July
29, 2005
By
Brian Newhook
Weather:
Sunny, 24 degrees C
Trip Length: 2 hrs total
Paddlers: Brian Newhook, Angie Brace
Kayaks Used: 2x Seaknife SK-17 Pro
Our
paddle route is marked in red (thumbnail - click on image to enlarge)
This
was a light afternoon paddle to complete our holidays before heading back to the
east coast. Earlier that day we hiked into Bakers Brook Falls, a 10 km return
trail to a fantastic waterfall. We stayed at Green Point campground in Gros
Morne the night before, and were surprised about the nice sites, given that its
$14/night compared to $23/night at the other campgrounds in the park. It is a
self registration campground with running water but no showers.
Norris
Point offers some of the most fantastic views of the park; Tablelands on one
side of Bonne Bay and Gros Morne Mountain on the other. It is one of the more
pretty communities that I have ever visited. A company called “Bon Tours”
offers boat tours here on a new catamaran called the “EmmCat”. There are
also sea kayak tours and rentals available and a marine interpretation center.
All of this is located at the end of the town, in Norris Cove, and in this area
there is a small beach where we launched our boats.
The
EmmCat, 45 ft Catamaran tour boat (thumbnail - click on image to enlarge)
The
beach at Norris Cove (thumbnail - click on image to enlarge)
Me
with Gadd’s Harbour in the background (thumbnail - click on image to enlarge)
We
left the beach at three o’clock and the wind had just started to pick up. It
seems that the wind always picks up in the afternoon in this area. But the sun
was shining and it was our last day, so we had to get out on the water. There
were already a few kayaks on the water when we set out. We paddled across to
Gadd’s Harbour, where there is a nice beach.
Angie
with Gros Morne mountain in the background (thumbnail - click on image to
enlarge)
Angie
with Shag Cliff in the background (thumbnail - click on image to enlarge)
We
then headed along the coast line east past Shag Cliff. Here the seas can get
confused when the waves bounce back of the cliffs, so be careful in this area.
Once we got past Shag Cliff we entered stores cove, which has a beach and is
fairly sheltered, so we pulled up along side each other for a little lunch and
soaked in the view. After our lunch we went back across to Reid Point and
discussed going further up to Beachy Point. There is a beautiful sandbar that
you can see from the highway when you drive past, but the wind was getting
stronger and we had to make our way across the island soon, so we decided to
turn back for Norris Cove. The views in this bay are truly phenomenal and the
day was perfect for it. We were sad we couldn’t stay longer. It was another
area that we vowed to visit again to explore further.
Angie
with the Tablelands in the background (thumbnail - click on image to enlarge)
As
we approached Norris Cove, there was a Tall Ship leaving port, so we had to give
it the right away, considering the size difference between them and us!
(thumbnail - click on image to enlarge)
This is a great paddle for novices as it is relatively sheltered. I recommend a visit to Beachy Point, I wish we had the time and better weather to have taken it in. The beaches in the area offer great places to picnic. Lomond is only a 12 km paddle from Norris Point, and it would make a great extension to this trip if the weather was agreeable.