Gypsy Sea Adventures

No place like it on earth

Photography by Apryl Stead and Rebecca Pardy

 

Pie Media Group boarded a 40 ft luxury yacht with food, fashion and accessories as they embarked on a three day mission to create a portrait of the experience for Gypsy Sea Adventures. During the voyage to the resettled community of Deer Harbour, Random Island, they were regaled with stories about the history of the area, got acquainted, listened to music and captured some stunning fashion photography against the backdrop of the sea and sky.

They arrived to find all the comforts of home in the ocean edge cottages at Deer Harbour Retreat, powered by solar energy, featuring a wood burning fireplace, and decadent East Coast Glow products. They were up with the dawn to swim at sunrise, found themselves under a cascading waterfall in the afternoon and went foraging for seaweed with 7 Fathoms. They finished the day with hot showers before joining the chef and the other guests for a sumptuous meal. Guest speakers Terrance and Courtney Howell gave a fascinating talk about seaweed, its bioactive properties and its incredible health benefits.

Their attentive hosts, Brian and Vera Avery, guided the team on a trip to the Random Head lighthouse for a picnic, spotting thousands of puffins, as well as eagles, seals and whales along the way. The lighthouse provided an incredible vantage point, and everyone soaked up the scenery, with cameras in hand to commemorate the moment. As a young man, Brian’s grandfather, Elias Avery, used to deliver the weekly mail to the lighthouse keeper and his large family. At that time, it was a four hour walk each way, and dizzying zigzagged ladders with rope railings were used to get from the trail up the cliff to the lighthouse. The family used the same arduous descent to get to the trail and walk to church every Sunday.

Their zodiac adventure included the discovery of a new sea cave. Brian’s father, 90-year-old Ewart Avery, recognized their description immediately. “That’s the easiest load of mackerel we ever caught!” he enthused. As the cave filled with fish, they had used a seine net to cover the entrance and make their catch.

Ewart shares many memories and stories from the days when a community of over 250 people lived at Deer Harbour.

In the late 1960’s, however, they were all uprooted and moved to the nearest fishing community, Hickman’s Harbour on Random Island. They’d lost their livelihood, their close-knit community and everything they’d worked so hard for. In the late 1990’s, his father returned to Deer Harbour and Brian spent time with him there, bonding, listening to his stories, and witnessing how it changed his life. The beauty of the place and their passion for it gave them a purpose and more than enough reason to go back. Brian decided to embrace that tradition and once he retired from the Canadian Coast Guard, he wanted to invite people from everywhere to visit. Gypsy Sea Adventures was born.

Brian says that the sea has always been in his blood: “I feel at peace on the sea in all conditions, even when it’s rough because that’s when I respect it the most.” Vera grew up in St. John’s but spent summers on Random Island and remembers that she had always felt a profound calmness and peace there. Being surrounded by nature was a kind of meditation that made her feel a sense of gratitude that she wanted to share.

It was a passion project and a labour of love, and their commitment to it was tested. It’s a three-hour boat trip from Clarenville to reach Deer Harbour. Constructing buildings and transporting materials and furnishings was extremely challenging.

At one point, they needed a barge to transport lumber. They had to navigate around the most easterly point of the island across open sea and were subjected to the elements and all kinds of weather. Some of the local people thought that there was no way that they could do it, but the Averys have now earned admiration and respect in their success and are proud to promote the area and its incredible beauty.

They got a big boost when they appeared on HGTV. The casting call from the local Chamber of Commerce for a small off-grid business was a perfect fit.

When their proposal was accepted, they were excited to transform the old fishing stage which hung out over the ocean into a cozy space for retreats and communal gatherings. While maintaining its character, it was cleaned, restored and decorated with a braided rug, antique furniture, vintage books and games, 100-year-old rug hooking art pieces and old fishing relics. Renovated by HGTV’s Bryan Baeumler, the historical structure became Pie Media Group’s meeting place for the duration of their stay. Leaving a little piece of themselves behind, they offered a gift: a fish sculpture created by NL artist Kevin-Barry Martin.

In order to provide another opportunity for guests to connect and gather, a huge authentic fire burning grill and beautiful harvest table were added to the newly constructed outdoor kitchen. Most importantly, Vera adds: “The world was seeing and believing in what we were doing.” The HGTV team gave them rave reviews and remarked on the pristine landscape with zero population and zero pollution. It’s a common response when they have visitors from away, but for the folks who inhabited the area decades ago, it was simply their daily experience.

There may not be a human population at Deer Harbour, but there is an abundance of wildlife. Geologists have commented on the unique rock formations that form the perfect habitat for puffins. At one of the few puffin colonies in Newfoundland, (at nearby Duck Island), you can ride the zodiac through a crack in the rock right through the island and see their burrows as the puffins flock around. It’s an incredible experience that is Vera’s personal favourite among the many adventures they offer.

A variety of whales frequent the waters; you may spot fin, minke, humpback and beluga whales as well as dolphins and orcas.

Guests might also have an opportunity to observe the active fishing community up close, as long liners haul in their lobster or crab pots or nets full of capelin or cod. A beluga whale that was once stranded from its pod spent three summers in the harbour and used to follow their boat everywhere. When a travel writer from the “Toronto Star” came to visit, with the beluga following along and two bald eagles dipping through the sky, joined by a breaching humpback and a jumping tuna, the experience left him in awe. “Every day is a different adventure,” Vera laughs, noting that the tuna sighting was a rare surprise.

When chef Duff Goldman was in Bonavista for a culinary tour, he took the opportunity to book a zodiac adventure with Gypsy Sea. They docked at their private island for a picnic with his team from LA when a little fishing boat came by. Suddenly from the deck, a woman shouted “Is that you Duff? I watch you every day!” He was amazed to find a friendly fan out in the middle of the Atlantic, as far from the usual crowds as he could be, but he loved it. They had a nice chat, much to her delight.

As remote and secluded as the islands and coastline may be, there’s still a sense of home and place. Brian’s favourite aspect of their journey is the ongoing exploration and the continual discoveries along the way. Uncovering trails that used to be used by community members in Deer Harbour, seeing the remnants of the church and the school and visiting the graveyards that overlook the ocean, there is a deep sense of history. This very traditional way of living is a sharp contrast to the way we live now, providing visitors with a profound emotional perspective. Brian describes the moving experience of “walking the trails that they walked, considering what they had to do to survive, and experiencing the same sensations they felt.” With no light pollution, it’s an ideal dark sky destination, adding to a sense of spiritual pilgrimage and travelling through time. Guests have described their retreat as life-altering.

This is precisely what Brian and Vera hoped to provide. Before Gypsy Sea Adventures, they had a simple family cabin and often took the opportunity to leave the pace of modern life behind and spend time there with their three boys: berry picking, exploring, playing in the waterfalls, taking trips to the lighthouse, fishing and stargazing. They noticed the powerful impact it had on their own lives.

You are invited to come and enjoy a two- or five-day retreat to share in their experience. Choose from a rustic style tiny home on their private island, solar powered cottages in Deer Harbour, Random Island, or executive style oceanfront suites in Clarenville. They’ve taken wellness to the next level, joined by special instructors to guide you in mindfulness, meditation, yoga, culinary arts, foraging, sketching, painting, writing and exploring. Their website gypsyseaadventures.com has detailed information on accommodations and all of their amenities and Island Wellness Retreats. It’s an ideal destination for a multi-generational family experience, a bridal party retreat, content creation, and individual growth alike. Set your course for an unforgettable adventure in this secluded, pristine landscape. There’s no place like it on earth.

Gypsy Sea Adventures