Tag: glaciers

New Zealand Road Trip Route

Our two month campervan road trip of New Zealand is over and we had a great time. The New Zealand road trip route took us from Tauranga, North Island to Fiordland in the South and back. We drove over 6200km and saw countless beautiful sights.

Freedom camping near the beach in Hawkes Bay
Freedom camping near Napier, Hawkes Bay

Planning Our New Zealand Road Trip Route

Small as New Zealand is – equivalent to Colorado – there’s a lot to see and do. Before we hopped in the van, we didn’t have much of a plan besides seeing as much as we could. We bookmarked Lonely Planet, read people’s blogs, and used Google Maps to decide where to go and what to do.

Once we started driving, we only knew where we were going next. Then, as the days progressed, we booked two things weeks in advance: the Doubtful Sound overnight cruise, and the Kaikoura Coastal Walk. Everything else we booked a day or two in advance or last minute.

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Day 7: Iceland Geo Thermal Activity Gets the Thumbs Up from Us

This morning was amazing! We woke up at the Kerlingarfjöll campsite to find that we were not alone. Brian got to talking to a man who we think was the owner of the place. Very Northern, and very understated, he suggested we drive up the hill and see the geothermals. Wow! Are we glad we did. Iceland geo thermal activity at Hveradalir was impressive, surprising, amazing, and many other adjectives. Brian said it was in his Top 5s of Iceland (not sure what the other 4 are: probably 4 hot pots) and it definitely made my day. After that, it is going to be hard to top.

about the iceland Geo thermal activity

So what about the geo thermals was amazing? Well, once we drove to the top of the hill, it was time to hike. Kerlingarfjöll is part of a volcanic mountain range, so we hiked through landscapes unlike anything we’d seen before. We could see glaciers in the distance, but we were among hills and flowing water, flowing HOT water which was bubbling and steaming and smelled sulfuric. It was really otherworldly, and we were the only ones there. We just kept stopping for photos and saying “wow.”

There was also what in better weather must be a hot pot but wasn’t too hot or full of water at the moment. If you go to Iceland and have 4WD this is a must stop! Even with rain and wind, this hike was one of the favorite things we did all week. WOW to geothermals!

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Watch Out for Sheep When Driving in Iceland!

There are lots of sheep in Iceland! I said Iceland, not Ireland, but you would think that right? My warning to you, is to watch out for sheep when driving in Iceland.

Sheep are Everywhere

They are all grazing alongside the major highway and often with no barriers to the highway, also known as the ring road. Needless to say, I had a close encounter with some sheep! It’s all ok. They move surprisingly fast and I had a lot of notice they were coming. They moved so fast neither myself nor Brian were able to get a photo (boo!). Anyway, for the remainder of the day, I had to keep on the alert as the sheep were never far from the road.

The Views in Iceland are Gorgeous

Other than sheep, we saw a lot of beautiful natural wonders: glaciers that stunned us into silence with their magnificence and beauty, waterfalls and streams cascading down rock cliffs and mountains, fjords and more. Our campsite last night was alongside one of the fjords with a mountain view to match. Iceland is gorgeous.

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