Nova Scotia and Newfoundland by car, bike and kayak in June.

Tell hubby not to forget the flute... He'll seldom be putting it down in the Maritimes and Nfld.

Try to stay in lots of little communities... You'll not only be charmed by the locals there, but also by their musical talents.

Dress warm for Nfld.... It's still mightly chilly and damp (as a rule) in June. It'll be warmer in the other Atlantic provinces and Maine.

You'll have a great time.

oh man, that sounds fun.

for music, keep your eye out in the local papers/bullitein boards/ask the locals for going to a local ceildeh (spelled wrong) or a church supper or a square dance while you're in Cape Breton. Try Judique, etc. Definately bring your flute.

As a Celtic flutist, you'll have a tough time getting out of Cape Breton. Check out the Celtic College in St. Anne's. We stumbled into a great ceildeh in Mabou. If you manage to get yourself to Newfoundland, you'll probably not make it past Gross Morne National Park. Kayak, hike, cycle - it's all potentially there. Make sure you book your ferry connection to Newfoundland well in advance. Might be okay in June, but I know it's generally pretty booked up.

Thanks all for taking the time out to reply. All advice is well appreciated. As for more specific questions... We are definitely planning on spending all of our Nova Scotia visit on Cape Brenton, but as for Newfoundland there seems to be so much to see, separated by SO many miles. From what I have been reading Avalon Penninsula is the place to be if you only have a week or so (we have about 9 days, give or take). Twillingate also seems like a must see this time of year. And then everyone says Gros Morne is an essential visit. Is it plausable to do it all and not feel as if we are driving all the time? If not, does anyone have any suggestions to what areas we should focus on?
I was thinking that perhaps we could take the ferry to Avalon then make our way north and west and leave via the Port aux Basques ferry.

Thanks again for comments and suggestions. This is a great forum - made my trip to Costa Rica a much richer experience than it would have been if I just relied on guide books.

K

Two further questions. It was mentioned that the ferry should be booked in advance...how far? Is it impossible to get on last minute? Also, at this time of year is possible to fine rooms(B&Bs/small inns) in NF also spur of the moment or are advance reservations necessary?

When we went to Newfoundland we flew into St. John's and drove to Gross Morne and back. We had two weeks and that was about right. Nine days gives you a healthy one way drive, allowing some meandering.
Yes, make a loop with the ferries. Only the Port aux Basque ferry is being used until June 15th, then the Argentia ferry starts up (Avalon penninsula). Depending on when in June you'll be going to Newfoundland that means you better check into ferry connections SAP, cause the ferry could be pretty busy. There's an on-line booking system which lets you know if the ferry you want is available. Here's a link - https://www.marine-atlantic.ca/maors/<BR>I'd say, save Nfld for the end of your trip later in June. Weather might be better.

some campground suggestions
new brunswick (on your drive up) - fundy national park or Kouchibouguac
nova scotia - carribou/munroes provincial park (up by pictou which is a lovely little town), the oven's natural park (a few hours west of halifax), baddeck cabot trail campground

You might like to order some travel literature from www.gov.nf.ca/tourism - their "where to stay" list is excellent. Also, check out http:/newfoundland.ws/L_Tourism.asp for information on things to do on the island. There are sea kayaking tours from the Avalon Penninsula - at that time of the year there is an excellent chance to see ice bergs and maybe whales. I agree with sadge that a loop with the ferries would be your best option to see it all.

If you have nine days in Newfoundland you shouldn't worry too much about the distances between places - you may have 2 or 3 days with long drives, but there are ways to make stops along the way that will break things up for you. If you have any interest in birds, stop at St.Mary's and see the Gannet colony - very cool.