On Wednesday, Sept. 17, teams will make their way to Random Island in Trinity Bay. Beautiful Random Island is approximately 35 km (22 miles) long and is home to many lively communities that will host some of our key stages.
The rally stages will start in Robinson Bight and Martin’s Hill and then move on to the communities of Lower Lance Cove and Petley. After lunch at Hickman’s Harbour Community Centre, teams will run stages in Hickman’s Harbour and Petley before heading back to Clarenville for the night.
The public are invited to an evening meet-and-greet at Hickman Motors on Shoal Harbour Drive in Clarenville to see the cars and meet the teams.
Random Island was visited often by fishing expeditions starting hundreds of years ago. Random Island’s first permanent settlement, Ryder’s Harbour, was founded in the 1760s. The island’s main industries were fishing, shipbuilding, sawmilling, and slate mining.
By 1900, Hickman’s Harbour, the site of the best deep-water anchorage on the island, had become the centre of the Random Island fishing and shipbuilding industries. You can still see homes with slate roofs on the island. Other methods of employment included sawmilling and slate mining, though the actual quarry was across the sound in Nut Cove.
By 1901, Hickman’s Harbour was the most populous community on Random Island with 309 people. Hickman’s Harbour enjoys a scenic location on Random Island, surrounded by the rugged coastline and the tranquil waters of Trinity Bay. A quaint and charming spot for lunch or afternoon tea is Open on a Nice Day Cafe.
For over 100 years, the island could only be accessed by water but a causeway built in 1954 across Random Bar linked the island with the nearby town of Clarenville, which is the service centre for the region with a wide variety of shops, services, restaurants and accommodations.
The Town of Clarenville is the stopover point for two nights of Targa Newfoundland. Nestled in the beautiful Shoal Harbour River Valley, Clarenville is blessed with an abundance of natural beauty. It is located adjacent to the Trans-Canada Highway about 180 km west of St. John’s and 142 km east of Gander.
Incorporated in 1951, the town has grown into a prominent community and service centre for the region with a population of over 6300 people. Boasting a diverse and vibrant economy, it offers well-established business infrastructure and a wide range of support services catering to the needs of residents of Clarenville and surrounding areas as well as area visitors.
Visit the Tourism Newfoundland and Labrador site for more info.
