Western Brook Pond

Today was shaping up to be a lazy day of sitting around a campground playing computer games.  So, I dragged Dave to the nearest town: Rocky Harbour.  It was dull and dreary and threatening to rain all afternoon, and I was hoping to find some souvenir clothing.

"Town" is a word to be used very loosely in these parts.  Rocky Harbour seems to be a larger town; it at least has a few stop signs!  Actually, it's not a bad place.  A few restaurants, a hotel or two, liquor store, post office, about 4 churches, and maybe a couple hundred houses.  But we just weren't feeling the vibe early in the afternoon, so I changed up our plans and dragged Dave out to Western Brook Pond.

To another boat.  First, you park your car in a parking lot on the highway.  And then you walk a 3km trail through bog and bush to a ferry dock.  Then, you pay $56 a person to get a 2hour ferry tour of Western Brook Pond.  It was way cool!  I may not ever get to actually sit on the top of a fjord, but I have now had a tour of the bottom of a fjord.  (we'll also used the term 'fjord' loosely, once upon a time it was a real ocean fjord, but it no longer connects with the ocean and is essentially a lake full of fresh water.  But it is a valley carved by a glacier, and it's pretty impressive!)

This lake is 500ft deep in places!  Deeper than the water offshore in the ocean.  It's cliffs are 2000ft high.  Jagged and spectacular; pictures will never do it justice.

The tour guides were great, and the boat captain even turned the boat around twice (once for a black bear, and a second time for a moose) so that we could have a closer look.  Unfortunately, I had used up all the juice in my camera by that time so I didn't get any pics of the wildlife.  Not to worry though, apparently there are over 5000 moose in Nfld; 4 for every square kilometre of habitable space - we're bound to see one again!

One thing we haven't done while we're in the area is to check out a Gros Morne National Park pass.  You know, the fee you're supposed to pay to be in a National Park.  We haven't worried too much about it because even though we're near the park, we're really not in it.  And then we went to Western Brook Pond.  Which is in the park.  What a happy circumstance that it's Canada Day today!  Being in the park is free on National Holidays.  No park pass required.  :)

Anyway, it was a good tour of the fjord.  Dave even enjoyed it and he hates boats.  (shhh... don't tell him that I plan on taking him on even more boats!)

Coming back towards our campground, we again stopped in at Rocky Harbour.  Found a place to buy some neat t-shirts, and went to a restaurant for supper.  I had fish cakes - a typical Newfoundland thing (basically pan fried patties made of fish and potatoes).  Dave, in typical fashion, had pizza.

The campground has been a little crazy today.  This morning, the kids had a bicycle decorating contest and parade around the campground.  And tonight they had some fireworks.  It's a busy place, but it's a really nice campground.  Plus, the little rain that we have had, hasn't put a damper on anything.

Tomorrow, we head for St Anthony!