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“Geography is the subject which holds the key to our future” -
Head of Department -
DAY 1 -
Despite a slight delay for both groups at Heathrow we had smooth flights over to Iceland with IcelandAir. As we approached Keflavik airport, students got their first taste of the amazing Icelandic landscape as we came into land.
On arrival at Keflavik airport we met our bus drivers and then made our way across the Reykjanes peninsula through the lunar like landscape of lava fields dating back to 1226. As we were slightly delayed we decided to leave the Bridge over Two Continents for our final day and instead went straight to our first stop -
Following our meal, with much excitement we then made the short journey to the Blue Lagoon. This was our first main stop of our Icelandic adventure and is located on the lava field at Grindavik on the Reykjanes Peninsula in SW Iceland. The area is closely associated with the country’s active volcanic system and geothermal heat due to its location on the mid-
The Blue lagoon is fed by the water output of the nearby geothermal power plant Svartsengi. Superheated water vented from the ground near a lava flow is used to run turbines which generate electricity. The steam and hot water, once it has passed through the turbines is fed into the lagoon. The geothermal seawater originates 2000m beneath the ground where it is heated by the earths natural forces and as it comes into contact with magmatic intrusions it captures the earths minerals which results in the minerals in the lagoon which are known for their healing power.The Blue Lagoon, our first main stop of our Icelandic adventure is located on the lava field at Grindavik on the Reykjanes Peninsula in SW Iceland. The area is closely associated with the country’s active volcanic system and geothermal heat due to its location on the mid-
Iceland 2017 -
The Blue Lagoon provided an excellent opportunity to relax, following our long journey, in water with a temperature of around 40oC. We were also treated to the silica mud treatments to cleanse the skin!
In July 2017, two groups, consisting of 66 of our Year 10 Geographers and 6 staff journeyed to Iceland for a five day tour of some of the unique physical landscapes of the ‘land of fire and ice’. We would like to thank Rayburn tours for their help in the organisation of what is our 11th successful tour to Iceland. The following pages document our adventures and what students have learnt from their travels.
Our accommodation was again the fantastic Guesthouse Húsið with our great hosts Guðni & Jana who always make our groups feel so welcome. The views from the Guesthouse are stunning!