agincourt: June 2010

NEWFOUNDLAND and MONTREAL

We spent two weeks travelling in Newfoundland and Montreal. It was a return trip to Newfoundland and it coincided with the Montreal Grand Prix where we met up with Philip and Yvonne who flew in from Halifax for the weekend.

There is a four and a half hour time difference between Comox and Newfoundland so it makes for a long days travel. As a result we were up early (like 3.a.m.) as we were travelling on an Aeroplan ticket starting from Nanaimo and to get to the east coast we had an early flight at 6.10 a.m. For some strange reason although the local Vancouver flight with Central Mountian Air is code-shared with Air Canada you can't use Aeroplan points and this little convenient flight is rather expensive unless you are going on elsewhere on a paid flight. So we saw dawn break as we journeyed down Island.

First flight was to Vancouver, a quick up and down across the straight. Then the long flight to Toronto, on to Halifax where we waited for the last connection of the day. It was really raining in Halifax and the last flight was the only one delayed all day. To board you cross the tramac, a rather wet dash. We ended up in Deer Lake on the west coast of Newfoundland around 1.00 a.m but the rental car desk lady was kindly waiting for us and we were soon at our first B and B.

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Day 2: Along the Humber Arm

On our first day out we travelled south out of Deer Lake through Cornerbrook and out to the coast along the Humber Arm. We reached Lark Harbour and continued to the end of the road at Bottle Cove, a small fishing village.

There was a walking trial to an attractive cove.

There was another lovely walking trail near Bottle Cove

We drove back to Lark Harbour for a welcome cup of tea and back to Deer Lake.

Day 3: The Southern Section of Gros Morne National park

One of the major attractions of the region is Gros Morne National Park. It is divided into two parts by Bonne Bay. We left Deer Lake and drove a fairly short distance into the Southern section of the Park. There is a Discovery Centre at Woody Point, where we were going to spend the night. After taking a good look around and seeking advice on a good walking trail we carried on to the Green Garden Trail, a longish hike out to the coast. Newfoundland is known for having a wet climate and today it certainly was damp. Undeterred we did the walk of about 9 km.

At the end of the Green Gardens Trail

A rather wet lunch stop

One feature of the area are the Tablelands, flat top mountains with an orange-yellow moonscape appearance. The clouds didn't allow the full beauty to be revealed to us.

The Tablelands

We had dinner at a highly rated restaurant at Trout River, just beyond the Green Garden Trail and we then returned to Woody Point for the night.

Day 4: The Northern Section of Gros Morne Park

We drove back along Bonne Bay and took the road north into the other section of the Park. We were going to stay at Rocky Harbour.

It was another rather wet day, worse than the previous day, but we hadn't come all this way to stay indoors, so we put on our rain gear and did a hike to Baker's Brook Falls. Much of the route is on a boardwalk to keep one above the marshy ground.

There were some pretty flowers beside the boardwalk.

View from the lower falls

The upper falls

It was certainly wet

Now thoroughly soaked we walked back the way we came and did another short walk to the top of a small hill, Berry Hill, where we could look over the surrounding countryside.

Time for the evening meal, lobster and halibut.

Day 5: Another Day in Gros Morne National Park

The two great attractions in the Park are Gros Morne Mountain and a boat trip on Western Brook Pond.

Gros Morne Mountain at 2,644 feet

The former challenge was probably too much for us to contemplate so we settled for the boat trip. This involves a short drive to a car park on the main road and a 2 mile walking trail to the dock at the end of Western Brook Pond. This is an inland fjord left behind after the Ice Age. It provides a two and a half hour trip up and down the fjord. The walls of the fjord are over 2,000 feet high.

Depending on how many people sign up there is a choice of boats, today we were on the larger vessel.

Entrance to Western Brook Pond

One of many waterfalls

Another towards the top of the fjord

At the very top of the fjord, dropping off point for the a hike to Gros Morne

Back to the entry to the fjord

A view back from the board walk towards Western Brook Pond

We drove back to Rocky Harbour and on to Noddy Point on Bonne Bay

Bonne Bay from Noddy Point

Woody Point across Boone Bay

Some bright tulips to end the day

Day 6: To Port Au Choix

It was time to make our way further north and we had booked to stay the night at Port Au Choix. We passed by the entrance to Western Brook Pond on the way.

There are few places of any real size up the coast. We stopped in Cow Head which has an active theatre. It has a busy port and we watched the unloading of turbot at the quayside.

The Arches Provincial Park is very small but boasts a rocky outcrop with two arches

There were many attractive rocks on the shoreline.

And many delicate flowers

Port Au Choix is the site of the Port Au Choix National Historic Site. Archaeological findings confirm that over the last 4,500 years five cultures inhabited the barren peninsular where is a Parks Visitor Canada Centre. From the Centre we saw a whale passing by. There are a couple of pleasant walks across the peninsular. Initially you walk over very barren area but it has a number of delicate flowers growing in what looks like very inhospitable ground.

You then enter an area with some trees

and eventually reach the coast again.

Another delicate flower

Day 7: Port Au Choix to Cape Onion

Today we would reach our furthest point North, Cape Onion near St. Anthony. We took a short detour into St. Barbe, a port where the ferry to Labrador crosses the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Our timing was fortuitous as we saw the smart looking ferry leaving the little harbour. We had toyed with the idea of taking it to be able to say we set foot on Labrador soil but we couldn't see how to fit it in to our schedule and beside that there is only a short section of tarmac road before it becomes gravel. It is possible to drive over gravel as far as Goose Bay and Happy Valley.

We continued north in rather foggy weather and reached our B and B at Cape Onion.

The Tickle Inn at Cape Onion

Situated at just about as far north as you can go in Newfoundland, this was probably the nicest B and B we stayed at. The owners were away somewhere and the house was left in the care of a lovely lady who lived next door. She looked after the place and also prepared breakfast and an evening meal on request. Being somewhat isolated we had the evening meal both times and they were excellent. Outside were three roaming moose and there were icebergs in the distance. One was obviously grounded and it stayed around until the morning we left.

Day 8: St. Anthony and L'Anse Aux Meadows

People go to this region to see icebergs and whales and there are boat trips to do just that. We booked on one such company, Northland Discovery Boat Tours, and drove to St. Anthony.

It was pretty chilly but warm enough inside the cabin. A very large iceberg had been in the bay for quite a few weeks, the bigger ones can get grounded in the shallower water. We travelled out to see this monster. They were going to be sorry when it disappeared as they didn't have to do any chasing. We could see it easily in the distance and it was leaving a trail of ice pieces carried off by the current. They said it was about 200 feet high with a lot of it below the water line.

This one was over 200 feet high

It was pretty rugged outside

The melting iceberg leaves a trail of ice pieces carried on the current

A local boat collecting ice chips for sale in St. Anthony

This one won't last much longer

We travelled back to port looking for whales (no luck) but we did see some seals and plenty of sea birds. After lunch we went to L'Anse Aux Meadows. This is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a National Historic Site. There are a collection of mounds which are the excavated foundations where the Vikings had a settlement over 1,000 years ago. There is also a reconstructed sod and timber building. Inside there are a number of costumed interpreters and a nice warm fire. It was still pretty chilly.