Blogs

Five highlights from a road trip down Newfoundland’s Route 430.

Ben Whitmarsh takes a 'hike' which explores the culinary traditions and lively atmosphere of Ellison in Newfoundland - and gets to eat more than his fair share of dishes crafted by some of Canada's top chefs

From the time the first colonists settled in Cupers’ Cove (now Cupids) in 1610, Newfoundland culture, heritage, and survival has revolved around the North Atlantic and its bounty. Spending time at The Wooden Boat Museum in Winterton gave me an idea of what life was like in the outport communities back when people relied on the land and sea to survive.

A place inhabited by unique and fascinating people is bound to attract folks with a similar penchant for individuality. Folks like Bernie and his mule Polly. While I was in Elliston, at the Roots, Rants and Roars Festival, I ran into Bernie – a man who exuded a one-of-a-kind personality and a distinct sense of adventure.

The past has a strong presence in Newfoundland and Labrador, and Trinity is no exception. Located on the Discovery Trail, Trinity is a rare gem preserved in an ever-changing world. Known for its history, friendliness and strong fishing culture, this beautiful town gives new meaning to the word authentic.

The Huxter clan tests their skills at a Newfoundland tradition: catchin' capelin.

When the Trans Labrador Highway opened up—making it possible to drive 1126km from Labrador City all the way across the province to L’Anse-au-Clair, Sandra Phinney and her husband Barrie MacGregor decided to make the loop from their home in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.  Four provinces and 5673 kilometers later, they are still talking to each other and still talking about their trip. Sandra’s posted some blogs about this journey.

 An integral part of the whole Mummering tradition is the making and wearing of a hobby horse. The hobby horse is an odd creation, with a horse-like head, beady eyes, crooked hobnail teeth and a giant hunch back. It has a reputation for being menacing and terrifying— often clearing a room of small children upon entry. 

Nestled at the top of the Bonavista Peninsula is the tiny community of Elliston – the root cellar capital of the world. People flock here from all over the world for its many tourist attractions, such as the breathtaking coastline – complete with roaring shoreline and fascinating rock formations.  

"Hmm, this is really going to be something", I thought as I sat in the car on the way to the Quidi Vidi Village Plantation. My co-worker had just filled me in on what to expect and I couldn't wait to hop out of the car the second we pulled into the parking lot. 

I woke up early, determined to get a fresh start on the day and take in as much of the beautiful coastline as possible. It was a gorgeous morning, and I was quite content to sit on a cozy rock and watch the sun scatter its rays across the water. And that’s just what I did – until it was time for the main event: the food hike; the reason people flock from all over the world to the Roots, Rants and Roars festival.

On our most recent trip to this part of Central Newfoundland we stayed at the luxurious Riverwood Inn (http://www.riverwoodinn.ca/) which received the “Accommodator of the Year” award for 2011 from Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador. It has a spectacular setting overlooking the Indian River and has walking trails that start right from its front door. When we asked Tracey Penney, the Inn’s manager about what to see in the local area she recommended checking out “glassy beach”, the local Springdale hiking trails and King’s Point pottery in King’s Point. 

On our most recent trip to Central Newfoundland we were focusing on seeing places and doing activities that we had not done before. We had been very impressed with the Barbour Living Heritage Village in Newtown and were blown away with the scenery, hiking and beaches on the Eastport Peninsula (see previous blogs). We then turned our attention to Terra Nova National Park (http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/nl/terranova/index.aspx) and decided to head to the Visitor’s Centre where the staff suggested doing the 3.5 km hike (1 way) to Buckley Cove.

Central Newfoundland is a huge area of scenic coastlines and large inland rivers. One place we have spent very little time is the Eastport Peninsula adjacent to Terra Nova National Park (TNNP). Our only other previous visit was restricted to a night of camping at Malady Head in TNNP many years ago so we decided that another visit was in order. So in early August, 2012 we arrived the Prints of Whales Bed and Breakfast (www.theprintsofwhalesinn.com) in Sandringham around 5:00 pm.

Daniel Payne is a well known musician from Cow Head who is in demand as a performer across the province. In fact, when we saw his Gros Morne Summer Music performance on Tuesday, August 7 he told us he had just arrived from the St. John’s Folk Festival just before the show was to start. He had planned on getting to the Corner Brook Arts and Culture Centre earlier than 7:50 pm (for his 8:00 pm show!) but there was fog on the Avalon Peninsula to which he said “That is no surprise” but then he got a flat tire just outside of Grand Falls “and that was a surprise”.

Over the past several years we have been making more trips to explore Central Newfoundland. Last year we enjoyed our first ever visit to Conne River and seeing other places on the Connaigre Peninsula along the south coast of the province. This year we decided to head to Newtown on the northeast coast with the specific goal of visiting the Barbour Living Heritage Village. Not only had we never been along this shore but the Barbour Living Heritage Village is also featured on the cover of this year’s Newfoundland tourism map and booklet.

“Elvis and Mavis” has many themes that will resonate with people from Newfoundland where the tug of the big city dreams runs full tilt into the living in the province’s rural areas. And in the 1990’s when this play is set, the cod fishery is gone so trying to earn a living in Newfoundland’s outports is harder than ever. Elvis (Colin Furlong) has just lost his job at the Roddickton fish plant and is frustrated with the general loss of control of Newfoundland’s resources so he decides to blow up the dam at Churchill Falls unless the unfair contract with Quebec can be renegotiated.

Gros Morne Summer Music (GMSM) has just started its summer season and has a full schedule of performances that will run until August 26, 2012. On Mondays in Corner Brook and Saturdays in Woody Point you can catch the show “Sherlock Holmes and the German of Bonne Bay” which is styled after radio drama which was popular in the 1930’s and 40’s. On stage you see an announcer, a sound effects specialist and 2 musicians which provide the superb background music and even advertisements for such things as kidney pills!

Tonight I spent a magical evening amongst the subtle glow of lanterns at the annual St. John’s Lantern Festival. The festival is a fundraiser for Victoria Park in St. John’s historic west end and runs for one day on the last full weekend of July every year.

“My goal is to create memorable performances about this place –Cow Head and Newfoundland in general -that will appeal to both local residents and visitors alike” Theatre Newfoundland Labrador’s artistic director Jeff Pitcher told us recently. And the dinner theatre performance of “Sinking of the S.S. Ethie” fits this philosophy to a tee. This is the show that started it all for Theatre Newfoundland Labrador in Cow Head and it has been running to full houses since 1996.