A new found love of Newfoundland

I was very fortunate to be offered a short work trip at the beginning of July to Newfoundland in Canada. We were a group of five agents, one representative from the tour operator and two Newfoundland tourist board representatives, and we all got along really well from the start.

Newfoundland is a large island linked to Nova Scotia in mainland Canada by ferry. It is carpeted in pine forest but has a rugged and, at times, wild coastline.  It is also happens to be just a five hour flight away.

We flew into the capital, St John's, and immediately had an afternoon’s driving tour of the city, stopping to admire the colourful houses of Jellybean Row before walking down to the little fishing village of Quidi Vidi, where we sampled locally produced Iceberg beer, made with 10,000 year old iceberg water. We ended on Signal Hill with its far reaching views of the St John’s and the ocean. 

The next day was Canada Day and the whole city was decorated with flags and bunting, with most people (including us) wearing red and white. We drove out of St John’s for about half and hour to Bay Bulls and Witless Bay Ecological Reserve and took a Gatheralls boat trip out into the open ocean to view whales and the largest Puffin colony in North America. The ocean swell was about six feet which I thoroughly enjoyed, but at least half a dozen people spent the entire trip clutching their sick bags! We did see Humpback Whales but from some distance, then cruised slowly along the headland watching literally thousands of breeding Atlantic Puffins and Murres.

After lunch, we headed back to St John's where half the group visited the city's museum while the rest of us were driven back up to Signal Hill from where we hiked, very steeply, back down along a narrow coastal and cliff path for about three miles in the mist, stopping at the bottom at Pearcey's Twine Store listening to marine tales from Mr Pearcy (I presume!) which was very interesting and entertaining before continuing back to the hotel. 

The following morning we checked out of our hotel to drove three and a half hours north along the Trans Canadian Highway through miles of pine forests to the pretty little village of Trinity. After a picnic lunch outside the Anglican church, we drove another twenty minutes or so on to Princeton for another whale watching trip, as the ocean around Trinity was very foggy and visibility would have been severely limited. On arrival, we were kitted out with survival suits under which we wore our own trousers and fleeces. They were far too big for us, very heavy and bulky, but more importantly they were warm and waterproof, although it was not an attractive look at all! They certainly did the job though. We boarded a RIB with our group and three other ladies and set off twenty miles out into the open ocean at high speed. It was exhilarating and soaking, but highly enjoyable. We saw Humpback, Finn and Sperm Whales up close and a pod of White Beaked Dolphins playing alongside the boat. After being out for three hours. it was an incredibly fast journey back which was very enjoyable, if a little bumpy at times! We drove back to Trinity for a hot chocolate and a wander amongst the pretty pastel painted houses before a lobster dinner and a night at the incredibly beautiful and peaceful family owned and run Fisher's Loft Inn, where the sight and sound of the ocean lulled us to sleep.

Heading back towards St John's the next morning, we stopped at Elliston Puffin viewing station. The sun was shining and it was much warmer than the previous two days, making the North Atlantic look beautifully turquoise. A short walk over a rocky headland brought us to the cliff edge and there were Puffins everywhere. We could get to within ten feet of them, and it was fantastic to sit watching them closely. They have a sad expression and yet are so comical as they rush around, and it was an amazing experience. We spent quite some time there before driving on to Cape Bonavista, stopping and rushing out of the minivan on the way to watch a Humpback mother and calf feeding in the bay below us. Surrounded by wildflowers and the deep turquoise water, it was unbelievably beautiful, warm and peaceful. Four of us walked on to the Cape Bonavista Lighthouse where there was another, smaller Puffin colony on the cliffs behind. The Lighthouse was picture perfect and very interesting. After lunch, we drove all the way back to St John's, stopping to see the Hope and Heartbreak memorial to the 251 men who lost their lives in a 1914 sealing disaster. 

Our final stop was Cape Spear; the most easterly point of North America. The ocean was a lovely deep blue and by then we could spot whales by the tell-tale white spume of the whale blow. It was very gratifying to see so many of them just off the coast. The sun was shining, it was warm with a gentle breeze; just a glorious spot to relax in and a lovely way to end the trip. After a delicious steak dinner and a chance to say goodbye to our lovely hosts at The Keg in St John's, we began our journey back to the airport for our late flight home. It had been a wonderful trip with a lovely group, lots of laughs and some truly unforgettable moments.