14 November 2022
Our Year 11-13 geographers enjoyed a postponed trip to Iceland (from the pre-Covid era) and Lucy updates us on all their experiences:
Day 1
Finally on Tuesday 18th October, a group of Year 11-13 set off at 5am to Stanstead Airport. Having previously being cancelled in March 2020 just six hours before we departed, this trip had been eagerly anticipated for a very long time. During the coach journey Year 11 serenaded us with Taylor Swift’s entire discography, to the delight of the rest of the coach trying to catch up on sleep. At the airport the teachers began a well-rehearsed, coordinated attempt at herding 40 girls through check-in, baggage drop-off, security and finally the high-risk, duty-free. After successfully getting us all to the boarding gate with no losses to report, we boarded the plane and simultaneously fell into states of deep unconsciousness.
On arrival at Keflavik International Airport, we met our tour guide, Petur and our four-day tour of Iceland officially began. Getting straight on the road, it did not take long until the coach was invaded by the smell of sulphur, or rotten eggs, as we entered our first geothermal area. We briefly hopped off the coach to view the Gunnhuver Hot Springs. The hot steam made absolutely no difference to what could only be described as Baltic Icelandic temperatures, although surprisingly the weather apps claimed it was still 10°C. This was a short-lived adventure as we soon hurried back onto the warm coach and headed towards the famous Blue Lagoon.
The Blue Lagoon was one of the many highlights of the trip and once we had finally made it into the naturally heated lagoon there was a steady stream of Newport Girls’ making a beeline towards the facemask station. Once our hands resemblance to raisins, we made the brave, short but cold run inside to collect our towels and get dressed.
All the “swimming” drained what little energy we had left but thankfully the fish and chip restaurant was a short coach ride away. Following some minor confusion as people couldn’t remember what they had ordered six hours previous, dinner was underway and admittedly did not last all that long. The majority enjoyed cod that had been caught that morning and the Icelandic water that Mr Pimm had been raving about – he was right it was tasty.
Hotel Ork was the first of three hotels we stayed in, moving around to ensure we saw all of Iceland’s natural beauty, though there isn’t much to report from these as most people fell asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillow.
Day 2
Breakfast was booked for 7am and the second day started early. After a quick breakfast we assembled our sandwiches for the day and hurried back our rooms to pack and get onto the coach. The first activity for the day was the lava exhibition which was exciting, educational and just really, really warm. This was a quick stop before the main activity for the day, waterfalls.
The Skógafoss waterfall is arguably one of the most naturally beautiful sights in Iceland and eating lunch right next to it was a surreal, if not a slightly damp, experience.
Next, we journeyed towards a retreating glacier which we reached after a short climb. The Sólheimajökull glacier has been retreating rapidly and is now a project that a local Icelandic school have taken on, where they measure how far it has retreated every year. We eventually made it to the coast of Iceland where we witnessed a cave, arch, stack, and stump in action and experienced the coastal winds, making Iceland feel even colder. Our last stop of day two was the stunning Seljalandsfoss waterfall which this time, we could walk behind! As some of us chose to climb to the very bottom for the very best photos, we were sufficiently soaked and ready to get back on the coach and to hotel number two, although not before we paid the extortionate price for a hot chocolate.
Day 3
Our final day in Iceland had sadly arrived but we had a packed day ahead. Our first stop was the Gullfoss waterfall or “Golden Falls” and at 8:30 in the morning, the sun was only just peeking out, making the waterfall even more beautiful than usual. After finding out that the gift shop wouldn’t open for another hour, much to everyone’s disappointment, we were herded back onto this bus with the promise of another, even bigger shop at our next stop. The smell of sulphur soon returned as we stopped at the famous Geysir geothermal field. Here we stood in awe, watching a hot spring erupt four separate times and jumped every single time. After finally making it to the gift shop to spend all our Krona on several different Icelandic trinkets including, magnets, socks, (overpriced) chocolate and obviously, Viking helmets, the next stop was Thingvellir National Park which is well known for being a plate boundary. This of course meant lots of photos had to be taken with a one leg on the North American and one on the Eurasian tectonic plates.
Our final stop of the trip was the Perlan Ice Cave and Planetarium in Reykjavik. Here we explored an ice cave and watched an aurora history showing. After enjoying some delicious ice cream, we all got back onto the coach to one of our last stops, bowling! Having googled ‘how to bowl like a pro’ I think it’s fair to say that we were all ready for some ‘friendly’ competition. However, the real treat was the 44 pizzas that were and despite Year 12’s best efforts, not finished at all. We did, however, take full advantage of the free drink refills. The final coach journey was a long one, so I think it is safe to say that we were all ever so grateful that Year 11 took the opportunity to serenade us one last time as loud as they possibly could.
Upon arriving at the Lighthouse Hotel, we had strict instructions to get in to bed as soon as possible ready for the 3am wake up to catch our flight. However, what happened next was easily the most memorable part of the trip and one that didn’t require a coach journey and that couldn’t be booked or promised….
As we were preparing to sleep, doors were knocked on by the hotel staff calling “Aurora”. Rushing out of our rooms in our pyjamas, throwing on our coats, and only just remembering the keys – our final night was one for the books. We can now say we have seen the Northern Lights in person, and they were fantastic.
Thank you, Mr Pimm, Mrs Gill, Mrs Seys and Mrs Barker, for taking us on the trip that we will never forget.
Lucy L (Year 12)
