Newfoundland & Labrador - Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island - page 342

10 Days
Do the five-day itinerary and then go west, possibly via a quick flight to Deer Lake
( Click here ), and view the mighty fjords of Gros Morne National Park ( Click here )
and take in the monumental Viking history at L'Anse aux Meadows ( Click here ) .
With a few extra days you could sail across the Strait of Belle Isle and slow waaay
down among the wee towns and bold granite cliffs of the Labrador Straits ( Click
here ).
Land & Climate
I t isn't called the Rock for nothing. Glaciers tore through, leaving behind a rugged land-
scape of boulders, lakes and bogs. The interior remains barren, while the island's cities
and towns congregate at its edges near the sea.
Labrador is more sparse than Newfoundland, puddled and tundralike, with mountains
thrown in for good measure.
In July and August daytime highs average 20°C. These are also the driest months; it
rains or snows about 15 out of every 30 days. Wintertime temperatures hover at 0°C. Fog
and wind plague the coast much of the year (which makes for a lot of canceled flights).
REGIONAL DRIVING DISTANCES
St John's to Port aux Basques: 905km
St John's to Gros Morne: 708km
Gros Morne to St Anthony: 372km
Parks & Wildlife
Whales, moose and puffins are Newfoundland's wildlife stars, and most visitors see them
all. Whale-watching tours depart from all around the province and will take you close to
the sea mammals (usually humpback and minke). Puffins flap around Witless Bay and
Elliston. Moose nibble shrubs near roadsides throughout the province, so keep an eye out
while driving. Some visitors also glimpse caribou near the Avalon Wilderness Reserve,
which is special because usually these beasts can only be seen in the High Arctic. Cari-
bou herds also roam in Labrador, though their numbers have been declining sharply in
recent years.