Residents on the southwest coast know there is no shortage of things to see and do in the area.
A new booklet and map created by Tourism Southwest and Transcontinental Media hopes to share some of those hidden gems with the thousands of visitors who pass through here every year.
“The Wayfinder: 101 Things to See and Do on Newfoundland’s Southwest Coast,” is being launched by Tourism Southwest during Provincial Tourism Week.
Tourism Southwest’s chair Stella Pittman said the publication is now in visitor information centres all across the province.
The unique booklet features a fold-out map on the cover, which readers can remove. Each of the 101 items has a write up in the book, and a corresponding number on the map.
The booklet takes its title from the many GPS coordinates listed for most attractions in the book. Ms. Pittman said with so many people using handheld and vehicle-mounted GPS devices, they will have no trouble finding those out-of-the-way attractions such as Hidden Falls on the Port au Port Peninsula.
Ms. Pittman said the numbers are in no way a ranking of attractions. They are only there for reference. In fact, items are scattered throughout the book in a jumbled order.
“It’s more like a scavenger hunt as you start reading,” said Ms. Pittman. “It’s designed to carry you along and pique your interest.”
“It’s more like a scavenger hunt as you start reading. It’s designed to carry you along and pique your interest.” - Tourism Southwest’s chair Stella Pittman
Some of the items invite visitors to see attractions that aren’t marketed to tourists in any other way. The windmills of Ramea and unique rock formations on Bay West Beach are two such examples.
There are also a few pages of winter activities such as snowmobiling in the Lewis Hills.
This is the first booklet of its kind Tourism Southwest has ever undertaken. Ms. Pittman said planning for the booklet began last July.
She said the goal is to show visitors there is much to see on this part of the island. She hopes it will keep tourists from getting off the ferry and heading straight for Gros Morne.
Stakeholders in the tourism industry will be contacted at the end of the season by Tourism Southwest. Mrs. Pittman said they will be looking for feedback on the guide and ideas for a possible printing next year.
Kevin Hiscock, General Manager for Transcontinental’s Newfoundland and Labrador Community Newspapers, said The Wayfinder will soon be available on the Gulf News and Georgian websites in a digital format.
“Transcontinental Media is very pleased to be in partnership with Tourism Southwest on this exciting project,” said Mr. Hiscock. “This guide is a great opportunity for Tourism Southwest to profile the southwest coast and what it has to offer.”
