Cove Lighthouse museum which was only a 20 minute drive away.

We joined a guided tour from the lighthouse parking lot, although the tour was at the lighthouse it was all about the way of life in the area at the time and did not include anything in the actual lighthouse! Having said that though the tour was interesting and there were more than enough exhibits, as well as guides to ask questions to, in the lighthouse to learn all you wanted to about it. 

As well as the lighthouse and immediate area there were also some short coastal walks but the sun was still struggling to make a real breakthrough. Although it was not sunny it had warmed up.

Lobster Cove

Always nice to see and hear the Ocean! 

After lunch at Fisherman's Landing in Rocky Harbour we headed down to Norris Point where we understood there was an aquarium. We arrived there only to find the Aquarium was closed on Mondays and Tuesdays and today was Tuesday :-(

On our way back we retraced our route up Pond Road and indeed found Rocky Harbour Pond. The entrance to the pond had been hidden by trees on our way south but going north the entrance was much more visible and was that a beach we spotted? Indeed it was a beach with 'real' sand. There were very few people there but the beach and water seemed clean and good quality. Some facilities were in the process of being built which would be welcome. Unfortunately we didn't have our swimming stuff with us, we really must learn to be prepared. Met a couple at the beach were were visiting from Pickering, ON, and were there for 10 weeks!

After a while relaxing at the beach and enviously watching some folks swim and kayak we headed back to the trailer for a cuppa. Not long after returning to the trailer someone stopped by to chat and said they were from Nepean (Ottawa suburb) and someone else across from us was from Orleans (technically another Ottawa suburb but more identifiable as a separate city).

Wednesday started sunny but breezy and we decided to walk around Berry Hill Pond but having gone about a third of the way around the path became very waterlogged so we turned around back to the trailer.

After lunch at the trailer we headed back the short distance to Rocky Harbour. In Rocky Harbour we visited the wildlife museum which has several wildlife scenes that were quite well done. There was also a quiz visitors could do which helped us to look closely at the scenes to find the answers. 

 

 

 

 

 

   

After quite a time at the museum we purchased some postcards to send to the kids back home and then headed down to Salmon Point.  

  Not sure what to do or where to go but not wanting to go back to the trailer yet we decided to visit South East Brook falls. It was a bit further than we anticipated at about 30km but we were not pushed for time. 

After a bit of a climb the falls were a little disappointing but you don't know what to expect till you do it yourself. We headed back down to the parking but just as we exited the path into the parking lot a couple of young guys asked us if we'd seen the moose. Moose, what moose? They said that a moose had been very close to the path, so we quietly, but as quick as we could, headed back on to the path and managed to spot the moose. It had now moved a little further from the path and was somewhat hidden by trees but we did get some shots of it.

Happy at having seen a wild moose we went back to the trailer happy :-)

Thursday started and continued bright and sunny. Today we had a boat trip booked that we'd booked a couple of days previously since they fill up fast. The boat trip was not until 3pm although there was a 45 minute walk from the parking lot to the boat jetty. On the way we stopped for a picnic lunch at the SS Ethie site. The SS Ethie had been shipwrecked on the coast and the foreshore was littered with rusty remnants of the wreck which it had been decided to leave as a memorial to it. The SS Ethie had been shipwrecked in December 1919 but, miraculously, no lives were lost except that of a dairy cow. One young baby was rescued by being carried in a mailbag by a line from ship to shore.

 

 The story can be found here; http://newfoundlandshipwrecks.com/Ethie/Documents/wreck_of_the_s_s_ethie.htm

 

From the S.S. Ethie site we headed the short distance up the road to the large parking lot from where we walked the 3km to the boat jetty. It was quite hot by now and some people on the busy trail, both coming from and going to the jetty, were looking a bit hot and tired.

The boat soon loaded up and departed on time for the tour of Western Brook Pond. There were lots of interesting rock formations, including one where a face 'could be seen' if you use some imagination! In some sheltered places, higher up, were some patches of snow remaining from the long winter.

On the path to the jetty, almost there.

Snow in them there hills!

 

Can you FACE it?

Arriving back at the jetty where there were facilities we had a coffee and headed back up the trail to the car and back to the trailer where we had supper and started thinking about our next move in the morning.