Part 1: Torbay

The Northeastern Avalon Peninsula

As the last part of our adventures outside of St. John's we decided to hit the North East tip of the Avalon Peninsula. As very little planning accompanied this chapter of the trip we were content with letting chance play a role, and as a result we probably had more fun not knowing what to expect. I will chronicle this part of the trip in four parts to spread out the photos and keep me focused on the description and narrative.

The ocean views from the shores of Torbay were captivating. The area was more open and vast than previous stops in the Avalon. It sported many rocky cliffs and scattered boats. Most of these boats were small, anchored and abandoned. By chance we took an off road detour from the highway and found a fishing pier. A small group of fishermen were at work. Jay and I had the opportunity to speak with this one very cool angler who allowed us to photograph him while filleting one of his catches. He shared with us that prior to the moratorium he used to take in 1500 lbs of cod per day and now he can only legally catch 5 fish a day. Even facing these restrictions he still chooses to brave the ocean waters in his tiny boat and toil for full mornings just to meet his quota. Again like his peers (no pun intended), this man harboured no resentment. he just seemed content to keep up the tradition as fruitless as it may seem to us. The little village captured on the face of the cliff in one of the pictures must surely be the homes to this last group of fishing soldiers.