What a place!!!

I arrived in Gros Morne National Park, Newfoundland, for the first time on April 20, 2008. Driving East (which is actually north) on the Trans Canada Highway I was amazed at the coastal scenery. As I got closer to the Park the landscape was much more mountainous. Beautiful! I spent three weeks in a volunteer placement, working for the park. And after my placement was finished I was fortunate enough to spend another 3-4 weeks on the Island. I made it over to St. John’s and investigated some other spots on the way there and back (more on some interesting nooks later).

The Ferry lands at Port-aux-Basques (bottom left), from there I drove north to the park

 After returning to Ontario, I couldn’t keep my mind off of the beautiful place, and wonderful people I encountered. It’s no surprise that about a year later I had a job lined up working for Gros Morne National Park, at the Discovery Centre. This time I would have a blissful 18 weeks to spend working, living and adventuring in one of the most beautiful places on earth.

Gros Morne Mountain stands alone just right of centre

A view of Bonne Bay from the Hills

 During the time I worked for the park, 2008 and 2009, I lived with a local couple in Woody Point. Something that impresses about these two wonderful people is that they work so hard, and live so simply. They have a small amount of land and keep a small farm with a few animals; they grow vegetables in their gardens, which they fertilize naturally with kelp and compost; they hunt and fish to supplement the meat they raise on the farm; they pick berries, bake bread, make jam; and always have time to share stories with curious visitors.

The amount of information that I learned from these two people alone, is amazing. They, and others that I met, became like family to me. I think about them often and all the time they took to share their culture, history, and way of life with me. I want to share what I learned with you. So, as I tell the story of how I became a Newfoundlander at heart, I am going to impart on you the knowledge, stories and skills that were shared with me during my time on the Rock.

Here is a list of some of the things I will cover in my blog, but this is by no means exhaustive:

Fishing

·         Salmon

·         Cod: jigging, filleting

Hunting

·         Moose

Identification

·         Tracks: Moose, Caribou

·         Flowers: Orchids

·         Trees

·         Plants

Gardening

·         Potatoes, turnip, cabbage, beets, carrots

Crafts

·         Rug Hooking

Music

·         Hey Rosetta

·         Daniel Payne

Fantastic Places that most tourists don’t find!

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