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Itinerary
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Day 1: St. John's, Newfoundland
We meet in St. John's, Newfoundland's historic, vibrant capital. Picturesque and welcoming, it has been continuously fished since 1498, allowing it to boast the designation of North America's oldest European settlement. We will join the Ocean Nova here.
Day 2: Fogo Town, Fogo Island
Located 15km off Newfoundland's northeast coast, Fogo Island was originally named "fuego" or "fire" by the Portuguese, after fires set by early fishermen were seen burning on the island. A lucrative crab fishery has since replaced the salmon and cod fisheries that once supported the outport communities of the island. Fogo Island supports 11 communities, and a landmark proclaimed by the Flat Earth Society as one of the four corners of the Earth. We spend time experiencing island life in Fogo Town before heading further north.
Day 3: Battle Harbour, Labrador
Once a bustling fishing community and the epicenter of the Labrador fishery until the codfish moratorium in 1992 forced it to cease its fishing operations, Battle Harbour has undergone extensive restoration work and is now open to curious travellers. A walking tour of this restored fishing community suggests how daily life might have been for Battle Harbour's past inhabitants.
Day 4: L'Anse aux Meadows and Red Bay
L'Anse aux Meadows, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the only authenticated Viking settlement in North America. Located at the tip of Newfoundland's Great Northern Peninsula, it is widely regarded as one of the most important archaeological sites globally.
Red Bay is a fishing village and former site of several Basque whaling stations occupied between 1550 and the early 1600s when they hunted right and bowhead whales. The remains of three Basque whaling galleons and four small chalupas haunt the depths of the waters in this area, making it an important archaeological site and earning it a UNESCO nomination.
Day 5: Gros Morne National Park
It has been said, "Gros Morne is to geology what the Galapagos are to biology." Spectacular scenery including Precambrian cliffs, deep inland fjords and volcanic "pillow" rocks formed as lava cooled underwater- is just one of the reasons we stop here year after year. Highlights on this day include time spent exploring the Tablelands, a 600m (1900 ft) high plateau that forms one of the world's best examples of ancient rock exposed from the earth's interior, and exploring the fjord by ship.
Day 6: Bay of Islands
Bay of Islands drains one of Newfoundland's major rivers and is also a sub-basin of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. We spend the morning cruising one of the bay's dramatic arms and are witness to one of Newfoundland's haunting tales, that of the resettlement program as we visit an abandoned community. In the afternoon we will enjoy the hospitality of the welcoming folks of Cox's Cove, home to our very own musician Tony Oxford.
Day 7 & 8: The South Coast: Garia Bay, Francois & Ramea
The last of the true outport communities are found here, and we will visit two of them. First, we visit the tiny village of Francois. Dramatic rock strewn cliffs surround the village, a delicate waterfall runs through the centre of town and there is a short hike to a picturesque pond overlooking the community. Thirty miles away by ship is the neighbouring community of Ramea. Though fewer in number now than at the peak of the cod fishery, the friendly residents of Ramea are no less hospitable. Tonight we are treated to music by the local band at an authentic Newfoundland Kitchen Party.
Day 9: Conne River / Miawpukek
A visit to Miawpukek (Conne River) will reveal a First Nation's community that has the mandate of turning the community into an economically self-sufficient community guided by traditional values. Miawpukek became a permanent community sometime around 1822. Before 1822 it was one of many semi-permanent camping sites used by the Mi'kmaw people who were at the time still nomadic and travelling throughout the east coast.
Day 10: St. Pierre Island, France
A population of approximately 6,500 resides on the island of St. Pierre, all from various descents: French, Basque, Breton, and Normand. St. Pierre's houses somewhat resemble its history: an eclectic collection of colours and style all aligned on picturesque cobblestone streets and alleys. French settlers from Saint-Malo set up a curing and salting station in St-Pierre during the beginning of the cod fishery. Later, tribulations of war between Britain and France resulted in the Treaty of Utrecht, forcing Saint-Pierre's inhabitants into exile on Isle Royale in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. The islands were once again returned to France, only to be taken away again twice, and finally returned to France for good in 1816.
Day 11: Cape St. Mary's and St. John's
After breakfast, we disembark our home away on the Avalon Peninsula. En route to St. John's we will stop at the world famous Cape St. Mary's Ecological Reserve where we will have the chance to view Northern Gannets, Black-legged Kittiwakes, Common and Thick-billed Murres, Black Guillemots, Razorbills, Northern Fulmars and Great Cormorants. The most wonderful part of the 64 km2 reserve is the close proximity from which the birds can be viewed. As we meander along the cliff-side the many different species can be spotted from as close as 10 m (32 ft). We return to St. John's in the afternoon for flights home.
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