Stomping Ground: The Best
Of “The Rock”
by Howe Sim,
published in Photosho Magazine, June 2008
When we think of
Canada’s most exciting vacation destinations, places such as lively Montreal,
the awe inspiring Niagara Falls, and the mighty Rockies typically come to mind.
We tend to overlook relatively tamer places such as Newfoundland &
Labrador. Our recent whirlwind tour of
“The Rock” helped us realize that you don’t have to offer the biggest, boldest,
or most colorful attractions to appeal to visitors: sometimes a simple,
back-to-basics approach to life as it was decades ago can be equally enchanting
and irresistible. Based on our experiences there, I have compiled a list of the
top five reasons why this charming province is a must-see on any traveler’s
list.
ITS AMAZING NATURAL VISTAS
With over 29,000
kilometers of coastline, this province offers breathtaking scenery at every
turn. Largely untouched and unspoiled, much of this rugged land, particularly
that on the western end of the province, is believed to be over a billion years
old.
The “Rock” offers thousands of kilometers of rugged unspoiled coastline
One of the highlights of
any trip to the western region is Gros Morne National Park. This UNESCO World Heritage
Site offers over 100 kilometers of hiking trails, from half-hour strolls to
multi-day backcountry hikes. Two of the most popular day trips are the Western
Brook Pond boat tour and the Tablelands Trail hike. The former is a huge glacier-carved inland fjord 16 kilometers in
length, surrounded by Precambrian cliffs 600 meters tall. The boat tour that
takes you on a 2-1/2 hour narrated cruise around the fjord runs between June
and October.
The Western Brook Pond boat tour is one of the most popular attractions
at the park
For a completely
different terrain, visit the Tablelands, a mountain of underground rock pushed
to the Earth’s surface by tectonic forces. To get the most out of the
4-kilometer hiking trail, join a scheduled interpreter-guided walk.
Gros Morne’s Tablelands Trail is a fascinating study into the geology of
the area
Mother Nature’s other
awe-inspiring spectacle for which Newfoundland is famous is the iceberg. Every
spring, thousands of “bergs” are calved from the 10,000 year-old glaciers of
western Greenland. These are propelled by wind and tide past Baffin Island and
down the Newfoundland coast. They are a common sighting here from March to
July, and sometimes early August. Central Newfoundland’s northerly Twillingate
Island is known for the numerous icebergs that can be seen just offshore. If
you are lucky enough to be in town when these white and blue towers of ice are
visible, take a kayak or boating expedition for a closer look.
Twillingate is as famous for its icebergs as for its beautiful rugged
coastal scenery
ITS SPECTACULAR WILDLIFE
The province is teeming
with wildlife: in the air, on land, and in the sea. An estimated 35 million seabirds gather here each year to hunt
for food and to nest. Birders should visit Cape St Mary’s Ecological Reserve, a
protected breeding ground for northern gannets, razorbills, and black-legged
kittiwakes. Don’t miss Bird Rock, its 100-metre tall sea stack carpeted with
thousands of its feathered inhabitants.
Also located on the
Avalon Peninsula, an hour from St John’s, is the equally popular Witless Bay
Ecological Reserve. Here you’ll find hundreds of thousands of Atlantic Puffin,
the province’s official bird. Access is via licensed tour boat from nearby
villages. While in Witless Bay, you may encounter various species of whales.
Newfoundland’s waters are home to 22 species, with the tiny minkes and the
mammoth humpbacks being the most common. If you watch patiently, even from
shore, you can often spot a humpback by its spout or its tail breaching the
water’s surface.
Landlubbers should keep
an eye out for moose, especially in the western region. They number over
150,000 in the province, so the odds of your spotting one are pretty good,
especially at dawn and at dusk when they tend to wander near main roads. Avoid
approaching them too closely, particularly with young calves around.
The population density of moose in Newfoundland is the highest on the
continent
ITS PICTURESQUE VILLAGES
One of our most enjoyable
activities during our visit was exploring the province’s many charming and
picturesque coastal communities. One of our first stops outside of St John’s
was the scenic town of Petty Harbour. First settled in the 1600s, this vibrant
fishing village has been used as a backdrop for many feature films. Further
south on the eastern coast of the Avalon Peninsula you’ll find the town of
Ferryland, one of North America’s oldest communities. At the heart of this town
are the remains of the original 17th century settlement known as the Colony of
Avalon. This living archeological dig, in which over a million artifacts have
been uncovered, features one of North America’s oldest cobblestone streets as
well as the world’s first sea-flushed outdoor toilet.
Petty Harbor is a popular backdrop for feature films
On the Bonavista
Peninsula, you’ll find the twin communities of Bonavista and Trinity. Bonavista
is where Italian explorer John Cabot is believed to have first touched North
American soil in 1497. It features
approximately 1,000 heritage buildings dating from the early 1800s, a replica
of John Cabot’s 19-meter-long wooden boat, and the restored Cape Bonavista
Lighthouse.
Bonavista’s Lighthouse is believed to be the landing point of explorer
John Cabot in 1497
Forty-five minutes from
Bonavista is Trinity, a former bustling mercantile village which has reinvented
itself as a period piece. It is now famous for its historically accurate
architectural restorations, from the beautifully authentic fishing stages to
the salt box homes with their white picket fences and vertical slider windows.
If you’re here between June and October, don’t miss a performance of the Rising
Tide Company, a professional theatre group that uses the outdoor seaside venue
and the town’s historic buildings as its backdrop. Movie buffs will know that “The Shipping News”, with actors Kevin
Spacey and Dame Judy Dench, was filmed in Trinity’s picturesque harbor.
The town of Trinity has been used as a backdrop for many movie sets
ITS HISTORIC LIGHTHOUSES
You’ll no doubt come
across several lighthouses during your visit to Newfoundland. The first was constructed in 1813 at the
entrance to St John’s Harbor. Most of the province’s 55 major lightstations are
now fully automated, but their legacy lives on thanks to the efforts of
volunteers. Many are open to the public, some with costumed interpreters
reenacting the lives of early lightstation keepers.
Fifteen minutes south of
St John’s is Cape Spear, North America’s most easterly point and home to
Newfoundland’s second oldest lighthouse. The original building is now the
centrepiece of the Cape Spear National Historic Site, and provides a glimpse
into life at this remote outpost in the mid-19th century. The site is
surrounded by spectacular views of the powerful North Atlantic, and humpbacks
and icebergs can be seen in season from the shore.
Cape Spear’s lighthouse is a mere 15-minute drive from downtown St
John’s
Some lighthouses have been
made even more appealing to the public, such as the Ferryland Lighthouse, where
you can order a gourmet picnic lunch to enjoy outdoors. For the quintessential
lightkeeper experience, consider staying at the lighthouse on the deserted
Quirpon Island, located 30 minutes off the northernmost tip of Newfoundland.
Here you are truly isolated, with only the crashing waves of the North Atlantic
to keep you entertained. Access is via boat launch or helicopter.
ITS CHARMING PEOPLE
Last but certainly not
least, Newfoundland is perhaps best known for its amazingly friendly and
hospitable residents. The best example of this was the generosity shown by
Gander residents to air passengers stranded following the terrorist attacks of
September 11, 2001. Thanks to the collective efforts of church groups, local
organizations, and many selfless individuals, this community of 10,000 opened
its homes and doors to 7,000 complete strangers.
However, this generosity
of spirit is not limited to such exigent circumstances as 9/11; it is the way
Newfoundlanders seem to be all the time. Perhaps the hardships and geographic
remoteness they’ve had to endure have resulted in their unwavering sense of
community and openness. Whatever the
explanation may be, they seem to greet strangers with as much warmth as they do
close friends and family. During our time in Newfoundland, we were invited into
a stranger’s home for coffee, onto a local’s boat for a ride to nearby islands,
and were even given a 2-hour tour of a retiree’s fishing stage – all in
exchange for absolutely nothing. If this isn’t enough to convince you to visit
“The Rock”, I don’t know what more it would take.