Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
concept: it provides a blanket and organic picnic meal (say, a curried chicken sandwich,
mixed-green salad and lemonade from a Mason jar) that visitors wolf down while sitting
in a field overlooking the ocean. It's at Ferryland's old lighthouse; you have to park and
hike 2km to reach it, but ooh is it worth it. Reserve in advance.
Avalon Wilderness Reserve
Dominating the interior of the region is the 1070-sq-km
Avalon Wilderness Reserve
(
709-635-4520;
www.env.gov.nl.ca/parks
;
free permit required)
. Illegal hunting dropped the
region's caribou population to around 100 in the 1980s. Thirty years later, a couple of
thousand now roam the area. Permits for hiking, canoeing and birdwatching in the re-
serve are available at La Manche Provincial Park.
Even if you don't trek into the wilds, you still might see caribou along Rte 10 between
Chance Cove Provincial Park and St Stevens.
Mistaken Point Ecological Reserve
World Heritage site designation, protects 575-million-year-old multicelled marine fossils
- the oldest in the world. The only way to reach it is via a free, ranger-guided, 45-minute
hike from the
Edge of Avalon Interpretive Centre
(
709-438-1100;
www.edgeofavalon.ca
;
Rte 10; May-Oct)
in Portugal Cove South.
You can also drive the bumpy gravel road between here and Cape Race. At the end, a
lighthouse rises up beside an artifact-filled, replica 1904 Marconi wireless station. It was
the folks here who received the fateful last message from the
Titanic
.
The 'Mistaken Point' name, by the way, comes from the blinding fog that blankets the
area and has caused many ships to lose their way over the years.
Along Route 90
The area from St Vincent's to St Mary's provides an excellent chance of seeing whales,
particularly humpbacks, which feed close to shore. The best viewing is from
St Vin-
cent's beach
. Halfway between the two villages is
Point La Haye Natural Scenic At-
traction
, a dramatic arm of fine pebbles stretching across the mouth of St Mary's Bay -
it's perfect for a walk.
Salmonier Nature Park
(
709-229-7189;
www.env.gov.nl.ca/snp
;
Rte 90;
10am-5pm
Jun-Aug, to 3pm Sep & Oct)
rehabilitates injured and orphaned animals for release
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