Backpack and Snorkel Travel Guide for Avondale Railway Museum and Shipwreck in Conception Harbour in Newfoundland - Newfoundland Purple Travel Guide
Today we will visit Avondale Railway Museum and Shipwreck in Conception Harbour and then drive back to St. John's. We provide detailed information and a self-guided tour with the best things to see and we show lots of photos so you know what you can expect.
Today, we are taking the ferry from St. Pierre to Fortune and then drive back to St. John’s.
1 = St. Pierre
2 = Fortune
3 = Avondale Railway Museum
4 = Shipwreck in Conception Harbour
5 = St. John’s
Table of contents
Ferry from St. Pierre to Fortune
Because you will cross an international borer today, you will need to show your passport in the ferry building and after you arrive in Fortune, Canada.
Like on the ferry ride from Fortune, Canada to Miquelon, your carry-on suitcases will be gate-checked.
And also, as on the last ferry ride with the Suroit, wifi did not work on the ferry. It only worked in the ferry building.
On the ferry, you will be asked to fill out the Canadian immigration papers that you will need to present together with your passport in Fortune.
Once you leave the customs building in Fortune, you will likely see employees from the parking service that will drive you to the parking lot where you can retrieve your car.
Avondale Railway Museum
The Avondale Railway Museum is housed in the oldest surviving Railway Station in Newfoundland. The building was constructed either in 1870 or 1880 as a repeater station for the first telegraph landline serving St. John’s. From 1900 until 1949, the station was used as a freight and passenger railway station by the Reid Newfoundland Company. During World War II, the station was an important terminus for transporting men who worked at the American military bases in Argentia.
The station closed in 1984 when the Newfoundland railway ceased operations.
The museum offers 30 min Mini Train Rides on the original railway track in summer – check their website for times and dates.
Shipwreck in Conception Harbour
The SS Charcot was a whaling ship that was built in 1923 in Norway and sold to different whaling companies over the years. It was named after French polar explorer Jean-Baptiste Charcot who led several expeditions to Antarctica and Greenland.
The ship was based at the Hawke Harbour whaling station in Labrador, Canada, where it was used to hunt whales until the whaling station burned down in 1959. Afterwards, it was moored at Conception Harbour, where it was retired as the declining whaling industry made the ship unprofitable.
The SS Charcot was involved in several incidents and accidents:
- 1928: it collided with an iceberg, which damaged its hull. The ship was able to return to port for repairs
- 1931: its engine caught fire and ignited the oil tanks. The crew was able to escape and the blaze could be seen from miles away. The badly damaged ship was out of service for several months for repairs
- 1942: it was attacked by a German submarine U-132, but two torpedoes missed and the ship managed to escape by increasing the speed and zigzagging away
- 1954: it ran aground near Cape Harrison, Labrador and took on water. Only with the help of a tugboat at high tide was it able to get off the rock
- 1970: during a storm, the mooring broke and the ship ran aground and sank in Conception Harbour
After its retirement, the SS Charcot was used as a storage vessel for whale oil and other materials. Due to neglect, it deteriorated over time.
The shipwreck is still visible from the shore and attracts visitors and photographers.
There are two other shipwrecks in Conception Harbour that lie on their sides right behind the SS Charcot. Both ships (SS Sukha and SS Southern Foam) are fully submerged and cannot be seen from shore.
After years of slowly leaking fuel into the harbor, the Canadian Coast Guard removed about 3,700 gal (14000 l) of fuel from the tank of the SS Sukha to prevent further environmental damage to the harbor and its wildlife.
Where to stay in St. John’s
St. John’s is the largest city in Newfoundland and it has a good selection of hotels and Airbnbs.
Unlike in most other cities in Canada and the US, hotels in St. John’s are pet friendly. As most hotels allow pets, you may get a room with more or less pet odor. Some hotels allow pets only on certain floors, while others allow pets in every room. We talked to housekeeping in one of the latter hotels and they told us they spray deodorizer when they detect pet odor – and that’s it.
If you can’t stand the odor, just ask the hotel to switch you to another room.
Click on the map below to see what is available:
Holiday Inn Express & Suites St. John's Airport (price & availability)
As St. John’s is a not a big city – only a bit over 200,000 people live here – and the downtown area is walkable but has paid parking everywhere, we decided to stay near the airport.
The Holiday Inn Express & Suites St. John's Airport is a typical Holiday Inn Express. It has spacious rooms, the furniture showed very little wear and tear when we were there and there are a fridge and microwave in the room.
Breakfast is included in the room rates and the same as in other Holiday Inn Express hotels.
As most hotels in St. John’s, the Holiday Inn Express & Suites St. John's Airport is dog friendly and chances are that you will get a room with some level of pet odor. We were told that the hotel does not have rooms that were off-limits for pets.
The hotel is in walking distance to St. John’s airport.
Jack Axes
Are you up for some fun after dinner? If so, Jack Axes may be what you are looking for. Jack Axes is St. John’s first indoor axe-throwing facility.
Check out their website for opening hours - they are closed to the public on Mondays and Tuesdays for league player training.
It is important to reserve a time in advance, to make sure they have a spot for you, as axe throwing is pretty popular in St. John’s nowadays.
The staff will be happy to show you how to safely throw an axe, so don’t worry.
This concludes your tour for today.
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