Journey to the Land of Fire and Ice- and back again

I’d been to Iceland before, several years ago, to see the Northern lights. And, whilst I was awe-struck at the Aurora, I have to say the country left me a bit underwhelmed. Perhaps, because it was dark, cold, and expensive.

But, when I had the opportunity to work with Bailey of Bristol and borrow one of their Adamo 69-4 motorhomes for a trip, Iceland seemed like the perfect place for both an adventure and to give the van a good test.

Preparing for the trip

Thankfully, I’ve lived, worked and toured in a motorhome for five years, so I’m pretty good at knowing what kit I need and what I don’t. Within 24 hours of picking up the Adamo 69-4, which would be my home for the next five weeks, she was kitted out and ready to go.

The only things I couldn’t transfer from my usual motorhome to the Adamo were my refillable gas bottle setup and my lithium batteries- these were too much faff to change them over for just a few weeks. But I did take my Wi-Fi dongle, so at least I could stay connected on the trip.

I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what clothing I would need, but with mainland Europe in the grip of a heatwave and Iceland boasting a balmy 6°C throughout most of June, I decided on layers. Lots and lots of layers!

Thankfully, the huge wardrobe of the 69-4 allowed me to bring everything I wanted, and the garage was large enough to be my additional storage spot for everything else. I got used to that garage very quickly!

Getting to Denmark

The only way to reach Iceland with a motorhome from the UK is to drive it via Denmark and then take a two-day ferry from Hirtshals. I’ve got to be honest, when I initially suggested the trip, I still thought there was a ferry from Scotland- my mistake!

Still, the whole point was to test the van, so doing an extra 2000 miles of journey could only help. Plus, it gave me the chance to stop at Amsterdam, Bremen and FINALLY visit Romo Beach in Denmark; a beach where you can drive your vehicle onto the sand and stay there until sunset. I spent my birthday there, and it was magical.

So far, the Adamo had handled motorways, cities, narrow roads and sand without any issues at all. But the challenge was only beginning.

Week 1

Arriving in Iceland by ferry is like driving into a fairytale. Seydisfjordur port is surrounded by mountains and at the end of a fjord, and I spent about the first 30 minutes of driving just saying ‘wow’, and stopping to take a lot of photos of waterfalls, scenic views and more waterfalls.

As the weather was so good, I headed south to the famous glacier lagoon and marvelled at the icebergs, both in the lagoon and on Diamond Beach. If you go, definitely do a boat trip- being able to travel that close to a glacier was incredible.

Iceland bans all wild camping, but it’s very easy to find campsites, and there’s no need to book in advance. Once I’d figured this out, I could relax and explore at my leisure, taking time to visit some black sand beaches, and hidden waterfalls and even look for the cousin of the Loch Ness monster!

The perpetual sunlight was a strange phenomenon and broke my body clock completely. Instead of being an early riser, I became a night owl to the point that I would often not stop exploring and driving until well after 10 p.m. I was worried I wouldn’t sleep well at night, but the curtains in the Adamo did a good job of making the space dark enough to relax in. Or perhaps I was just that tired!

Week 2

This week began with one of the best things I’ve ever done in my LIFE- whale watching. I chose to go on a rib tour, which I was nervous about as I got seasick, but the sea was kind.

Within 30 minutes, I’d seen THREE whale species, including a blue whale (one of the rarest of them all). I’d also seen puffins up close- another goal achieved.

I followed this excitement by visiting the Eurovision cafe in Husavik and relaxing in one of my favourite Icelandic spas. The views from the Geosea Baths over the lagoon where I saw the whales are breathtaking. I imagine the winter is an excellent place to relax and watch the Northern Lights twinkling overhead.

I also got to experience a hot spring waterfall, with a sheer drop into the ocean just two feet away, visited a Santa Grotto and found some of the worst roads I’ve EVER driven on. I’m not a stranger to driving crazy roads, but a steep gravel road with huge potholes in a storm with heavy winds and rain was not a great combination! I was grateful to reach the campsite that night and even more thankful that the Adamo coped with them so well.

Still, most of the Westfjord main roads are tarmacked, so don’t let that put you off visiting this incredibly scenic and remote area. It’s home to one of the largest fjords in Iceland and an incredible array of wildlife. It’s wild, beautiful and be-witching and was one of my favourite areas in Iceland.

Week 3

One of the things I was most excited to do in Iceland was snorkel between two tectonic plates. Silfra is the only place in the world where it’s possible to do this, and despite the water being only 2°C, I wanted to experience it.

It was, in a word, cold. Finger-numbingly cold. But so clear, and the colours of the water were incredible. I’m glad I did it, and I’d do it again- especially now I’ve warmed up!

Another highlight I was mesmerised by was walking into an ice cave, and visiting a real live lava show. Both were in the town of Vik, and both are worth doing if you get a chance.

Vik is near the glacier Kötlujökull, the only place in Iceland where you can go to an ice cave during summer. The only way to get there was on huge super jeeps, which were a lot of fun. The guides all wore warning signals in case of earthquakes or eruptions from the very active volcano Katla under the glacier. Thankfully, she was sleeping, but there was an eruption from a nearby volcano less than a week later!

I enjoyed some of the more famous spots in Iceland- Geyser, the waterfall of Gullfoss and the rest of the Golden Circle, plus Seljalandsfoss waterfall and the Solheimasandur plane wreck were all worth a visit. This area is much busier than the rest of Iceland, and the number of tourists was a bit of a shock, but the beauty of going in your vehicle is you can escape the tour buses if you time it right.

Travelling Home

After all too soon, it was time to board the ferry and return to the UK (via Denmark and a long drive!).

In total, I drove over 5500 miles in 5 weeks. To say I’m impressed with the Adamo is an understatement, but I’m also forever in love with Iceland. There’s something there for everyone, whether you enjoy culture, scenery, adventure or relaxing in the geothermal spas. And, despite having explored for several weeks, I can’t wait to go back!

You can find more details about Kat and her life on the road on her website (www.wandering-bird.com) and connect with her on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.