The Bonavista Peninsula

“From Bonavista to Vancouver Island
This land was made for you and me...”

Despite the weather being much cooler, rainy and windy, we did not let it daunt our spirits and set out for a full day of adventure. Our first stop was Port Union which is known for forming the 1st Fishermen’s Protective Union (FPU) and the start of the labour movement in Canada. It prides itself as an example of a town intentionally built by a labour organization. The man who led this movement, Sir William Coaker, organized his first strike at the age of 13!

Next stop was Elliston which included:
—Puffins: home to the Atlantic Puffin, the official bird of Newfoundland, Elliston has one of the closest land views of puffins in North America; sadly, I didn’t really see any as most had already left the area.
—Root Cellars: this initially put Elliston on the map and Elliston declared itself the Root Cellar Capital of the World in July 2000. There are approximately 133 documented root cellars, some of which have survived nearly 2 centuries.
—John Crosbie Sealers Interpretation Centre which focuses on the story of sealing and the life of sealers. Although dangerous and challenging, sealing was a way of life for many in Newfoundland. This centre also highlights the 1914 sealing disaster where, in one terrible storm, 254 sealers lost their lives. This place was very thought provoking.

Onto Bonavista where it was time for hot tea and soup at Mufflin’s Tea Room. Delightful! Then a stop at John Cabot’s statue which marks his discovery of the New World. It was so cold and windy at the top that it was only a quick stop for a Kodak moment and then onto Dungeon Provincial Park which is a large hole in the ground with 2 adjacent caves leading to the sea. The “Dungeon” formed when the waves began carving 2 caves into the rock on the ocean floor. As the cave got deeper they eventually carved out an area that could no longer support the overhead rock. As a result, the roof collapsed forming the large sinkhole structure and 2 caves leading to the ocean. It was pretty intense to look over the cliff into the Dungeon below! Not for the faint of heart!

We ended the day with a fabulous 4 course meal at Fishers’ Loft. It was a great way to end the day. Great food with great friends!Read more