Walking The World

“Our guide fished a floating chunk of iceberg out of the ocean so we could taste perfectly pure water over 1000 years old...”

July 1 - 8, 2006

Land Cost: $2,495 U.S.
Single Supplement Rate: $425 U.S.
Trip Begins: Deer Lake
Trip Ends: Deer Lake

Detailed Itinerary
What we Provide

Unspoiled Newfoundland is the age-old haunt of explorers, from far-sailing Norsemen who came to settle in this new land, to colonials searching for a sea route to the Orient. In the spectacular wilderness of Gros Morne, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, we walk across an ancient sea floor into a boreal forest lush with plant life and the sounds of songbirds. We visit local spots such as the boat-shaped Anchor Café and the Broom Point fishing villages, then dive into the region’s Viking history at L’Anse aux Meadows. Boat trips take us through a nine-mile-long, landlocked fjord and out to the Strait of Belle Isle to scout for icebergs and whales. This easternmost territory of the North American continent is just waiting for your own exploration.

Best of the Best

Adventure Trips: Newfoundland

Whales The Strait of Belle Isle offers unforgettable encounters with gentle humpbacks and majestic orca pods.

Gros Morne Mountain Rises in a purple-black mass above the surrounding region, a stern overlord yielding amazing vistas of an ancient volcanic landscape and glacier-carved fjords.

Viking Lore L’Anse aux Meadows boasts the only authenticated Norse settlement site in North America. The misty shore may convince you Leif Erickson’s ghost still visits.

This itinerary may be changed at the discretion of the trip leader.

( B = Breakfast included, L = Lunch included, D = Dinner included )

Day 1... Flights to Deer Lake. One of our guides will meet you at Deer Lake Airport and transfer you to Gros Morne National Park. Gros Morne was declared a World heritage Site in 1987 and offers some of Newfoundland’s finest hiking. Contributing to this unique designation were the area’s significant geological features, the arctic-alpine habitat of the Long Range Mountains, the outstanding scenic beauty and the region’s 5000-year-old human history. In addition, marine biologist, Dr. Bob Hooper says that the Gros Morne area “…has a greater diversity of marine life than any comparable site in eastern Canada.” By the way, Gros means “big”, and Morne is a Creole word for a small rounded mountain standing alone. Dinner is on your own tonight.

Adventure Trips: Newfoundland

Day 2... We begin our adventure with a water taxi to Woody Point for an Orientation at the Discovery Centre. Opened in 2000, the Discovery Centre overlooks the South Arm of Bonne Bay, located near the town of Woody point. Our hike to Green Gardens is a 6-mile route that explores the area’s spectacular volcanic coastline. The trail begins with a walk across an ancient seafloor and then gradually descends into a lush boreal forest rich with plant life and the sounds of songbirds. We may even sight a moose. Eventually the trail breaks out of the forest and onto the coastline where large grottos, wide beaches with shallow rock pools, grassy meadows, ancient sea-stacks, and cliffs unfold before you.
B, L, D

Day 3... The day begins with a short 1.8-mile hike over a coastal plain of bogs interspersed with limestone ridges leading to the edge of Western Brook Pond and the start of our boat tour. Slipping within the 2,000-foot high vertical walls of the landlocked fjord, we’ll travel the entire 9-mile length of the Pond, passing by numerous waterfalls and vertical rock faces. This freshwater fjord basin is 540 feet deep in places and is an excellent example of the intense erosional power of a confined valley glacier. After the boat tour, we hike back and follow Western Brook to the sea for a shore lunch. In the afternoon, we’ll visit Broom Point, home of traditional Newfoundland fishing families. Fishermen and descendants of local fishing families provide us with an excellent interpretive talk on this culturally significant site. A variety of fishing equipment, handmade by the local families, is exhibited in a fish store that has been restored to the way it was when past families lived here. The cabin is filled with many original Broom Point artifacts including the handiwork and furniture of the day. Broom Point was at one time inhabited by Palaeoeskimos who occupied this area during the summer months when harbour seals were present.
B, L

Day 4 - Baker Brook Falls... This 6.2-mile hike takes us through a lush boreal forest with wetlands abounding in orchids and irises, culminating at the largest waterfall within the park. We will savor a picnic lunch and then stroll along the rugged coast of Gros Morne Mountain. An optional more strenuous hike to Gros Morne Mountain. This challenging 9-mile hike takes us to the arctic alpine environment of the Long Range Mountains, where you will see rare vegetation and possibly catch a glimpse of such hardy inhabitants as the woodland caribou, rock ptarmigan and arctic hare. This is a 6-to-8-hour hike with an elevation gain of 2,640 feet from sea level! B, L

Day 5... Today we leave for Port au Choix and a visit to the National Historic Site Interpretation Centre. Western Newfoundland was settled by ancient peoples long before Christopher Columbus and the Vikings made their celebrated crossings of the Atlantic. Three prehistoric cultures inhabited this region over a 4,000-year period: the Maritime Archaic Indians, and Groswater and Dorset Eskimos. We’ll enjoy a coastal hike from Philips Garden to beautiful Point Riche Lighthouse. A stop at the archaeological site at Philips Garden provides an excellent opportunity to explore a series of circular indentations in the grassy fields, once the dwelling sites of ancient Palaeo-Eskimos. At Point Rich, a variety of rare plants cling to the footpath and fossils of a once tropical climate sprinkle the limestone rock shoreline. B, L, D

Day 6... Get ready for a unique adventure as we depart St. Anthony Harbour aboard the Northland Discovery Tours Gaffer II to search for icebergs, whales, Guillimonts and Kittiwakes! At the end of our tour, we’ll enjoy lunch at the Lightkeeper’s Café. Our afternoon hike explores the rugged coastline of Fishing Point and a visit to the Grenfell Properties provides a fascinating history of Sir Wilfred Grenfell’s life. Grenfell came to northern Newfoundland at the turn of the century to provide medical services to the people of northern Newfoundland and Labrador. The International Grenfell Association (IGA) still carries on medical and community services in the region. B, L, D

Day 7... Today we take a step back in time as we tour the UNESCO World Heritage Viking Site at L’Anse aux Meadows, the only authenticated site of Norse settlement in North America. About 1,000 years ago, famed Leif Eriksson landed at L’Anse aux Meadows and established a camp to serve his other explorations in the area. The Interpretation Centre depicts the history of this site through model replicas and filmed interviews with archaeologists. For lunch we picnic on the shore overlooking Bay Cove. Later, we enjoy a walk along the coast in search of icebergs, whales and eider ducks. B, L, D

Day 8... Flights Home. It is a 5-hour drive back to Deer Lake so please make your reservations for any time AFTER 2:00 PM.

Walking The World Guide
Local Guide
7 nights accommodation (double occupancy)
All ground transportation
All breakfasts, all lunches, four dinners
Excursions as listed in the itinerary
All boat charters and ferry costs
All transfers and park entrance fees
Unique and original Journal of your trip
Good fun, humor, and companionship

Read about Newfoundland

Comments From Our 2003 Guest:

"Your staff were wonderful, knowledgeable, experienced, fun to be with and patient." Ann D. NM.

"The food was excellent, and I had the chance to eat many local foods that are not available where I live." Margaret D. WA

"The itinerary was packed full of interesting hikes and sightseeing. A great balance of more challenging and less challenging hikes." Elaine W. N.J.

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