Drove to the Berry Hill Campground in the morning. Although only about 80 klm away, it is kinda slow going as you are constantly going up and over the mountains. The road is actually in good shape, with well placed passing lanes. The views are quite nice, especially when you crest a mountain.
The campground is just past Rocky Harbour, nestled well off the highway. After setting up and exploring the campground a bit, it is clearly top notch. This is sort of expected being a National Park, and the park staff looking after the place are doing a great job.
Drove to the Visitor Centre to check it out. Very nicely put together, with lots of info on the Park. Bought a Gros Morne ball cap, as that was on the list of things to come home with.
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| the creation of the Ultrastar is an interesting story |
We took a drive into Rocky Harbour to explore. A small town, built along the shoreline, supporting a fish plant and the tourist trade.
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| Rocky Harbour |
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| quite a large breakwater |
There is a big lighthouse to the north of town, which Parks Canada has turned into museum. It does a good job of explaining the life of a lighthouse keeper. One thing that is readily apparent is the constant wind...it just never stops. I asked one of the guides and she said this was a good day. Given that these lighthouses are generally perched atop rocky cliffs, looking out over the ocean it is easy to imagine how bad a bad day could be.
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| serious door to the lamp room...fire safety I think |
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| I think she managed a smile at some point... |
Back in town we headed to the fish plant to get some fresh cod, then stopped at the local grocery/hardware/paint/everything else store. Super friendly staff and they sure did have a bit of everything. Also got a recommendation for dinner at Earl’s, right across the street.
Earl’s is the local diner, and it serves up tasty home cooked meals. Dale had cod cakes with molasses baked beans, and I had a cod burger. For dessert, we shared a massive slice of lemon pie topped with a mountain of meringue. Oh wow was it good!
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| steak??? |
The following morning we headed up the highway to Western Brook Pond, to take the boat tour up the landlocked fjord. To reach the boats, there is an easy 3 klm walk along a nice gravel trail, which crosses a huge bog. Lots of interpretive stops along the way, explaining the bog and the flora and fauna of the area.
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| impressive even from a distance |
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| super soft needles |
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| the fjord across one of the bog ponds |
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| bronze caribou hoof |
As we had left lots of time, we were close to the front of the lineup and were able to snag some nice seats on the open top deck. The tour started and the boat crossed open water to the entrance of the fjord. The towering rock walls, the tallest reaching 670 metres to the sky, are quite impressive. For reference, those familiar with the CN Tower in Toronto, it is only 553 metres high. The fjord is 16 klm long, and the tour takes us right to the very end. The guides did a great job of explaining the evolution of the fjord and highlights to be seen. Numerous waterfalls only added to the scenery. This tour is well worth taking if you are visiting Gros Morne, as the fjord is really not to be missed.
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| this little fact was hard to visualize from the water as the cliffs are so huge |
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| they call this face in the rocks The Tin Man |
Cod is shaping up to be a mainstay of our diet now, and our recently purchased fillets was turned into a one skillet pasta dish. Fresh caught cod is just so tasty, it is hard to have anything else.
Our last day here was relaxing. We did the Coastal Trail hike, which follows a babbling brook to the ocean, then a number boardwalks along the coast.
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| wondering just how much she could sneak home |
We then drove over to explore the harbour town of Norris Point, which actually sits right across Bonne Bay from Woody Point and our previous campground. Cute little fishing town, so we stayed and had lunch at the local pub, right in the harbour.
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