Bonne Bay Newfoundland

[D999]

Hello all,

We have a port call in Bonne Bay in late August. Does anyone have recommendations on what would be the best thing to do while there? As it's my birthday, I'll be looking for something to take my mind off how old I am!

Thanks

D.

[laverendrye]

Bonne Bay is is in the middle of Gros Morne National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site. It's a very large park so what you can do will depend on how long your ship is there. Most ships use the village of Woody Point for disembarkation, so the most accessible parts of the park for cruise visitors would be in the southern half of the park. You might find the Parks Canada guide helpful:

http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/nl/grosmorne/visit.aspx

 

Woody Point is a pretty village, but it doesn't take long to see. I would check to see what excursions your ship is offering.

[D999]

Thank you Laverendrye

D.

[MightyQuinn]

Bonne Bay is a stunningly beautiful part of Gros Morne NP. It is best seen by water, whether via kayak, zodiac or small boats that traverse its narrow fjords.

[missmollytoo]

Hi D999,

 

We live in Newfoundland and have visited the Bonne Bay area many times. If the ship offers a trip to the fjords of Western Brook Pond, do that. It is on the north side of the bay and a distance up the coast so you'll want to go with an organized group but the scenery both on the way there and in the pond is amazing. Western Brook pond used to be a fjord at the shoreline but when the last ice age receded the land lifted and the pond is now a ways inland. The land where the ice was is flat up from the sea but the mountains rise to the east almost like something out of the mists of Avalon.

 

A second and more accessible option is to go to the Tablelands. This is why the area was made National Park. The theory of colliding continents was partially proved here. The island of Newfoundland is made up of three geological masses that fused when the continents collided millennia ago. In Gros Morne a portion of the earth's crust slid up and flipped over so you can see the inside of the earth's mantle. The mountains are gold in colour and very little grows there. Very interesting and not far from Woody Point.

 

The village itself is very charming and has a coffee shop and a few little shops to poke around in but is very small. Probably less than 200 inhabitants year around. There is a visitor centre up on the hill that explains the area.

 

Bonne Bay is an outdoors paradise so anything you do will be awe inspiring.

 

Miss Molly.

[D999]

Thank you Mighty Quinn and MissMollytoo, you've sold Bonne Bay and Gros Marne so well it seems a pity to spend only a day there!

The ship offers a scenic boat cruise so that seems like the way to go.

Thanks again.

D.

[airheadfan]

Just a bit of information for those who are not familiar with the naming of waterways in Newfoundland. In my area a pond is much smaller than a lake and a boy with a good arm could throw a rock from one side to another. Not so in Newfoundland. Western Brook Pond is a long inlet or fjord and the boat ride takes a couple of hours to go to one end and return. We were fortunate to go on a cloudless day and it was spectacular - if you get a chance to go on a ship's tour do not miss out on the opportunity.

 

Expect a 30-45 minute easy walk into the boat dock - I am not sure whether they would provide transportation for a ship's tour.