Bay D'Espoir & the Connaigre Peninsula

Central Newfoundland also includes a portion of Newfoundland's south coast that is reached by Route 360, which intersects Route 1 just east of Bishop's Falls. It's a 90 minute drive through the interior wilderness to the intersection of Route 361. Along the way you might see moose because a large section of the forest is regrowing having been devastated by fire in the late 1970s.

Take Route 361 to the Head of Bay D'Espoir, or "Head of Bay" as the residents call it. Bay D'Espoir is an old French name meaning bay of hope and is ironically, pronounced- bay despair. Here you will find the hydro plant that generates about half the power used in Newfoundland. The plant is located to take advantage of the momentum generated by the immense watershed area of the Central Newfoundland plateau as it flows to the sea. Three large towers project above the plant. they are surge protectors that prevent water from backing up throughout the system if the intake gates near the turbines suddenly closed. The power plant is usually open to visitors.

Nearby is the largest salmon and trout hatchery in Newfoundland, which also accepts visitors. There are over a million trout and salmon at various stages of development in both indoor and outdoor tanks. it's located in Roti Bay ( a boat tour is available) about 15 km west of the farm in St. Alban's. this is a very pretty community that is the service and shopping centre for the area. The town is located at the placid head of a long inlet and is a great place for a hike. Like many outports along the south coast, St. Alban's occupies flat land at the base of a high escarpment.

"Gently Waiting" 15" x 30", Water Color

By: Leona Ottenheimer

The other communities in the Bay D'Espoir area include Milltown, Morrisville, St. Veronica's and St. Joseph's Cove. On Tailrace road near St. Veronica's the fish-out pond has angling for steelhead trout from July through September. All along Route 361, there are places to stop for fresh lobster and there are a number of scenic lookouts as well.

Back on Route 360, proceed south to the next turnoff onto an unpaved road which leads to the Micmac Indian community of Conne River. The Micmacs have maintained many tribal crafts while developing a strong lumber industry.

Jipujijkuei Kuespem (Little River Pond) Provincial Park is located nearby, back on Route 360. If you wish to travel into the Bay du Nord Wilderness Reserve you can obtain a free entrance permit here. Staff can also tell you about the various access points to the reserve. Obtain a copy of the reserve user's guide from the Parks office before venturing into the reserve. The reserve offers an excellent opportunity to canoe and view wildlife.

About 35 kilometres south of the road to Conne River, unpaved Route 362 takes you to Belloram, one of the picturesque outports along the south coast. Famous for its participation in the Grand banks fishery, the town is mentioned in reports dating back to 1759. The origins of the name are now lost but perhaps suggest a meeting place for troops during the French-English conflicts.

Several small communities, all rich in local lore are accessible from Route 363. One of these, english harbour West, is known throughout Canada as a supplier of first rate knitted goods. The coastal boat serving the coast stops here. Lobster is also a major export from this area.

Another outport, Boxey, was famous in colonial times for a spy hole in a rock formation which was used to navigate safely amid treacherous rocks to the St. John's Bay area. It was here, according to local legend, that a man named Jacob penney and his companion Simon Bungay, ran aground. they were said to have been tricked by spirits off Boxey Head while on a treasure hunt to haunted deadman's Bight, just up the coast. AS the story goes, the two arrived late because of their misfortune and caught glimpse of the treasure as it slid behind a rock door in the bight, never to be seen again.

Back on Route 360, a spectacular drive awaits you. the highway climbs up and over steep hills and passes through several different vegetation zones as you approach the sea. Forested interior gives way to barrens interspersed with stands of trees in the sheltered areas of the highlands. the lakes are picture perfect, and some shoreline are dotted with cabins.

From Hermitage you can catch a ferry to Gaultois, or pick up the coastal boats on their longer journeys westward to Port aux Basques and east to Terrenceville. The highway beyond Hermitage takes you to the tiny villages of Dawson's Cove and Seal Cove.

Hermitage by John Joy.

At the head of Connaigre Bay the highway forks where the land is divided by the deep fjord called Hermitage Bay. Follow Route 364 to Hermitage-Sandyville. the two small communities have grown into one over the years.

Now its on to Harbour Breton, the old capital of Fortune Bay, at the end of route 360. It would be hard to improve on the visiting bishop's description of the community in 1848. It was, he said a "picturesque harbour, so completely land locked that a stranger could hardly guess the passage to the sea, and surrounded by hills of bold and fantastic outline."

The town of 2,500 is one of the oldest and largest centres on the south coast, having been first settled by French fishermen from Placentia in the 1600s and then taken over by the British. This century it has grown through resettlement and as a fisheries centre. From Harbour Breton you can catch the coastal boat.

To Scenic Tours: Central Region