Burgeo

July 19, 2005

By Brian Newhook

Weather: Overcast, 20 degrees C, no wind
Trip Length: 4 hrs total
Paddlers: Brian Newhook, Angie Brace
Kayaks Used: 2x Seaknife SK-17 Pro

Our paddle route is marked in red (thumbnail - click on image to enlarge)

To begin, we are novice paddlers, having bought our kayaks in February of this year. We had heard that Burgeo was one of the best places to kayak in Atlantic Canada and it is true. Absolutely amazing.

We stayed at the Sandbanks Provincial Park, a nice park with everything you need, including showers and a laundromat. The staff is very helpful and friendly. The park ranger directed us to a few places where we could paddle. As soon as you enter the park, there is a sandy beach, called First Beach, to your left, with a boardwalk leading to it. The first evening we arrived there, we decided to try a small paddle from this beach. After carrying our kayaks down to the beach, we were met with waves about one metre high crashing on the beach. We had never launched in surf before, so we were nervous, but tried anyway. Interesting to say the least, we got soaking wet when the waves crashed over us. I was able to paddle through but Angie was not so lucky. If you want to try and launch in the area, be careful, surf-launching experience is recommended!

First Beach (thumbnail - click on image to enlarge)

One metre surf – not for amateurs! (thumbnail - click on image to enlarge)

Angie after trying to launch, soaking wet (thumbnail - click on image to enlarge)

Me after trying to launch, soaking wet (thumbnail - click on image to enlarge)

The next morning we left to go to Aaron’s Arm. It is just outside of Burgeo on the right hand side. There is a water treatment plant there, as seen on the map above. We were told this is where most people start their paddle in the area, which is marked by numerous small boats and canoes near the wharf. It is very important to take note of the tide in this area, as Aaron’s Arm is very shallow.  If at all possible, you should leave at high tide.

 

Launching area, Aaron’s Arm (thumbnail - click on image to enlarge)

We left the wharf at noon, and the weather was overcast, but warm, about 20 degrees. The water was very calm and there was no wind, so we were very pleased. We paddled out through the middle of the arm, in about 0.25 metre (10 inches) of water for the first half hour or so. Only on the way back did we discover that one side of the arm is dredged out for the boats. So when leaving Aaron’s Arm, stick to the left hand side (south side), you will see where it is dredged out. When we got out to the end of the arm, we went to the left, further south toward the open ocean and into First Arm. You have to pass through narrows at the end that can be difficult to manage depending on the tide and weather. It was fine when we went through, very calm and there was a fantastic beach where we stopped for some pictures.

Aaron’s Arm Narrows (thumbnails - click on images to enlarge)

After a few photos of the beautiful white sand beaches, we left to paddle past Green Island towards Cornelius Island. This is a bit more open and we were a little nervous in the small swell given the fact that we have little open water experience. But it went just fine, with some sea ducks and other birds around the small rock called “Frying Pan”. There are a few sunkers in this area that you have to watch for.

We could see a cabin in a small cove in the distance on Cornelius Island, so we went in to check it out. We stopped for a little lunch on one of the small beaches. After our break we paddled east towards the Sandbanks Park and Grip Head. We stayed close to Cornelius Island, and on the eastern side of the island there is an amazing beach, where we had to stop for a few more pictures.  

Cornelius Island (thumbnails - click on images to enlarge)

We then began to make our way back, this time following close by the beaches of Sandbanks Park, past Grip Head and around Coombes Island and back into the Narrows of Aaron’s Arm. This time we discovered the dredged out side of the Arm, as the entire middle of the arm was completely dry when the tide went down all the way.  

First Arm (left & centre), Aaron’s Arm (right) (thumbnails - click on images to enlarge)

There are a few shallows that you have to pass to get back to the wharf. The water is not deep at all and we had to push with our paddles on the bottom instead of actually paddling. Luckily the bottom is fine sand and grass and we never had to get out of our boats and carry them. 

So this concludes our paddling adventure in Burgeo. The only regret is that it was much too short. When we got back to the car and checked the map we realized that we had only scratched the surface of this area and vowed to come back again in the future; it truly is a kayaker’s paradise.