Gros Morne: Day 2

 

The day began much warmer @ 18º and hazy. Our first sightseeing stop was the Lobster Cove Head Lighthouse on the northern side of the entrance to Bonne Bay. The lighthouse was constructed in 1897 and operated as a signal station when signal flags were used to send messages. Automated equipment was installed in 1969. The property was eventually transferred to Parks Canada and now has very interesting  exhibits showing how the lighthouse operated and the life of the lightkeepers' families. Several trails lead off from the lighthouse to the coastline.

Our next adventure was the highlight of the day: the two hour boat tour of  Western Brook Pond, a landlocked fiord carved by glaciers. Kathy did  the 3 km walk from the parking lot  to the boat terminal while I chose to take the golf cart, $10 round trip.

The 12:30 excursion took two boats the crowd was so large. The tour went 16 km down the fiord. There was live commentary pointing out the geological features and some of the historical events like landslides. The scenery was breath-taking. We saw a couple of waterfalls. No wildlife.

Our boat dropped off a group of hikers who were going to do the 35 km unmarked trail using GPS and compasses, usually a 2-3 day trek.

The end of the fiord

   We returned to Rocky Harbour, browsed through a couple of         craft shops  on the waterfront and ate dinner at Fishermans       Landing. Kathy had a lobster roll; I had scallops. Our dinners     were pricey but tasty. The restaurant was quite popular.

We returned to the campground around 5:30. A shorter driving day, just 68 km but a trip highlight for sure.