LIFESTYLE 09
WEDNESDAY MARCH 13 2019
Shedding light on remote coast RODERICK EIME THE waterways around Newfoundland, Labrador, Nova Scotia and eastern Quebec are dotted with lighthouses, some of them more than 200 years old. There are some 150 of them in Nova Scotia alone. Yet even with all these lighthouses, ships still once came to grief in their hundreds. Of course, these days with solar and wind power coupled with modern electronics, the life of a lonely lighthouse keeper is a thing of the past. Most of the old structures are preserved for heritage value with new, stark metal automated pylons standing nearby. A visit to Havre Saint Pierre with its Mingan Archipelago National Park, the home to hundreds of weird, mushroom and phallus-like limestone monoliths formed some 500 million years ago was enhanced by an escort of a tiny Minke Whale for our little local ferry. We arrive at the pier of Petite ile au Marteau where Guy, our Parks Canada guide awaits. “Hello bonjour,” he says in the quaint bilingual greeting that is part of life all over Canada, but particularly so in this region where Arcadian French communities still speak their own form of the language. “Keep your eyes open and you may witness sea parrots or sea swallows,” he advises, using the local terms for puffins and terns. The French spoken all through these parts has its own dialects too, peculiar to local regions and even villages. After a stroll of a few hundred metres we arrive at the lighthouse and the keeper’s cottage and outbuildings. Guy points out the interesting plants like Labrador Tea, a curious, star-leafed plant favoured as a herbal tea by the early settlers, but beware. You must steep the tea in hot water only to get the mild, calming benefits. Boil the water and you get both hallucinogens and a laxative. As we continue around the Gulf of St Lawrence aboard Silver Cloud, many more lighthouses are counted including several on the Iles
Left: The remote Pointe-à-laRenommée Lighthouse, one of the many isolated lighthouses to be 'discovered' on a cruise along the eastern coastline of Canada on board the Silver Cloud. Below: The Northern Lights as seen from the deck of Sliver Cloud. Pictures: RODERICK EIME
de la Madeleine and the Quebec coast to the west. While visiting the island of Newfoundland, we were reminded that it was the Vikings who were the first Europeans to settle in North America. The ancient Scandinavian sagas have long told of great feats of exploration and conquest, but these sometimes fanciful tales lacked hard evidence. But in 1960, two Norwegians conducted a thorough survey of the area, finding archaeological evidence and locating the settlement now known as L’Anse aux Meadows.
The site was later inscribed by UNESCO on the World Heritage list. Despite many years of excavation, there’s not a lot to see of the original settlement. The digs have been re-interred by Canada’s Parks Authority and replica structures built adjacent the site. Here we met enthusiastic reenactors ‘living’ in the sod-covered timber-framed buildings carrying on life much as how these first settlers world have done 1000 years ago. Silversea Expeditions’ ship, Silver Cloud, has recently been rebuilt and enhanced to become
one of the pre-eminent such vessels currently sailing the world’s oceans. Apart from the wealth of historic ports, nature lovers can expect to see humpback whales, white-beaked dolphins, raptors and distinctive seabirds like the emblematic Atlantic Puffins. Silver Cloud returns to Canada in September this year for a series of exceptional voyages that include Arctic ports in Nunavut and the Baffin Sea as well as Greenland. These departures fill quickly, so see your cruise specialist travel agent or visit the website: www.silversea.com for dates and availabilities.
CHINESE HOROSCOPE Call Elizabeth on 0414 488 613 or email teralda@gmail.com
Rat
1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008 A favourable time indicated. Perceptions are sharpened through careful observation. Weekend favours outdoor activities with family or socializing.
Ox
1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009 Auspicious trends prevail at this time. Engage in group activities which further transformation. Objectives are met with success through perseverance.
Tiger
1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010 Communication may cause volatile relations with others to deteriorate even further. The best armour is to keep out of range!
Rabbit
1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011 Love cannot be purchased; affection has no price. If you want to be respected by your partner, you must respect yourself.
Dragon
1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012 Focus on financial matters. Even though you may be tempted to maintain assets, something will prompt you to dive overboard with extravagant spending.
Snake
1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013 Financial gains likely through leadership and drive. Group activities favoured at wind down of working week. Resist being egotistical and selfish.
Horse
1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014 Emphasis is on impressions you create with others, new projects and change of environment. Abstain from worrying about trivial matters or siblings.
Sheep
1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015 Encountering delays or obstacles in connection with work matters foreseen. Channel your energies into more objective goals. Health upsets minor.
Monkey
1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016 False optimism may cause some to see an opportunity where there isnít one! The 14th and 15th could signal delays concerning business.
Surfing legend Bob Evans catches a wave with some 'friends' back in the early 1960s.
Bob showed faith in women surfers
Rooster
1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017 Challenging aspects involving real estate, career, and relationships ahead. Adhering to schedules, not being anxious should solve problematic areas.
Dog
1910, 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018 Innovative business ventures favoured. Ideas are abundant, agendas accelerate, consider your options. Prevent inviting romantic entanglements with strangers.
Boar
1911, 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019 Opening up communication lines with a partner or colleagues makes shared familiarity easier. Connections influential, resources are on hand; expect results.
By PHYLLIS O’DONELL First women’s world champion
I was first introduced to Bob Evans by surfing’s gentleman, “Snowy” Mc Allister, in the early ‘60s when I had started surfing in Sydney. That was well before I moved to the Gold Coast. At a time when women surfers were regarded as a novelty or a nuisance, I was thrilled to think that the editor of Surfing World magazine would take the time to
In Chinese culture, pigs are the symbol of wealth. Their chubby faces and big ears are signs of fortune as well. V1 - GCSE01Z03MA
Picture: SUPPLIED
encourage and promote me and help me overcome the obstacles encountered by the few girls who surfed at that time. As one looks back, it was Bob who motivated and created the great talent that Australia has today in producing world champions. It was he who organised the formation of the Australian Surfriders Association and encouraged the States to affiliate. From that of course came the first World Titles at Manly in 1964 which included a women’s event. This is only one of the
many firsts he was responsible for and it surprises me that he has received so little recognition for his contribution to surfing. For my part I am grateful for the support he gave in those formative years. The story of Bob Evans is just one of hundreds which can be found at Surf World Gold Coast at Currumbin, opposite the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. The surfing museum has an impressive collection of boards and surfing memorabilia on display. For details visit www.surfworldgoldcoast.com