The Rock!

It was a bit of a grey and ominous arrival on the Rock, but it really set the mood with the fog and the old fishing huts on the rocky coast as the ferry docked!   We had arrived a couple of hours earlier than scheduled so we pushed on driving through to Gros Morne with a token stop at McDonald's in Cornerbrook.   We remarked at how similar the landscape was to some of New Zealand's terrain.

  

The next morning we headed straight to the Bonne Bay Aquarium and while it's not Ripley's, it was incredibly personal and our tour guide was a marine biology student from St. John's.  Heaps of fun, hands- on and very informative and the view of the bay is amazing!

 Sea stars, sea urchins, crabs, clams ...

Scallops and Sponge Bob (square pants?)

 Blue lobster!

 The touch tank was a highlight, but the water was soooo cold, straight from the bay and many subarctic species are found here much further south than normal. 

 The view from these Muskoka chairs in the scene below on the side of the highway!

 A visit to Gros Morne National Park visitor centre got us a tablet to use as our own personal tour guide on the Tablelands hike. 

 Watch out for bears! 

 Here you can just make out the start of the Tablelands on the left of the trail (orange bare rock) versus the forested hill on the right side of the valley.  The Tablelands are actually part of the earth's mantle that has pushed up to the surface.  Very little vegetation grows on these rocks due to mineral content.  Check out the inside "serpentine", it looks like snakeskin rock! 

 Snow on the peak??

 We would stop every 100 metres or so when the GPS on the tablet beeped at us and touch a button for a 2 minute commentary about the geological significance of the area.   I suppose flip flops were not the best choice of footwear for this trek!! 

 Very cool cloud formation in the distance - but I have NO idea why, it wasn't in the commentary!!

 Can you tell than this rock is out of place??  It must have been carried here at some point from another location - it's the only rock in the area with lichen growing on it.

 Well maintained trail and boardwalk was very enjoyable but as you can see the boys can't resist scampering over the rocks.

 Family photo!!  The only of the whole trip I think.  Anyhow, you can see the difference between the orange Tablelands and the green forest of the rest of Gros Morne National Park - stunning!

(More from NFLD in the next post as we head to the Western Brook Pond)

Following the Cabot Trail

 We were limited in our trek across Nova Scotia (that leaves room for next time!) but knew we couldn't miss the Cabot Trail, after all, the cliffs and the sea were what my heart was craving after a year home in Southern Ontario.  The weather fluctuated a bit but it was mostly a sunny drive. 

 Serious driver face ... this was relieved when we crossed the bridge and settled into our campsite!

 We did love being sandwiched between the tall red cliff and the bay, and there was a mini-golf course and a microwave at the campground with very accessible (and cheap) laundry facilities that we found quite helpful  (Seal Island North Sydney KOA in case you're interested).  We stayed here both before and after our visit to NFLD. 

 Onwards and upwards!

 We took a break from the road and stopped for a picnic lunch at Ingonish Beach which has both rocks and sandy shore.  The entry into the ocean is very shallow with many sand banks just offshore, so it was perfect for the kiddos to have a play. 

 These photos make my heart sing!

 Oh yes, he came straight out of the ocean and laid down on the sand.  It meant quite a few minutes spent under the cold showers before getting changed and back into the van. 

 Onwards we traveled to Green Point; there are about 30 stops along the trail with scenic views or short hikes. 

 We always LOVE the danger signs ... beware the rogue waves! 

 Very cool rocks here with crystal lines in them and just perfect for scrambling and jumping over! 

Yes, it was a bit of a chilly wind, eh Jackson??

 There are many small fishing villages and tiny bays scattered along the shore. 

 One of the highest crossing points along the Cabot Trail.

 The famous view of the road hugging the cliffs and shoreline. 

 We travelled counter-clockwise along the trail so that the van was always on the ocean side for the best viewing of the passenger (aka moi).  Every so often I would shout at the kids to "Look UP!" and "Look at the view!".  They usually appease mommy and say "WOW!" and then go back to their reading or screens.  Yes, Mr. Pot, they finished their book reading challenge by the end of our trip (July 13th).  5000 km driving around the country gives lots of time for reading.  (This photo was actually from a different day as you'll see from the t-shirts; I wouldn't let them do this on the Cabot trail  I PROMISE!)

At this point in the trip we stopped to enjoy the view and there was a lovely Parks Canada employee with some whale artifacts.  

 This is baleen,  made of keratin, that baleen whales use to filter feed krill etc. 

 Whale vertebrae!  Xavier studied whales this year with his Grade 1 class, so having a connection was really neat for him.

 

We actually booked a whale watching boat trip this afternoon but it got cancelled due to the very high winds (quite a bonus for us as Jackson was feeling nauseous already due to a virus), so we carried on to Antigonish for the night, right near the University St. Francis Xavier. 

Doesn't he look duly impressed with seeing his NAME everywhere?  Really he just wanted to eat his apple ...

Next stop:  Gros Morne National Park Newfoundland!