One must keep an open mind while traveling in Newfoundland, for this is a most unusual place filled with all sorts of bizarre anomalies. Before you shake your head and dismiss something with; “Oh those Newfoundlander & Labradoreans” – we ask you to size things up, ask questions, and apply some good old-fashioned logic.
“… keep an open mind…”
Perhaps the most baffling observation (for both guests and tour guides), is the propensity for Newfoundlanders to congregate with their campers in the many abandoned aggregate quarries located alongside the island’s highways. Why would anyone forego a beautiful coastal clearing, the magnificent “Look Out” sites, or the gorgeous campgrounds found in nearly every corner of the island?
“… ‘Look Out’ sites…”
Guides have always had a difficult time trying to explain this phenomenon. Desperately trying to present a positive spin, we’d talk about the comradery found in a gravel pit – the games of horseshoes, enjoying a beer without any fear of meeting the church minister, no grass to mow, in fact, no chores or responsibilities of any sort. This is a place where you could really relax and let everything hang out without any kind of judgement. Friends, family, food, and fun, this is how gravel pit camping must have begun.
Interesting that we should be discussing this very issue when a dear friend from Port aux Basques stopped for a chat and the best explanation we’ve heard to date;
“Gravel Pit is the perfect spot to boil the kettle.”
“… boil the kettle…”
His father was a church minister and they switched from a small sailing schooner to a big old sedan as soon as the roads were installed. Their parish could afford the car, the diocese spanned vast distances, and land-based travel was considered a safer alternative.
But, early roads were rough, and every trip was long – enduring when flat tires, undercarriage damage, and washouts caused undue delays. In such situations, gravel pits provided a safe sanctuary for repairs, away from the road’s narrow shoulders and the massive plumes of dust that followed every passing vehicle.
“… land based travel…”
Gravel pits provided protection from a raging wind but channeled enough of a draft to keep flies and insects away on a fine day. There was always a crystal-clear spring of water nearby. A perfect spot to boil the kettle – where children could punch in an afternoon “trouting” or “burry picking” while vehicles were repaired.
As the volume of highway traffic increased, certain quarries became better known for their level of amenity. With more people stopping at these “favorite pits”, the fire burned near constantly and the kettle boiled away, ready and waiting for the next guest with the latest news from throughout the island.
For a people who’s coastal communities dictated a life spent in near complete isolation, the gravel pit offered an interesting social environment where families would gather to meet friends and loved ones, just “passing through”, stopping long enough for a cup of tea, to retrieve a care package, or offer someone a ride back “around the bay”.
“… campers were introduced…”
Waiting could prove uncomfortable in inclement weather. So, campers were introduced to provide a reprieve from the elements. Complete with better cooking facilities, seating, refrigerators, and beds – they could now host guests in a more customary fashion, offering a proper bowl of soup, a game of cards, cold beer, and a place to stretch out between visits.
Others soon caught on to the attraction and within a short span of time, every town boasted its own “bedroom community” of “Gravel Pit Campers”. A triangulation point connecting them to the one thing we love more than anything else in Newfoundland – Visitors.
That and the excuse to celebrate their arrival.
“… celebrate their arrival…”
Singalong!
It’s the 24th of May and we likes to get away
Up in the woods or going out the bay
There’s all kinds of places
but the place we likes the best
Is up on the highway
in the gravel pits
Buddy Wasisname – The Gravel Pits
