8 September 2023
The land of fire and ice.
Lynne has wanted to visit Iceland for most of her life. As a child her grandfather had told her tales of his visit and stay in Iceland during the war and it had never left her. For my part I prefer warmer climes but after we took the Waveney Campers Landrover Defender Camper to Morocco earlier in the year it had to be Iceland next. So, dramatic scenery, glaciers, volcanoes, hot springs, wild weather, some of the best 4×4 driving anywhere and just possibly the northern lights!!
An early start on a beautiful September morning sees us off to Harwich for the first of several ferry crossings. The Hook of Holland and then three more rural ferries as we take the scenic route north through Denmark. Hirtshals is our final destination and from there we take the excellent 3 day Smyril Line ferry to Iceland with a 6 hour stopover in the Faroe Islands. It’s one a heck of a journey. A hot tub on the rear deck of the boat and stunning scenery from the bar makes it all very enjoyable and anyway it’s all part of the adventure.
You actually land in Seyoisfjorour which is the opposite side of Iceland to the capital Reykjavik. Our small group of 6 Landrovers (youngest member 15 years old and oldest member 82 years old) is met by our excellent Icelandic guide Ingo and we are soon heading north on the F roads which are restricted to 4 x 4’s only.
Iceland has it’s outer tarmac ring road, the 820 mile Route 1 which is where most fly/drive tourists are to be found. Then the countries interior is crossed by some gravel roads and off these are the F Roads, our domaine, and the routes that take you to the most spectacular places.
With tyres deflated we are quickly high up on snow covered tracks. Lunch is taken by a glacial lake and later in the day as we descend down we get to experience the first of so many river crossings to come.
Our first night’s camping is an adventure in itself. In the dark we drive through shallow seawater to a remote wild beach camp spot, camping under towering cliffs. And to finish off a fantastic day 1 out of the inky blackness the Northern Lights make an appearance. This is going to be one heck of an adventure. More to follow…
