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Chasing the Northern Lights in Iceland




The excitement of the Northern Lights being seen across the UK recently coincided with me deciding to holiday in Iceland, writes reporter Rob Currell.

As an avid photographer, and having not seen them in the UK, I was determined to see the natural phenomenon for myself and hopefully capture it on film — but it was far from easy.

It was a rather last-minute decision to holiday in Iceland as other vacation destinations were on the cards as well — plus Iceland is notoriously expensive.

There are several very good tour companies but the author chose the flexibility of self-driving.
There are several very good tour companies but the author chose the flexibility of self-driving.

Although the Northern Lights had been visible in the UK, I hadn't had the time to go searching for them.

The possibility of seeing them and capturing them on camera meant the Land Of Fire And Ice won out and I decided to hire a camper van.

I flew into Reykjavik and soon I made my way around the ring road and off the beaten track on to some of the more adventurous paths the country has to offer in a Volkswagen Caddy with the words 'Happy Campers' written along the side of it.

As I headed south, the temperature fluctuated but stayed above zero, I would eventually capture the phenomenonen on camera but it was a tough and challenging journey to get there.

The camper van I had hired contained a heater in the sleeping compartment and I would later come to rely on this feature heavily although I did not know it when I first set off.
I wasn't always a happy camper as the treeless terrain meant the wind made everything take twice as long as it needed to while unpacking and packing up the vehicle.

Horses in the cold.
Horses in the cold.

Cruising along the famous ring road — officially known as Highway One ­— there was not a lot of traffic and I was beginning to think that I had, picked an excellent time to travel.

However, the upcoming days would prove why early March is still classed as winter and part of the nation's low season as freezing temperatures slowly fell from the mountains to greet me.

I was constantly reminded in between reprieves that March was still firmly a part of the country's winter season.

Perhaps I had been a bit naïve I thought as 3,300km of hard grafting lay ahead as I tried to reach all of my objectives.

I was constantly reminded in between reprieves that March was still winter.
I was constantly reminded in between reprieves that March was still winter.
A tractor looks out onto the rugged landscape.
A tractor looks out onto the rugged landscape.


Iceland in winter is desolate, unforgiving and at sometimes hard work but this was offset by at times excellent countryside that laid ahead over six days of driving.

There were issues with a tyre later in the trip and I had to attend to it in freezing weather.
I ended up putting the hubcap of the tyre in the car and continuing on my journey.

A casualty of the Icelandic conditions.
A casualty of the Icelandic conditions.
A roadside waterfall in Southern Iceland.
A roadside waterfall in Southern Iceland.
Tourists enjoying the cliffs.
Tourists enjoying the cliffs.

I'd arrived in the country for a week on Friday and the best days for seeing the Aurora Borealis according to the multiple apps I had downloaded were from Sunday through to Tuesday.

In the relatively mild temperature of the first couple of days, I would get my camera out at camp-sites at night which was mounted on a tripod, and attempt to catch a brief glimpse of the spectacle.

But it was unsurprising when it did not happen and I tried to plan as I journeyed along — as well as off the ring road hitting other sights — for the nights when the light show was going to be more prevalent.

Green Lake, Iceland.
Green Lake, Iceland.
Kleifarvatn Lake.
Kleifarvatn Lake.
Overlooking Kleifarvatn Lake, South of the capital.
Overlooking Kleifarvatn Lake, South of the capital.
People enjoying the mountains above Lake Kleifarvatn.
People enjoying the mountains above Lake Kleifarvatn.

I tried to ensure that the camp-sites were in areas where the cloud cover was minimal or preferably absent as this affords people the best chance to see the Northern Lights.

I also had to be in areas away from towns and cities where there was less light pollution.

This proved difficult as there were only a handful of winter camp-sites open across the whole country and it is illegal to camp outside of these areas.

Within a matter of a few dozen km you could be back in good weather after going through a snow storm, the weather turns fast in Iceland.
Within a matter of a few dozen km you could be back in good weather after going through a snow storm, the weather turns fast in Iceland.
The weather turns very fast in Iceland, visitors need to check forecasts regularly.
The weather turns very fast in Iceland, visitors need to check forecasts regularly.
Vehicles drive alongside Kleifarvatn Lake.
Vehicles drive alongside Kleifarvatn Lake.

As I rounded the south-eastern corner of the country, the weather had taken a notorious turn and the further north I proceeded along the eastern coast, the worst it got.

Sunday and Monday proved to be no-shows for where I was, although if I had stayed in the area I was on Monday morning I probably would have had a decent chance of seeing a low-quality showing of the Aurora Borealis.

Several photos of the phenomenon around Hofn had been registered on the Hello Aurora app I subscribed to but none of the images were particularly impressive.

I endeavoured to push on northward but the weather was against me as I had to turn back after trying to reach Asbyrgi in minus-ten windswept conditions.

I got within 25km but had to make the painstaking decision to swallow my pride and abandon the objective as I was in a two-wheeled drive vehicle.

Road closures mean you have to be adaptable with your plans.
Road closures mean you have to be adaptable with your plans.
Four wheel drives were a popular choice for other tourists.
Four wheel drives were a popular choice for other tourists.

The wind, cold conditions, and rugged terrain were hindering me in my quest to see the lights as I then got caught in several snow storms.

After coming out of the snow storms, sitting in the freezing cold was only possible for several minutes and despite my best efforts, I was unable to see anything through the camera.

Unbeknownst to most people, the lights are rarely seen with the naked eye with a camera lens normally being the best way to see them.

I caught a very weak green glow in the late afternoon peering through the clouds after a snow storm but the resulting snap from my phone out of the window while parked was rather unappealing.

The horses of Iceland are used to difficult weather.
The horses of Iceland are used to difficult weather.
Skogafoss waterfall.
Skogafoss waterfall.
A couple run along the Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach.
A couple run along the Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach.

The weather in the mid-north was better and I hit the Hauganes Hot Pots, Hofsós Pool for a lovely dip, and Hvítserkur.

But by the time I got into better weather conditions, it was Tuesday night and I was in an area where cloud cover was dense.

I had given up hope with the upcoming weather forecasts of seeing the lights and headed west towards the western fjords in one of the remote parts of the country.

The 1973 DC3 wreck at sunset.
The 1973 DC3 wreck at sunset.
The plane wreck is a popular destination for tourists and photographers.
The plane wreck is a popular destination for tourists and photographers.
The Sólheimasandur DC3 plan wreck is around an 8 mile round trip hike.
The Sólheimasandur DC3 plan wreck is around an 8 mile round trip hike.
A couple set up to photograph the plane wreck during sunset and possibly hoping to catch a glimpse of the northern lights.
A couple set up to photograph the plane wreck during sunset and possibly hoping to catch a glimpse of the northern lights.

Luckily for me, Iceland provides plenty of iconic shots from the 1973 DC3 crash which I photographed extensively to natural landscapes and wild frontier shots.

I aimed for the bird cliffs of Latrabjarg and I got there in the late afternoon on Wednesday after driving six hours.

DC3 crash from 1973, a popular hike for visitors.
DC3 crash from 1973, a popular hike for visitors.
A ship wreck in the Westfjords.
A ship wreck in the Westfjords.
Seljalandsfoss waterfall.
Seljalandsfoss waterfall.
Horses have taken over a house in Eastern Iceland.
Horses have taken over a house in Eastern Iceland.

The weather was beautiful and there were golden beaches that rivalled my native Australia but the roads were horrendous and reminded me of driving in Nepal.

There are few guard rails in Iceland and you need to have your wits about you when driving in the mountainous regions.

Being winter, there were also not many birds and I had to settle for petting the beautiful Icelandic horses.

Before heading out to the western peninsula I had filled up with petrol, there were a few self-service fuel stations but they did not accept international credit cards.

An inquisitive Icelandic horse.
An inquisitive Icelandic horse.
Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach.
Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach.
From snowfields to golden beaches, Iceland had it all.
From snowfields to golden beaches, Iceland had it all.
A pretty scene in the Westfjords Region.
A pretty scene in the Westfjords Region.

By the time I got back onto the national highway, I was down to around 250km of fuel which may seem like a lot but the petrol stations are quite far apart in Iceland.

I had 30 minutes to get back to the petrol station I had filled up at earlier in the day before it closed.

With the campsite an hour in the opposite direction and a fuel station that would be open there in the morning, I decided on the latter.

On my second last night in Iceland, I limped into the campsite, extremely tired, around 11pm.

Aurora Borealis with a few campers in the foreground.
Aurora Borealis with a few campers in the foreground.

A group of Mexican backpackers were standing in the middle of the site with their phones out and quickly confirmed that they could see the aurora.

I had only a several-minute window to set everything up and try to take photos of the event.

A close up of the Aurora Borealis.
A close up of the Aurora Borealis.

With a dozen or so people moving around in the foreground and middle ground in front of me, this didn't do me any favours with my shutter wide open and their movement created an unwanted blur.

The northern lights caught north of Reykjavik.
The northern lights caught north of Reykjavik.

However, I had managed to capture the Northern Lights in what was a chance opportune small window, and while the images aren't going to win any Pulitzers — I am happy to say that I managed to cross another goal off the bucket list.
I can safely say that the northern lights were a nice bonus to the beautiful landscapes and photographic panoramas the country had to offer.



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