Wild Wales Walkabout Tour, July 30 to August 6, 2019

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Wild Wales Walkabout L.L.C. NEWFOUNDLAND July 30 - August 6, 2019, 8-10 people ONLY! $1975 for this tour. This tour is SOLD OUT for 2019!

Newfoundland!

Come and discover this rugged, scenic island province at the far eastern reach of North America. You will be welcomed by some of the most friendly and hospitable inhabitants. The Newfoundlanders have a unique disposition and rich culture that is unmatched anywhere else we have visited. They are hardworking, honest, and have a great sense of humor!

St. John’s is the capital, a bustling seaport city with 350,000 people. The outer communities abound with folklore and traditions. We will be spending the first two days of our trips in St. John’s, then will head to the outports and offshore Islands to visit the local people. Storytellers, musicians and local historians will present to us along the way. On our Tours and Walkabouts, we support travel that brings widespread benefits to the local economy. We support sustainable travel and avoid tourist destinations and instead take you to places to meet the people living there. You get to know some Newfoundland characters and discover how people live their lives. 

Newfoundland was settled by the Dorset culture, a Paleo-Eskimo culture that preceded the Inuit in North America. The Icelandic Viking warrior Leif Erickson came ashore here in the 11th century and named it Vinland, due to the high yield of wild grapes. Perfect for wine making, Leif! Portuguese and Spanish fisherman followed, then Giovanni Cabotto (John Cabot), an Italian merchant, arrived in 1497, after making a deal with Henry VII for two sailing ships and a hundred men. Queen Isabella of Spain had declined Giovanni’s request for funding, since she was supporting another adventurer of the time by the name of Christopher.

They were followed by the English and French who arrived to establish a fishing industry, and also came in contact with the native Beothuk. The English Navy brought West Country workers and then Irish Protestant settlers, and the French brought Catholic immigrants. 

Newfoundland has five-hundred years of intriguing history after sustained European contact. It was a British dominion from 1907 to 1949, after which it joined the confederation of Canada along with Labrador. It is the newest of the ten provinces, much to the dismay of many Newfoundlanders at the time. To assert some autonomy from the rest of Canada, they insisted on setting their clocks 30 minutes earlier than Toronto!

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Tuesday, July 30 

We will meet in the foyer of our hotel downtown St Johns at 2p.m.

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Later we can hike around Signal Hill and we all meet for supper at our hotel at 7p.m. Tonight we can share what we expect to get from our Walkabout together and get to know each other. Wild Wales Tours will be buying tonight's supper.

Wednesday, July 31

After breakfast at 9 a.m. we will head out to Bulls Bay to meet the whales and Puffins. Lunchtime and then head back to St Johns to visit the Geo Museum and Titanic Museum (well worth the visit). You will be free to walk around town, visit “The Rooms” the Cultural and Art Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador. Tonight you might like to join others to eat at one of the very fine restaurants on Water or Duckworth Streets, two of the oldest streets in North America. Yes, St Johns is the oldest city in North America! After supper walk down George Street and hear some traditional Irish Music.

Thursday, August 1

9 a.m. We will board our passenger van and head north to Newtown, an outport on the end of a peninsular on the north eastern corner of Newfoundland. Newtown is a fishing community, very scenic and often called the Venice of the north, they do have gondola races here in the summer! After lunch in the Karma Cafe we can head out to Cape Freels for a nice hike or kayaking. Supper at a fine local restaurant at 7p.m. Tonight Wild Wales Tours will be buying your supper.

Friday, August 2

After an early breakfast we will head west and North to Farewell where we will board the ferry to Change Islands. For the next two nights we will be staying at a local Inn, a former sea captains home where you can see the whales in the bay below from the deck! This is a very special place to stay, all home cooking with all the jams made fresh daily out of local berries, Partridge, cloud berries, blueberries and rhubarb! The bread is baked fresh daily! 

After we settle down in our cozy accommodation a healthy hike through the woods and along the north shore.

Saturday, August 3

After breakfast we will catch the ferry to Fogo Island (fire island named by the Portuguese in the 15th century). The main town Fogo is a dynamic fishing outpost. Here we will hike through woods, across fens, and along the shore and possibly see caribou. Return to Change Island for the evening to hear a local storyteller and listen to some Newfoundland singing accompanied by the national instrument of Newfoundland, the accordion!