Harbour Round

Harbour Round is true to its name – a community wrapped around a surprisingly round harbour.  A narrow entrance provides access to the open ocean.

Welcome to Harbour Round

Hard to see from the picture, but the harbour IS round

Houses lie in clusters around the harbour and into the protective hills.  It’s clear that fishing was a big part of this town, as there are fishing sheds, stages, and boats everywhere you look.

Love the signs they have along this coast

Pretty little town

Motorboat lies waiting
(Get this picture on a greeting card)

I guess this is why they were sometimes called "tilts"?

Beautiful harbour
(Get similar picture on a souvenir magnet)

Many fish have been processed here

Waiting for fishing
(Get this on a canvas)

Near the entrance to the town, there’s a lookout atop a short climb up a set of steps (warning: watch for splinters).  From here you can see most or all of the town and the harbour and access a walking trail to explore the area even more.  There are picnic tables available on the lookout, and it would be an incredibly beautiful place to sit and have lunch while enjoying the view.

Short climb to the lookout

Picnic area atop the lookout

View of the left side of the harbour from lookout

Another view from the lookout

A peaceful town, it’s a lovely place to spend some time relaxing.  We didn’t get to do the trail, so if you have, please let us know what you found in Harbour Round.

Next post:  Snook’s Arm and Round Harbour

Brent’s Cove

Back to Route 414 and our original route now.  The next road led to two small communities:  Brent’s Cove and Harbour Round. 

The name Brent’s Cove may come from England (there is a South Brent and East Brent there) or it may mean a steep or high place, such as the white point of high land rising to a steep hill between the two communities (More Than Just a Name, Byron A. Brooks, www.travellingnl.com).  Like many other communities on the peninsula, Brent’s Cove is built around a sheltered harbour.  It’s a picturesque town with old and new stages and fishing sheds, and a peaceful, tranquil atmosphere. 

Nestled into the hills, with rocky outcrops protecting the harbour entrance, it’s a beautiful place to get away and let the quiet sink in.  Take a look at what we found in Brent’s Cove.

Welcome to Brent's Cove

Quiet town under green hills

Newer fishing sheds...

...and those that could tell many a story

An old boat lying in retirement

A new boat ready to head out to open ocean

Fishing shed on a stage

Imagine the fish that have been brought in here

Such a lovely place

Crab pots at the ready

Loved this seagull against the green water

One of my favorite pictures from here

Next post:  Harbour Round

Burlington, Smith’s Harbour, and Middle Arm

I was planning to continue along Route 414 and write about each community in order along the road, but since The Gathering is happening this week (August 25-27), I’m going to jump ahead and share what we found when we visited that area.

Several people we talked with on our travels recommended we visit Burlington, so as we headed back south from Baie Verte, we took a side trip to the home of The Gathering, Shaun Majumder and Rex Goudie.  The town was originally called Northwest Arm, but because it was being confused with another town of the same name, in 1915 the residents chose to change the name to Burlington.  It's not clear if the name is modified from Bridlington in England or is taken from Burlington, Ontario (More Than Just a Name, Byron A. Brooks, www.travellingnl.com).

Burlington is a small community, fairly spread out with houses nestled into tall trees.  There’s a picturesque boat launch along a road that leads to a pretty little lookout point with what seems to be a small picnic area with seats and a stage overlooking the ocean.  I believe that some of the activities for The Gathering take place in this area, while the campground is actually a little outside the town itself.  You can read more about The Gathering and see pictures from past events on the website linked above.

Welcome to Burlington

Colourful fishing sheds

There are fishing sheds on both sides of harbour

Such a peaceful place

Picnic tables, seats, and what looked like a stage

What a place to have your lunch

Beautiful place

Across the harbour from the boat launch, you can see the wharf of Smith’s Harbour, another quiet, linear town.  This town was originally named John Smith's Harbour, after what may have been one of the earliest settlers (More Than Just a Name, Byron A. Brooks, www.travellingnl.com). The wharf at the end of town overlooks a small island on one side and a sheltered harbour on the other. 

Welcome to Smith's Harbour

Small island outside the harbour

Smith's Harbour from Burlington

Burlington from Smith's Harbour

Couldn't you just stay and soak in this view?

What we found most interesting about this place was the garbage cans, which were painted to look like cans of various Newfoundland products and scattered all throughout the town.  A recent CBC article tells the story of how artist Gail Foster was inspired to spearhead this project.  The article says there are 12 in the town - it’s worth driving around just to see how many you can find.  (Looks like we only found 10.)

The third town down Route 413 is Middle Arm.  I didn't find any explanations for the name, but I imagined it may have come from the sandbar arm into the middle of the bay which featured a picnic area that would make a lovely place to stop, have a bite, and enjoy the scenery.  At the entrance to the town was a small house atop a set of stone steps that caught my eye.  It seems the residents were in the process of painting a line of colorful fishing sheds along the water’s edge while we were there.  The picture below shows three, but there were many more still being painted in bright hues. They should make for some lovely pictures when they’re done.

Welcome to Middle Arm

There is a picnic shelter and facilities on the sandbar

Mind your step

The harbour is lined with colourful sheds

View of town from sandbar

Looking back towards entrance

As we approached Middle Arm, on the outskirts of Burlington, we came across a line of salt fish mounted to dry, overlooking the water.  This is an iconic sight in Newfoundland, although sadly not as easy to find as it used to be.

Salt fish drying

If you’re headed to The Gathering, you are in for a great time in a beautiful spot.  Be sure to save some time to explore the Baie Verte Peninsula – you won’t be sorry.  And if you’re not going this week, then add it to your bucket list – it’s a great place to visit.

Next post:  Back to route 414 and Brent’s Cove