McCoy

A few suggestions please..

Going to be in a few places in east Canada this July, including a few days in newfoundland.
Is it reasonable to base ourselves in St. John's? Hire a car perhaps? It's a little past spring, but will the whale/puffin/bird watching trips still be worthwhile, and if so, any recommended names to look up and pre-book??

Much appreciated,
Jim

B1

You'll need a car in St. John's. Take a boat trip out of Witless Bay and then travel to outports if you are sightseer. No reservations are needed for boat rides. But you should look this stuff up in books or specialized web sites since there are many options and it's a matter of personal taste. There are many lovely things in St. John's itself and close by. You could spend your entire holiday in NF without a regret.

McCoy

Good tips - thanks!

cloudcuckooland

Jim, you're in for a splendid trip!

First, depending on how much of the island you want to see --and considering you are seeing other parts of eastern Canada-- you may want to consider hiring your car in Nova Scotia and then ferrying across to NL: rentals on the island do not have unlimited mileage, and generally only include 100km/day, which will not be nearly enough to traverse the island to see, for example, Gros Morne. If you're still flexible, rent in Halifax or Sydney (depending on your prior itinerary) and take the ferry; you can enter the island on the west and leave on the east.

Of course, if you're sticking just to the Avalon, 100km/day is sufficient and it's best to rent in St. John's. O'Brien's is by far the best tour to take. I went in June and while there were no whales, the iceberg more than compensated! Also highly recommended: the bird sanctuary at Cape St. Mary's, on the southwestern tip of the Avalon. It's free and is the site of the largest seabird colonies in the word accessible by land. There is a huge rock there covered with gorgeous gannets.

In any case, you will not be disappointed with Newfoundland.

McCoy

Thanks for the advice - much appreciated!

I've bookmarked O'Briens Tours..

The other company recommended to me was Mullowney's..??

antirealist

I personally prefer Mullowney's, which is more serious about informing you about bird and whale biology and so on. O'Brien's tries to provide a Newfoundland party experience with music etc, which is really not for me at all. It's all just a matter of personal taste though.

RCyyz

I spent a week on The Rock a few years back and had a fantastic time. St. John's was nice and it's cool to see mile 0 of the Trans-Canada Highway. (The other end is in Victoria BC - also cool to see.) I quite enjoyed our time in the Placentia / Angel's Cove area as well.

We did St. Pierre et Miquelon for a bit of contrast. Interesting experience having foie gras, croissants etc when mentally you're still very much in Newfoundland.

We spent a (very quiet) Canada Day in Gander and eventually made it over to Gros Morne where the blackflies chased us away. Didn't have enough time to make it up to the Viking settlement up north but I did see lots of puffins and a few icebergs off the coast. ^

Driving in NL is easy and the scenery is simply fantastic. There are so many little coves and cliffs that dive down into the sea. You just want to stop every few km and take it all in. But then you never get anywhere!

Newfoundland is all about the people (incredibly kind folks there) and the scenery. If you're looking for luxury and fine dining you might come across a handful of places (mostly related to golf) but that's really not what the place is about. I fell in love with the place and I look forward to going back again sometime. As noted in previous post, you can spend a whole vacation there and love every moment.

B1

If you like to read, The Colony of Unrequited Dreams: A Novel
by Wayne Johnston, provides great insights into Newfoundland and St. John's with a mix of historic and fictional characters. It's for sale at Amazon.com and is a great read - even if you don't go. But if you do go, the place will feel familiar and you'll have places you want to see. If you limit yourself to day trips out of St. John's you'll have a lovely time. The ferry from NS is slow and expensive - worthwhile for a longer trip. Rental cars are often in short supply in the summer at any place in eastern Canada, so reserve early and check all suppliers.

McCoy

Thanks folks - that's all great tips. I love walking, scenery and wildlife, photography, etc, so it sounds like I've picked a good place to go on holiday! :-)

cloudcuckooland

Tell us how it went when you get back. I love vicarious travel.