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VISITOR INFORMATION - Maberly Loop

Perhaps the area’s best kept secret is an unknown gem depicting an old time Newfoundland community settled in the 19th century. Known as Muddy Brook until 1905, the scenic settlement of Maberly including the way leading into it is indeed such a gem. Unfortunately, many visitors who frequent the puffin viewing site turn around at that point depriving themselves of our area’s best scenery.

Attempts were made at resettling Maberly by enticing people to relocate to Elliston where there was already electricity. However, some refused to leave. Today it only consists of about a dozen homes with five permanent households, however, that number increases during the summertime. The short 1KM drive from the puffin site to the actual Maberly Loop is filled with the region’s best and most accessible root cellars. Our best-known cellars (Upstairs/Downstairs Cellars built 1915) are located on the way. The coastal scenery is fantastic with an excellent view of South Bird Island home to hundreds of seabirds. In the summertime all sorts of whales' frolic in the waters and some of this action was captured on video below.

Just before you enter the actual Maberly Loop (aka Circular Rd.) there is small lookout that was once designated “Maberly Provincial Park.” Although no longer a Provincial Park the site remains a beautiful one with flowers and a picnic site on a raised wooden platform. Old fashion demonstration gardens are likewise at this location. Some visitors make the mistake of turning back at this point missing the loop entirely which is a real shame.

Upon entering the loop and proceeding right you encounter a rather unique site – The Puffin Train! It is a sizable mock-up featuring puffins as the passengers/crew and many a visitor has stopped for an unusual photo to take home. At this site is a small craft store, the Puffin Souvenir Craft Shop, which is an example of the old-style shops that once existed throughout Newfoundland. In addition to a variety of locally made artwork, folk art and crafts there are several old fashion items decorating the shop that remind one of an era gone by. Also, on display there is the trophy seen in the movie The Grand Seduction that was partially filmed at Maberly.

As you go further around the loop you can see the vast berry hills that have provided income and delicious jams for generations. As you continue along the loop you will pass Maberly’s Government Well that some people still use for their drinking water. If you want a drink you will have to lower the bucket, tip it into the water, and pull it back to the surface with a rope as people have done for generations. Near the sea is the beginning of the Maberly to Little Catalina Trail that is the area's premier trail stretching 16.5 KM through some amazing scenery. Next to the sea is a large recreated fish flake that was once a common sight throughout the area. Part of The Grand Seduction was filmed at the flake and nearby homes. While at this location you can see all the little coves that fishermen used back in the day. The rocks and sea make for a fanciful sight! In recent years, this area has become home to the Roots, Rants and Roars Fall Festival’s food hike that encompasses the entire loop.

Below is a video that gives you a feel for the Maberly Loop as well as the short drive to it from the puffin site.

The Puffin Train

Elliston (Maberly) doesn’t just have puffins it has a train load of them! The Puffin Train is quite a sight that you will not see anywhere else. It is located at Maberly, a short distance past the well-known Puffin Viewing Site in the Maberly Loop.

The train is a large mock-up from the fictional puffin railroad featuring the Puffin Express. These cartoon like train cars have both puffin staff and passengers with a caboose at the corner of the Puffin Souvenir Craft Shop. Is there any room left on the Puffin Express? Yes, there is and it makes for an excellent photo opportunity. The train has an empty place in one of the train cars that makes a great spot to include yourself as a passenger on this extraordinary spectacle. It is a must see for the visitor that desires a fun, lighthearted souvenir photo and it’s free! If you like puffins it is surely something worth looking at!

While taking in this unusual attraction be sure to view the beautiful scenery in and around Maberly where both the train and craft shop are located. It is well worth the two-minute drive past the puffin site.

Don’t leave this area saying you saw the puffins but missed the Puffin Train!

The Grand Seduction (Film Site At Maberly)

A movie, The Grand Seduction, was partially filmed (shooting day 13 of 40) at Maberly on Wednesday, August 15th, 2012. It was a joint Newfoundland and Quebec production (Morag Loves Seduction and Films Max). When in Maberly check in at the Puffin Souvenir Craft Shop for directions to locations used during filming. The trophy prop actually used in the film is on display.

Below you will see some photos and video that was taken during filming. The movie was released in 2013. See http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2319580/ for details.

Here are some photos of from that day. Click to enlarge.

Whales

The Maberly Loop is often an excellent location to view whales. Each year we are fortunate to witness them swimming, jumping and feeding in our waters. There are days you can literally sit in your yard and just watch the show. Whales can be often seen feeding on the caplin (tiny fish) that swarm annually by the millions to spawn around our shores.

Humpbacks whales are often sighted in late spring from their Caribbean winter breeding grounds. They reach a body length of up to 53 feet.

Other common whales are Minke and Fin. Minke whales are the smallest baleen whale in the northwest Atlantic reaching a length of approximately 30 feet. They are common in inshore waters in the summertime. They are quite curious and will often approach boats. The fin whale reaches about 75 feet in length and is also a common sight.

Here are some photos of from the Elliston area. Click to enlarge.

Icebergs

Again this area is a great spot to views icebergs that pass along our coast line. However, the frequency of icebergs in the area varies annually. They are 10,000-15,000 years old and are transported by the Labrador Current.

Ice is less dense than salt water and typically one-ninth of the volume of an iceberg is above water. Hence what you actually see is quite literally the "tip of the iceberg.”

When a piece of iceberg ice melts, it makes a fizzing sound called "Bergie Seltzer". This sound is made when the water-ice interface reaches compressed air bubbles trapped in the ice. As this happens, each bubble bursts, making a 'popping' sound. The bubbles contain air trapped in snow layers very early in the history of the ice.

Here are some photos of from the Elliston area. Click to enlarge.