NEWFOUNDLAND WEST AND NORTH (PART 1)

EASTERN CANADA JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY

NEWFOUNDLAND WEST AND NORTH

JUNE 15-18, 2011

TRINITY, BONAVISTA PENINSULA

TRINITY

Stranded in our St. Barbe motel room, the wind howling at 60 miles per hour, rain blasting sideways like bullets and the temperature hovering in the low 40s, this is not a nice day.  Gulls are attempting to fly, but they are barely able to avoid crashing into our dripping motel window.  The wait for the ferry across the Strait of Belle Isle to Labrador is not promising to be a short one, since the ferry can’t navigate these waters in safety, and we certainly can’t navigate them without seeing some “rainbow hurl”, as the Aussies would say.  I must point out that this horrendous stretch of weather we’ve been experiencing is not typical for Newfoundland at this time of year.  It’s usually much sunnier, warmer and less windy.  But when you travel, you pays your money and you takes your chances.  The last thing anyone will ever guarantee on an ocean island is the weather.  The good news (there’s always good news), is that I now have some time to write and tell you what we’ve been up to the past week since we left the Avalon Peninsula down “south”.

"WHISKERS", HARBOR SEAL

Taking advantage of some decent weather, which is now only a distant memory, we traveled the length of the Bonavista Peninsula, which is a giant arm of land pointing north just after crossing back to the “mainland” area of Newfoundland.  There was a bright glowing object in the sky which we vaguely recalled from Florida, and this encouraged actual tourism with gusto.  Newfoundland is famous for its quaint and often beautiful fishing villages, neatly tucked into narrow coves and bays.  The small town of Trinity, on the east side of the Bonavista Peninsula, has been preserved as a historical site, showing what a fishing village was like when cod was king and a life could be harvested from the sea’s bounty.  Perched on rocky cliffs, brightly painted buildings and white picket fences lined the village streets.  Many of the town’s original community and business structures had been restored and open to tourists for a glimpse into a not very distant, but rapidly disappearing history.  Not long ago, all of the docks, wharves and even the small fishing boats were hand hewn from local firs and spruce trees. That practice has been partially retained here, much to the scenic and cultural enhancement of the town.  Take the time to wander through the entire village, enjoy a Scotsman ice cream cone on the quay and look for harbor seals lounging on the nearby docks and rocks.  

ATLANTIC PUFFINS, ELLISTON

SURF BELOW PUFFIN ROCKS

Continuing north, almost to the tip of the peninsula, we arrived at Elliston, a tiny community that has proclaimed itself “The Root Cellar Capital of the World”.  Boasting over 57 root cellars, there don’t seem to be any other likely contenders.  We weren’t there for the turnips, potatoes or other buried treasures, however.  Elliston has a large Atlantic Puffin colony THAT CAN BE VIEWED CLOSELY FROM LAND!  For those of us who have a tendency toward mal de mer, the notion of puffin-watching from terra firma is most appealing.  Just past Sandy Cove on Maberly Road, the well-marked site is a former headland that has cracked apart in several places, forming an amazing series of huge rocks in the sea.  The first three or four are connected by land bridges, but the last is completely cut off.  With its grassy top, it is a perfect spot for these colorfully beaked little alcids to call home.  Only 50 yards away, we watched the puffins coming and going, checking out potential nest burrows, whirring in groups around the cliffs like the wind-up bathtub toy air force.  With the deep blue sea crashing on ragged rocks about 100 feet below us, the scene could not have been more perfect!  Nearby is the town of Bonavista, a larger fishing port with a beautiful lighthouse and yes, a few more puffins.

SAM PHOTOGRAPHING PUFFINS

SAM PHOTOGRAPHING PUFFINS

ATLANTIC PUFFIN

We made our way south along the western side of Bonavista Peninsula, passing through towns named Heart’s Desire, Heart’s Delight and Heart’s Content, followed by Dildo.  Newfoundland fishermen named their villages with their feelings about the area.  Some were happy, some sad.  I’m not sure about Dildo.

GALE ON THE TEE, TERRA NOVA RESORT

Beautiful Terra Nova National Park was next on the hit parade.  We stayed at adjacent Terra Nova Resort & Golf Community (www.terranovagolf.com), which looks and feels like it’s part of the park, but isn’t.  The resort has a highly rated championship 18-hole course (Twin Rivers) and an excellent 9-holer (Eagle Creek) for those with less time, beginners, kids and families.  Twin Rivers is sculpted through the boreal forest, winding its way between the raging Northwest and Salmon Rivers, each of which beautifully frame several holes.  Playing 18 here is as close to wilderness golf as you can find.  There are no structures on the course other than tee boxes, greens, cart paths and bridges over the rivers.  The first hole is dramatically backed by the Atlantic Ocean -  the world’s second largest  water hazard.  You’ll find yourself frequently stopping to take photos, or wishing that you had a fly rod in your bag instead of that extra wedge.  Three kinds of trout and Atlantic Salmon live in these wild raging waters of the north.  Many birds were singing in the dense forest, primarily Swainson’s Thrush, Black-throated Green and Northern Waterthrush warblers and several Black-backed Woodpeckers flew across fairways.  There were moose tracks in the bogs as well as piles of moose calling cards.  Black flies and mosquitoes can be a problem, so make sure to carry insect repellent.

Our friends back at Harbour Grace had made a parting gift to us of home-made moose sausages and steaks, so we grilled them for lunch.  The sausages were mild and tasty.  The steaks were fairly strong tasting, like venison, but sliced up thinly and dumped into soup made for an excellent north country stew.

Terra Nova National Park is perfect for family groups who like to camp.  Set on the shores of Newman Sound, there are spacious campsites, a multitude of trails, activities for children, gorgeous scenery, boating and much opportunity for a general enjoyment of nature.  We had the opportunity to take a small boat ride on the sound with two biologists and an artist who work for Parks Canada.  As we tooled around islands, rocks and bays, we were shown a nest colony of both Arctic and Common Terns, a Bald Eagle that built its aerie on a rock promontory, and island-dwelling puffins, murres and guillemots.  It doesn’t get much better than that.

10th HOLE AT HUMBER VALLEY

Reverting to form, the weather the next morning was absolutely atrocious - rain, fog and cold.  Instead of touring some of the outlying peninsulas on the north central coast, we drove directly to our next night’s stay at The Lodge at Humber Valley Resort   Along the way, we listened to a local radio station, where the highlight was a “moose alert” for a bull wandering near the highway.  About 20 miles south of Deer Lake (western Newfoundland’s largest airport, which receives non-stops from Europe and Canada), the Humber Valley Resort is a very unusual  community.  Overlooking large Deer Lake and the magnificent Humber River, the resort was originally developed as a grand scheme for wealthy Brits and Europeans to have “wilderness” homes in Newfoundland with all the amenities.  About 300 luxury 3-5 bedroom chalets were built and sold about 10 years ago.  Then the real estate market collapsed, the value of Canadian currency drastically increased, the world-wide economy went south, the developers went bankrupt and the value of these homes was reduced by 2/3.  Most were never occupied or rented, leaving the highest class ghost town you could ever imagine.  Meanwhile, a fantastic golf course, designed by Canadian Doug Carrick, was built on the side of the mountain as the anchor of the resort.  That shut down for a year as well, until being purchased by locals who have restored it to one of the finest and most majestic courses I have ever had the pleasure to play.  Most courses have one “signature” hole.  This one has five or six and the rest are nothing short of phenomenal in their layout, shaping and views that take full advantage of the topography.  Each hole is a wonderment and this course can and should be played many times.  If you are a golfer, come here. And stay in one of the chalets operated by delightful New Zealanders turned Brits turned Newfoundlanders Simon and Jean Burch (www.humbervalleylodges.com), who offer “stay and play” packages .  Their chalets include everything you would like to have in your dream home, including a bar, pool room, wide screen TV’s, jacuzzi, outdoor hot tub, huge stone fireplace and expansive brand-new gourmet kitchen.  If you fish, the Humber River is a world-class Atlantic Salmon stream, where 30-40 lb. fish are caught every year.  Other activities, like hiking, birding, canoeing, horse riding, cycling are nearby.  I can’t wait to return with a group of friends.

To be continued...

Questions?  Write sam.fried@live.com