Lapland & the Arctic
The land of deep winter and never-ending nights that truly captivated me on my first visit -- even though it ended in me breaking my leg! I keep going back, and every time I discover something entire unique and equally astounding.
What’s It Like Sleeping in a Tent When It’s -20C?
“Are you sure you want to sleep in the Sami tent tonight? You’re the only one in there and there’s plenty of space in the cabins if you want one,” said Reetta, the Lyngsfjord guide that was taking care of us overnight. Having already been told by some of the people staying in cabins that […]
The Magic of Dogsledding in the Dark
“I wanna go fast! I wanna go fast!” I could almost hear the huskies chanting Ricky Bobby’s favourite line as they bounded across the pristine snow of the Lyngen Alps outside of Tromsø. They had rocketed off as soon as I’d let go of the brake, accelerating as fast as they could as snow appeared [&hel
Photo Essay: Picture Perfect Reine
Reine is one of those places that, like New Zealand’s South Island, appears in popular culture more often than you would realise if you hadn’t been there. I, for one, had seen this stunning place over and over again on sites like Pinterest, so when I realised it was only a few hours’ drive from [&he
Snorkeling…in the Arctic…in WINTER?!
As I sat on the side of the RIB (rigid inflatable boat), looking up at the snow-coated mountains rising out of the sea all around me, I wondered what in the world I had been thinking. Surely I had experienced a moment of temporary madness when I had signed up to snorkel in the Lofoten […]
My First Glimpse of the Northern Lights
My night at Camp Tamok didn’t start out as a very promising one for the northern lights. It had been snowing heavily in Tromsø, where we had boarded a bus for a 1h15m bus ride out into the Lyngen Alps. That snow followed us south and continued to fall all through the night-time dogsledding trip [&he
This Texan Is Going to Lapland!
Last week, when I posted about how I quit my job to be closer to my family, I mentioned that I had a trip starting nine days after I arrived. This will be the longest, most epic trip of my five-month sojourn to Europe, and I know I will need a good portion of April…
Braving the Arctic Wilds in Porjus
I am not a cold weather person. If the temperature gets down to 15C in Brisbane, I wear at least jeans and a jumper. In the dead of winter (as if that ever happens in Queensland), I can be found sitting on the couch wrapped in a very thick blanket. I shiver when I have…
The Northern Lights Apartments: A Home Away From Home
I don’t think I would have enjoyed my trip north of the Arctic Circle nearly as much if I hadn’t picked such a great place to stay. The Northern Lights Apartments, located about 500m down the road from the main town of Porjus, were a little oasis in an otherwise rather inhospitable environment. Thei
How Not to Catch a Bus
Catching a bus really isn’t that hard. Turn up at the right time and there’s a reasonable chance that you’ll get on the bus and be on your way to your destination in no time. I managed to catch quite a few buses in my short time in Sweden, but there’s one in particular that…