It's a foggy Newfoundland greeting that welcomes us to The Rock. Arriving by ferry from Sydney, NS, we land in Port-aux-Basques in the middle of the afternoon on Sunday, July 20th. After a few last minute purchases, we drive directly to Rose-blanche. Visibility is good along the road but the coast line is invisible under the fog. In Rose-Blanche, the fog takes over and visibility drops to less than 100 m. The atmosphere is so full of humidity that anything that is exposed to the air gets instantly wet. After a warm supper at the Fisherman's Friend, we accept the Lighthouse staff's invitation to set our tent up under the shelter of the village bandstand.
Our original plan was to leave Rose-Blanche today, July 21st. Our aim was to reach François in two weeks, in order to come back using the Coastal Ferry service. The date was critical as the full return leg of the trip can only be done once a week. In the morning, we are still lost in the fog and the weather report does not foresee any change for the next 5 to 6 days. Locals tell us that it's been like that for over two weeks... We get back in the car and backtrack to the Transcanada Highway, driving North. We spend the rest of the week discovering Gros Morne National Park and the Northern Peninsula (Pistolet Bay Provincial Park near Raleigh).
We're disappointed not to be able to paddle as we had hoped but also happy to discover a less travelled side of Newfoundland.
Gros-Morne amazes us with high alpine vistas almost at sea level - and plenty of moose. From Burnt Cape, in Raleigh, between two fog banks, we catch a glimpse of the Lower North Shore and Labrador. In the distance, a couple of huge icebergs drift down the Straight as Belle Isle stands guard. A nice trail leads us to the top of the cliffs at Cape Onion. Down below, we spot some humpback whales jumping and breaching. Later, a sperm whale swims along the coast. Farther East, we meet the Vikings at Anse-aux-Meadows. With them, we travel 1000 years back in time to imagine their lives as they set foot on these unknown shores.
A week later, in the morning of July 28th, the weather starts turning and the forecast calls for cleansing Northerlies. We hit the road and make our way South with a stop in Cornerbrook. Bright sunshine greets us as we arrive in Burgeo and a turquoise sea rolls lazily over sandy beaches! We spend the night at Sandbanks Provincial Park excited by tomorrow's departure.
Sandbanks Provincial Park, Burgeo
Photos : Marie Falquet Designed and produced by J.M. Falquet, 2003
December 2003
the coast line is invisible under the fog. In Rose-Blanche, the fog takes over and visibility drops to less than 100 m. The atmosphere is so full of humidity that anything that is exposed to the air gets instantly wet. After a warm supper at the Fisherman's Friend, we accept the Lighthouse staff's invitation to set our tent up under the shelter of the village bandstand.
Gros-Morne amazes us with high alpine vistas almost at sea level - and plenty of moose. From Burnt Cape, in Raleigh, between two fog banks, we catch a glimpse of the Lower North Shore and Labrador. In the distance, a couple of huge icebergs drift down the Straight as Belle Isle stands guard. A nice trail leads us to the top of the cliffs at Cape Onion. Down below, we spot some humpback whales jumping and breaching. Later, a sperm whale swims along the coast. Farther East, we meet the Vikings at Anse-aux-Meadows. With them, we travel 1000 years back in time to imagine their lives as they set foot on these unknown shores.
