Last Day in Newfoundland; You’ve Gotta See This!

Our last day began with a very auspicious sunrise. We are back at Grand Codroy RV Park which was our first stop in Newfoundland.

We had decided to take the morning to travel past the ferry port on the southern coast to see a lighthouse the owner of this rv park told us about. This is called the granite coast, for obvious reasons.

This was again different than the other coasts where we have been, but still beautiful.

The lighthouse was in the little village of Rose Blanche.

The name has nothing to do with flowers. It’s a corruption of the French words roche blanche, which means white rock. The rocks on that far hillside are quartz and shine bright white in the sun (absent when I took the picture).

It was another dazzling view accessed by another well made walking path.

The lighthouse, which was built in 1873, had been abandoned. The wooden roof rotted and the walls collapsed. All that was left was the tower.

After years of effort the lighthouse was restored in 1999. 80% of the stones are original, the rest were cut from the same nearby quarry as was used in its construction. This is the only granite lighthouse in Atlantic Canada.

The keeper’s quarters have been furnished with items donated by the community.

The fresnel lens is on display.

This is looking up at the granite stairway in the tower. I walked up and it gave a hollow sound with each step. It didn’t sound very sturdy, but the stairs are what kept the tower intact.

On our way to the lighthouse we noticed this falls in the distance. I wanted to stop and get a photo.

Of course there was a well constructed path and a sign telling us these were the Barachois Falls.

This path was built the entire 3,000 meters to the falls.

That’s because it led over a bog.

A bog on a hillside! I was in heaven. The pitcher plants and sphagnum moss made their own fall colors.

As is usual there was a picnic table built at a spot with a lovely view.

And then there was the falls.

I have thought about what makes Newfoundland so inviting. It is not just that the people you meet are so nice. Every community has pull-offs with trails and benches and informational signs. It’s as if the people are saying, “Come on, you’ve gotta see this.” And never have I walked a trail or taken in a view where I thought, “Eh, I could have done without seeing that”.

And so, now that we’ve seen our last sunset in Newfoundland (at least for this trip) I will pass along their unspoken invitation, “Come on, you’ve gotta see this!”