She Says: The Most Disgusting National Park

Jun 15

Jun 15 She Says: The Most Disgusting National Park

Gros Morne sure lives up to its name – every minute was totally gross*.

On our first day we did a hike and picnic in the Tablelands. What a waste of time. The water was cold, and there was even snow still hanging around!

We camped in these really grotty cabins that barely had any modern necessities. I mean, you had to walk 50 metres to use the wifi and get a flush toilet! Thank goodness you couldn’t quite see the worst beach in the world from our cabin, but being able to hear the waves sure did keep you awake at night.

On the second day we tried our best to get away from the gross-ness, so we went up the coast to The Arches Provincial Park and Port au Choix. We almost succeeded, but not quite. We hiked nearly 15km to try and get away from it all. All we got was coastal views as far as the eye could see.

The town of Port au Choix; Point Riche Lighthouse; the Arches Provincial Park

Looking miserable at the Phillips Garden Trail

The third day was the most disappointing. We headed down to Rocky Harbour, stopping at Norris Point along the way. There really wasn’t much to see there at all. Trying to save the day, we walked to Bakers Brook Falls which helped pass the time but wasn’t particularly enjoyable at all.

* Just kidding lol. These were possibly the best 4 days of the trip so far.

We really enjoyed learning first-hand about Newfoundland culture. We saw a show at the Gros Morne Theatre Company called “Newfoundland Vinyl” which showcased many popular songs from the 60s, 70s and 80s. Possibly the best (and most likely to be stuck in your head for the rest of your life) is called Mari-Mac by Great Big Sea. It’s about a guy who fancies a neat little lass (and her mother), but he is not the only one interested in her (them?), and then his mother makes him marry her and it’s a great big party.

At Norris Point we stopped at Jenniex House to learn a bit about growing up and making house in a fishing village “in the olden days”. Newfoundland has had always been economically turbulent, especially tough on families when the only reliable source of income is fishing… it makes for long hard winters. We tried a “mug-up” – a strong cuppa tea, a slab of homemade bread slathered with butter and lassy (aka molasses) – a very common stomach filler for large families.

It was a very strange feeling of “being home” while in Newfoundland. We felt very similar exploring the Scottish Highlands in 2018. There’s something about a history of isolation that creates very strong culture, sense of community… and also amazing accents!