SHARON BERG         Oceanview Writers Retreat

Opened in June 2022!  Attention writers - or photographers, and painters - come to enjoy the opportunity to focus on your craft in Newfoundland. People who have never visited this island are stunned by the beauty that surrounds us in this place. This is territory that was previously inhabited by the Beothuk and Mi'kmaq peoples. If you are from Newfoundland, you will want to Staycation in Charlottetown, in the middle of Terra Nova Park. If you are from away, you will delight in viewing incredible landscape and historical sites as well as the creatures who live on the island or in the waters near shore. I have a large bedroom downstairs, with a sitting room/ kitchenette beside it and a bathroom off the sitting room. It is available for booking a week at a time between May 15th right up to September 15th. Inquire about the Off-Season Rates. You may want to stay a month or more off-season with our special rates for a two week minimum.Just remember that the park closes its trails after Labour Day and tourist destinations also begin to shut down then.

 

PRICES (minimum stay is one week)

$150 pick-up & return from Gander Airport only (1 hour away).

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Peak Rates (July & August)

The Double Bedroom can be shared with a friend for $1190 a week each. A single person can book the Double Bedroom or the main bedroom on the main floor (avoiding the stairs) for $1260 a week. Three meals a day and two excursions (one for a full day and one for a 1/2 day) are included in the cost.

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Off-Season Rates for Singles (May 15-30 & September 1-15)

You may want to arrange for a longer term, off-season stay with meals and two excursions (as above) provided. Two weeks are $1800 with meals plus one day-long trip and two half-day excursions. Plus, you can wander always engage in self-directed excursions around the various sites within Charlottetown itself.

Special Offer: You can arrange for a month long stay at any time for $3000. In that case the arrangement will be three meals a day, two day-long and two half-day trips. Plus, you have the opportunity to wander around and explore the various sites within Charlottetown itself.

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                                          THE ROOMS

                                         

The Double Bedroom

This room can accommodate two writers as it includes a queen-sized bed and a double bed. There are two writing desks with chairs, reading lamps over each of the beds, more lamps over the desks, an armoir for hanging clothes, and drawers for folded clothes. You can book your stay with a minimum stay of one week. Meals and two excursions (one a full day to Trinity or Bonavista; and a half day to hiking trails in Terra Nova Park) are included except during the off-season. Booking this room provides lots of privacy.

 

The Author's Sitting Room

This is a large space just outside the double room on the lower floor. There is a door to the backyard where it is possible to park a car or sit out in easy chairs. This room has a second armoire, a small couch and barrel chair, and a kitchenette area with a coffee maker, toaster, and fridge. There is also a powder room on the lower floor. Baths or showers can be obtained in the upstairs bathroom.

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The Private Bedroom (under renovation; available as of the 2024 season)

This room is upstairs, so it avoids the need to navigate stairs. Not only does it have a queen bed and lots of room, but it also has a beautiful antique desk, and a wonderful view of Clode Sound.

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Charlottetown

The Retreat is squeezed into a territory between the shore and the Park. Oceanview Writers Retreat provides you with gorgeous water views from the living room or the back deck. You can walk to the government wharf in about 3 minutes. In addition to taking in views of a variety of docks and boat houses at the center of the village, there is also a small waterfall hidden on a trail behind the hockey rink.

 

Terra Nova National Park

The Park has 11 hiking trails of varying difficulty. One of the Park’s Information Centers also has a Sea Life Aquarium in addition to its Gift Shop, so you can see some of the creatures that enjoy the waters off shore.

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What is expected of Visitors

We can take (optional) excursions for sight-seeing trips but the idea behind this Retreat is to offer you a balance of inspiration for your writing and time to focus on your writing free from all distractions. You can put as much time into working on your writing goals as you desire, which is why I say the excursions are optional. All three of your main meals are cooked for you with attention to any special dietary needs. (This is a Gluten free/Keto friendly home but other needs can be accommodated). We'll even take a picnic basket when/if we do our road trips.

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BYOB and be sure to bring your computer to write up your next project. Whale watching season is July and August every year, though nothing about when they may show up (or not) can be predicted perfectly. Clode Sound is visited by Minke and Humpback Whales, Dolphins, and Orcas – all of which follow the Caplin into Clode Sound. Plus, there are the resident moose, otters, loons, seagulls, eagles, and a variety of songbirds which you may be lucky enough to observe.  Yet, it's hard to predict their timing except to say that July and August are likely.

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Getting Here

You can choose to drive here (taking the night ferry from North Sydney to Port aux Basques, then traveling via the Trans Canada to the Charlottetown turn off inside Terra Nova Park. Alternatively, you can fly to the Gander Airport (about an hour away) and arrange for me to pick you up and return you there for your flight home in exchange for a $150 fee (it is about a 1 hour drive each way or 2 hours each way for me).

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      Phone 709-667-2004 to book your stay (with a deposit) at Oceanview Writers Retreat today!

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I chose this place because of its protected seaside location in Terra Nova National Park. Charlottetown, Newfoundland is located on Clode Sound, at the base of the Bonavista Bay peninsula. The views from my living room or back deck are so spectacular I'm anxious to share them with writer friends, new or old. This is a perfect location for sightseeing or simply setting up to write on the deck or in your room.

 

You'll be provided with a bedroom (private or shared), a writing space, several areas to congregate, a fantastic view of Clode Sound, whale watching from the living room or deck (in season), and sight seeing or hiking excursions twice a week. All of your meals will be provided (including picnics if you plan a hike or come on organized trips). You'll also have access to laundry facilities. The house has two washrooms, one on each floor.

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Below is an arial drone view of Charlottetown taken in summer 2021. The retreat is on the hill behind the 'T-shaped' wharf. That is the government wharf where the salt ships arrive in the summer. Beside it is a sunrise photo taken from my living room.  This is a place where the Caplin roll, which is what attracts the whales and even the Tuna into the Sound. Just seeing them roll in the waters off shore is an event in its own right.

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