Newfoundland's South Coast Adventure: Grey River

After a lovely breakfast at Four Winds, Sue drove our bags down to the Gallipoli for our 8 am departure. We could walk almost as fast but it saved us carrying everything. Then we were off to Grey River where after 1 hour and 20 minutes of dolphin viewing we sailed through steep cliffs into a magnificent fjord where we were welcomed on the government wharf by a good proportion of the population of 100. Evelyn Warren met us at the wharf and brought us to her one-bedroom former takeout with fridge and stove, double bed and pull-out couch. $75 cash per night (296-3426, cell 660-8632). It was pretty close for seven of us, but Grey River is so charming we didn’t spend much time inside.

 Despite overcast cool weather and more black flies and mosquitoes than I have ever experienced – think Labrador - we donned mosquito nets and hiked up the steep boardwalk above town to the graveyard and to a lookout bench with views of the fjord. Old snowmobile treads have been nailed to the boardwalk for grip. After lunch in the homestead – no restaurants in Grey River – Tom White took us seven miles up the fjord where a private salmon fishing lodge sits at the mouth to the mouth of Grey River itself. Tom showed us his cabin where he goes to get away from the hustle and bustle of Grey River. He also explained how people go out in boats, cut their wood, load it onto the boat and then deliver it right into their front yards. Garfield Young, former store owner – his daughter and son-in-law now run it, has a saw mill right in his backyard. He reclaimed land to build his yard on the water. There’s not too much spare land in Grey River. I’m happy we didn’t have to stay in a tent.

I did see one car, nosed into a driveway in someone’s yard. In good condition but looked like it hadn’t moved in a while. 

 After a supper of spaghetti we bought from the store all the children in the community played tag. You don’t have to worry about them being mowed down by a car and the two seven-year-olds in our care loved the freedom this afforded them.

Next morning we helped a few guys pull up their boat and walked out to the old fishing rooms where we saw a seal slapping her tail at us – perhaps in warning, or to keep our attention away from her baby.W

e visited the abandoned Play Fair tungsten mine. Only went in a few hundred feet because of the possibility of foul air. We also looked for tungsten on the beach and although we didn’t find any, a nice man named Melvin brought us some later back at the abode. It’s black and thick glasslike. Really cool. Lots of other minerals on the beach like fools’ gold.

We almost missed the ferry from Grey River to Francois. The Provincial government schedule online said it came 4:45 daily except Thursdays. I was wandering around town when someone asked if I was taking the ferry that afternoon. I said yes, 4:45. They said, No, it come 3:45. I raced up to the takeout and we had 15 minutes to pack and get seven people down to the wharf. Whew.