Visit to Round Harbor

Round Harbour is a small community located on the Baie Verte Peninsula 11 km off route 414, settled in the mid 1800's. It was always a fishing settlement with a population from about 50 - 150, but as a result of the shutdown of the fishery today only 6 people are still living in Round Harbour.

On our way in we saw this iceberg in a neighboring bay.

This was our first view of the town itself

Like many of the small bays here the side hills are quite steep making building difficult

There is still fishing done here

As the church was open we visited it. Surprisingly, with only 6 or 7 part time resident families, it seems to be in use. This is a magnificent old building with amazing woodworking.

Tom

Wildflowers

It’s been a cool wet spring so the wildflowers are later than normal this year. Instead of seeing them at the beginning of our visit we’re enjoying them near the end of our stay.

Lupine

Ladyslipper

Buttercup

Wild Iris

Tom

Dory

While the fishing sheds are somewhat of an anachronism, the dory is still very much in use as the essential boat of the near shore fishers.

Tom

Fishing sheds

When fishing was an individual business, you not only needed your boat but a place to store your associated gear. The Newfoundland coast is dotted with these small buildings. A few are still in use. Many are very picturesque.

Tom

Lighthouses

Where there are exposed rocky coastlines you usually find lighthouses and Newfoundland is no exception. Many of these are relatively inaccessible but we did visit a few.

This is Bonavista Light

Long Point Light

Miniature lighthouse

Tom

Atlantic Surf

Where the North Atlantic meets the rock that is Newfoundland the surf often runs high.

Tom

Churches

In many of the towns we visited the most imposing structure was the church. Here are some examples.

King’s Cove Catholic Church

Bonavista United Church'

Trinity Anglican Church

Placentia Catholic Church

Tom

Gannets

I’m not really into photographing birds though if one gets in front of my lens I’ll photograph it… Cape St Mary’s Ecological site is the largest Gannet nesting ground in the world.

They were apparently still building nests as this one has a beak full of vegetation.

Sometimes I got two in one image

It was difficult to get them in front of the cliffs because the camera  really wanted to focus on the cliff rather than the bird.

Tom

Salmon Migration

Jeff and Connie’s Newfoundland home is in the Humber River valley. The Humber River is a major salmon river and they are running. Yesterday we went to Big Falls.

Not a high falls but it does create something of a barrier for a salmon. There were several fishermen trying their luck below the falls. Flies and barbless hooks are mandated here.

Of course most of the fish make it past the fishermen but still must get past the falls themselves.

Once past the falls it’s easier going for them

Tom

Moose

Having seen icebergs we needed to see a moose.

Fortunately they seem obliging

This one was shy and didn’t want her photo taken

Tom

Seacoast

These photos are from Port au Choix, St Anthony and points between.

Tom

Fishing Heritage

In the mid 20th century subsistence fishing was a common way of life in Newfoundland. One such family was the Mudge family. Every year from April through the summer they lived at this fishing camp. They caught lobster, salmon and cod. After that way of life ceased to be viable they deeded their property to the Historic Trust.

This building stored boats, lobster traps and nets through the winter. During the season it was there processing plant where they processed their catch even to canning the salmon.

The boats

Lobster traps

The house was tiny by today’s standards. Each bedroom was just large enough for a double bed and small dresser. The kitchen was a wood burning stove and small cupboard; no sink, no refrigerator no counter space.

Tom

Icebergs

We took a sightseeing boat tour out of St. Anthony. Saw a whale and lots of birds and a Caribou but what you want to see on these tours this time of year is icebergs.

These break off glaciers in Greenland and take around two years to drift down to the waters between Labrador and Newfoundland.

As they drift south they begin to break up. You can see the pieces in the water around it. Some people “harvest” the iceberg chunks and melt it down for drinking water and other beverages. This ice is thousands of years old so extremely pure.

When the pieces of ice find their way into the harbors or along the shoreline they’re known as “berger bits”. 

Tom