Southwestern Newfoundland

This tour starts where you leave the ferry at Port aux Basques and parallels the Cormack Trail. The bleak beauty of the area is the first and last sight that most visitors have of our province. The crashing waves on dark cliffs along the route between Port aux Basques and Rose Blanche may provide one of the most enjoyable trips of your vacation. The real spirit of outport living still survive in these small fishing villages that cling to the rocky, exposed shores of the southern coastal plain.

The lighthouse at Rose Blanche has one of the most scenic views of the Cabot Strait. From the headland you can imagine the thrill of discovery that the early explorers like Sir Humphrey Gilbert, Jacques Cartier and Capt. John Mason must have experienced over four centuries ago along this rugged coast.

Many of the community names in the area are corruptions of the French placenames given them by the area's first settlers. Rose Blanche, for example, is not named for an abundance of white roses but for the white granite (French rock=roche) that the small outport is built upon.

Just past Rose Blanche, at the road's end, Harbour Le Cou, celebrated in the Newfoundland folk song of the same name, also bears witness to the early French settlers all along the shore.

As you return to Route 470 you may want to stop at Otter Bay Provincial Park, a good picnic spot and explore the unique heath-covered terrain of coastal Newfoundland before you continue on to Isle aux Morts, or Island of the Dead.

This community earned is macabre name because of the number of shipwrecks and marine disasters that occurred in the treacherous waters offshore. The entire coastal area has a long history of death and disaster, with the wrecks of no fewer than 40 ships said to be lying at the bottom of the Cabot Strait.

This tragic aspect of the past has given rise to many traditional stories and songs of lost ships and courageous rescues at sea. There is none so moving as the true story of George Harvey, his son and his daughter, Ann. In 1828, theses brave residents of Isle aux Morts saved nearly the entire complement of passengers and crew from the sinking ship Dispatch by stringing a lifeline from the ship to the shore with the help of their valiant Newfoundland dog. The local heroes' courage was recognized by King George IV who awarded the Harveys a medal of bravery.

Then it's back to Channel-Port aux Basques. Situated on the southwest coastal plains region this was a fishing station for the French, Portuguese and Basques as early as the sixteenth century. Now it is the principal Marine Atlantic ferry terminal in the province, and the western end of the coastal boat service that services the isolated south coast communities. The community museum houses a rare seventeenth century astrolabe, an early navigational instrument.

A short drive from Port aux Basques will take you to the J.T.Cheeseman Provincial Park where the shoreline offers a stretch of sheltered beach with soft powdery sand. This 102-site camping park has exceptional bird watching opportunities, beautiful sunsets and a chance for some seaside relaxation and fun.

Next to the park is Route 408, which takes you to the community of Cape Ray, one of the three capes forming the triangular points of the Island of Newfoundland. Situated between the Cape Ray lighthouse and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, is a site Dorest Eskimos used as a summer hunting camp from 420 B.C. to 385 A.D.

Cape Ray was also the site of the first submarine telegraph cable in Newfoundland. Laid in 1856, this project was the last link in the communication chain that would join St. John's to New York and connect Newfoundland to the rest of North America.

After a visit to the cape, you can spend a day sunbathing or windsurfing at nearby Cape Ray Sands before you return along Route 408 to Route 1.

As the highway climbs steadily north along the province's West Coast, the terrain changes dramatically and the low-lying barrens give way to the southwest section of the Long Range Mountains, a part of the ancient Appalachian escarpment. Throughout this region you will see spectacular mountain scenery and encounter ridges to challenge the imagination and the skill of amateur rock scramblers.

These ancient mountains are full of surprises such as Table Mountain, a 518 metre geological oddity has been known to literally take your breath away. Hurling gale force winds down from its summit to the stunted weather-beaten forest below, the moody Table Mountain sometimes raises gusts exceeding 160 km/h which disrupt highway traffic and were known to derail the now discontinued narrow gauge trains. Little wonder this area is called Wreck House! Table Mountain is now accessible by a trail which takes you to an excellent photo vantage where you can survey the surrounding area. During World War II, the United States built a radar station, an air strip and assorted buildings at the top of Table Mountain.

In the valley below Table Mountain was the home of Lauchie MacDougall, the famous "human wind gauge." Lauchie was under contract to the railway to determine whether the area was passable for trains on any given day and to notify them if the gusts were too high. After his death in 1965, his wife continued his work until 1972.

East of Table Mountain, Route 407 takes you on a pleasant ride beyond Tompkins towards the mouth of the Little Codroy River where the agricultural landscape contrasts with the Long Range Mountains in the background.

Within the boundaries of Little Paradise Park (previously known as Mummuchog Provincial Park) is a 2 km shoreline trail. This park offers camping, picnicking and water sports facilities. The site takes its name from a small fish found in the brackish waters of the park's lagoon.

At the end of Route 407 is Cape Anguille, the most westerly point of the island of Newfoundland. Shaded by the looming hulk of Anguille Mountains to the east, the cape boasts a spectacular view from its lighthouse,which was built in 1905 following a marine disaster.

An alternative way back to Route 1 is Route 406 along the Grand Codroy River estuary, an internationally known wetlands area for migratory birds. Keep your eyes open for wild geese as you travel through the Codroy Valley, one of the earliest settled areas on the West Coast. This region's original French colonists arrived in the 1700s and were later joined by Scots and Channel Islanders from across the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

The Scots settled in the fertile valley south of the Anguille Mountains and their descendants still farm some of the best agricultural land on the island.

Below the Anguilles, at the mouth of the Grand Codroy, a scheduled salmon river, is Grand Codroy Provincial Park. This park with some fully serviced campsites, is situated in a grassy field in the Codroy valley and offers swimming, canoeing and angling.

Newfoundland Series #6 Acrylic on Canvas, 40"x48", 1994

By: Brent McIntosh

Continuing toward Route 1 on Route 406 you will pass through thick green forest to Crabbe's River Provincial Park where you can try your hand at salmon fishing in the steadies on the rocky river of giant cobblestones, or glimpse the great horned owl that nests in the area. A few kilometres away from the park, Routes 403,404,and 405 take you to communities in St. George's Bay. Along this sheltered shoreline are Highlands, Jeffrey's (Route 405) and Flat Bay (Route 403). In 1840 the acclaimed geologist, J.B. Jukes, described the St. George's Bay area as "gently undulating, not unlike some English landscapes." You will see why many residents of the West Coast have chosen to build their summer cabins in this beautiful area.

There are five scheduled salmon rivers in this area: the Grand and Little Codroy Rivers, Crabbes River, Robinson's and the excellent mountain tributary at Flat Bay Brook with thirteen pools on the first 15 km of the river. A challenging expedition, Flat Bay Brook is easily accessible from Route 1.

Immediately beyond Flat Bay Brook on Route 1 is Route 461 that takes you to the fishing community of St. George's, located near the mouth of the St. George's River. it's just a few kilometres from Black Bank Provincial Park, an outdoor recreation park and picnic area. Also along this route is Barachois Brook where the community museum focuses on the history of nearby Sandy Point, once the hub of the Bay St. George area.

Back on Route 1, you can take Route 490 to Stephenville and the Port au Port Peninsula or go on to Barachois Pond Provincial Park, Newfoundland's largest provincial park. Situated at the base of the Long Range Mountains, it has a variety of recreational facilities and offers an interpretative program that is a special treat for the whole family. There are guided hikes and campfire sing-a-longs, as well as a full range of programs in the Activity Centre throughout the summer. Be sure to savour the view from Erin Mountain, accessible by trail within the park boundaries.

A few kilometres past the park is the intersection with Route 480- the aptly named Caribou Trail-which winds 148 kilometres through the forests and barrens of the rugged interior to the south coast community of Burgeo. This is a great place to see some of the 60,000 woodland caribou that inhabit the island.

To Scenic Tours: Western Region