We slept soundly at the ferry port, waking up refreshed and buzzing with anticipation for the crossing ahead. Overnight, a fresh queue had sprouted beside us, and by the time boarding began, there were three lines of eager travellers.

The ferry ride to Senja took about an hour and 40 minutes, and it was a scenic journey. As the ship rolled with the ocean swell, the rugged, snow-capped peaks of Senja came into view.

We arrived, and were blown away by how beautiful and calm this place is. And dare I say it… it’s much nicer than Lofoten! We drove through many tunnels today, and they didn’t bother me as much as I expected. The longest one was 2.2 kms, and this was the worst. It was windy and narrow, and no ventilation so it was also smelly.

We tried to track down some hikes using the AllTrails app, but it sent us on a wild goose chase to places with no clear paths. So we stopped at a secluded beach and had an afternoon nap instead.

Later, we drove on until we stumbled on a gorgeous spot overlooking a frozen lake, one of the most serene and beautiful spots I’ve ever seen. Unfortunately, we weren’t allowed to camp there.

Tonight, we’re camping just outside a tunnel, with a lake and mountains sprawled out before us. We’ll explore more tomorrow, before continuing our journey north.

As beautiful as the Lofoten islands are, we decided they are too busy for us. So we’re getting off! Today we drove to the ferry at Fiskebol (which I think translates to fish bowl) and caught the ferry to another lot of islands. We drove along these for most of the day, admiring the different scenery. It was less dramatic and more jagged hills, and sleepy little farms. But it was nice for a change.

The weather was cold and wet for most of the day, so we just kept on driving through the misty landscape. Late in the afternoon, we found a quiet, free camping spot next to a white sandy beach, and settled in for the night.

We want to go to Senja island, which is supposed to be as nice as the Lofoten islands, just less touristy. This involved catching another ferry. There’s just one catch. When I looked at the times for it, I noticed it only goes twice a day. Once in the morning and once in the evening. So I decided we’d be better off driving the extra 30 minutes to the ferry terminal and camping there for the night.

So we packed up and moved on. When we arrived, we weren’t alone. A neat line of campervans had already beaten us to it, everyone else having the same idea. So here we are, parked up in the queue ready for the morning ferry. It doesn’t get much easier than that!

What a difference a day makes. Yesterday we had blue skies, sunshine, everything perfect. Today? Cold. Wet. Grey. And neither of us could be bothered with it. So we stayed put. In the van. ALL day. Didn’t even open the door.

We’ve been going pretty hard for over three weeks now, with only one real rest day when we got snowed in. So this felt earned. And the weather wasn’t tempting us to do anything else.

The upside? I made good progress on my next video. No idea what Mike did all day – probably plotted new ways to beat me at Monopoly Deal.

We really need more games. We’ve only got chess and Monopoly Deal. I prefer chess as it requires some actual skill. As for Monopoly Deal, Mike always gets the Deal Breakers and “Just Say No” cards. I’m convinced the deck is cursed. I’d like to say he cheats, but that’s probably more my skill.

We ran the diesel heater most of yesterday, so we dropped to 78% on our 200 amp hour system. Still plenty left and we could easily go a few more days off-grid, even without sun.

For lunch we had soup and garlic bread, and for dinner we had pizza! Well, it was a wrap cooked in the fry pan with bacon, cheese and mushroom and folded over like a calzone. But it was still yummy. I really need to eat some vegetables. Diet starts tomorrow!

The scenery on Lofoten is just WOW. Unfortunately, everyone else thinks so too!

There was a hike I wanted to do today, it’s supposed to be the best hike on Lofoten. Unfortunately everyone else had heard about it too! We knew we needed to get up early if we wanted to avoid the crowds, so starting a hike at 10am was entirely our fault. And it was a very steep hike, up 2000 rocky steps. About ¾ of the way up, we were both overwhelmed by all the people and it became quite dangerous on the steep steps, and one guy even fell. So we bailed and headed back down before we had to battle the hoards that had gone ahead.

The scenery on the drive today was absolutely amazing. I love the contrast of the red timber villages, coastal scenery and dramatic cliffs towering at every turn. We tried to do another hike that was recommended, but the parking lot was full and cars and vans were driving around and parking haphazardly causing mayhem. And from experience, if the parking lot is THAT full, it won’t make for a very peaceful hike. So we aborted that walk too, and drove down some side roads. And this is where we found the magic.

We followed a narrow gravel road, which was barely wide enough for our van. I daren’t think what would happen if we met someone coming towards us. There were a few pull-offs which would have required reversing up, but thankfully it didn’t happen. At the end of the road was a charming village and some epic views over the ocean, the fjord and of course, the mountains! We found a pull-off and paused to take in the view and soaked up the calm. It felt like a small escape away from the madness of the main road, where campervans were behaving badly.

The road was an in and out, but we didn’t care. It was equally as nice heading back. We spent the rest of the day tiki-touring off the main roads, down little side roads. Massive mountains, turquouise water, white sandy beaches, and a blue sky backdrop made everything look picture perfect. I imagine it would like completely different on a rainy overcast day.

We drove through three unavoidable tunnels and they were all under 2km and I had no problem with the first two. The third one, which was 1800m, was scary. And not in a claustrophobic way. It was super-narrow, faintly lit and the centre line looked like a child had drawn in it chalk. And as I’m sitting on the wrong side of the car, I was in the hot-seat facing the traffic coming at me. And they weren’t coming slowly either. A gigantic bus barrelled on down, missing us by mere cms! It might be an exaggeration but that’s how it felt. I was more than pleased to get out of there. I might even have some funny GoPro footage of the trip (with a lot of swearing!).

That was our last tunnel for the day, so we continued our tiki-touring off the main roads, still in awe by the incredible scenery. I imagine it would look completely different on a rainy overcast day. Finding somewhere to sleep for the night proved a bit trickier. Most places are paid, but on the back roads there were a few pull-offs, most of them right next to the road. I didn’t like this idea. But eventually we found a scenic spot with a bigger pull-off with mountain scenery on one side and the sea on the other.

In Norway, the freedom camping rules are simple. You can camp anywhere as long as it doesn’t say you can’t, and it’s at least 150 metres from a house.

Rain is forecast for the next few days, so there will probably be less bragging about how beautiful it is here!

Latitude: 67

Well, our plans have changed yet again. This is why we only have vague plans.

We had a really good night sleeping in the snow at the Arctic circle centre. With internet access and a warm indoor space to work, we spent the morning catching up on things, prepping my next vlog, and planning the route ahead.

At this stage we were still heading north, avoiding the Lofoten islands. But on further investigation, I realised there were a LOT of tunnels heading north. Some really big ones too. And there were only a couple of long tunnels leading to the Lofoton ferry at Bodo. So, we decided to go that way after all. Then I did my “zoomie map” trick and spotted a minor road with no tunnels! Of course, Google didn’t want to send us that way, so I picked out a few small towns along the route to force it to cooperate.

This route took us up and over the mountains, climbing right into the snow line. The road wound its way through a white landscape with snow still blanketing the ground. It felt like driving through a winter postcard, even though it was late spring. The views were breathtaking with endless layers of jagged peaks and frozen lakes and every turn revealed something new and beautiful.

So once again, my tunnel phobia is making our decisions (someone’s got to) and sending us on the most amazing routes. We stopped and had lunch at a beautiful viewpoint overlooking a small town. On our way down the other side, a warning flashed on our van’s dash. Our dipping bulb had blown. So when we arrived in Bodo, we found a Supercheap Auto equivalent and bought two (in case the other one blows).

We had no idea what time the ferry to Lofoten left, and we didn’t know how to find out. So we just rocked up to the ferry port at 4pm, just as they were loading the ferry. It couldn’t be this easy. Could it? We had no booking or anything. I asked the guy in the queue in front of us, and he didn’t have a booking either. He said they will take payment out of our ferry pass (which Mike did online a while back. It’s an automated system that reads your numberplate, then charges you. Works on toll roads too.)

They stopped loading the ferry at the guy in front of us, so we missed that one. But it didn’t matter, as there was another one at 6.45pm, and we were assured we’d get on board that one. Yay! So we had a couple of hours to spare. Mike tried to fit the headlights, but the guy had given us the wrong ones! So that sucked. But we had some dinner, played some chess, then it was time to board the ferry!

The ferry was flash and served sausages, so we ordered sausage and chips, which was really yummy. I’ll start my diet tomorrow. The sun was shining and it was a beautiful ride out of the harbour. The ferry crossing was a smooth 3 hours and 15 minutes, and no need for seasick tablets.

On arrival I was just so excited. It was 10pm, the sun still high in the sky, and the scenery was mind-blowing. Quaint little houses perched on the sea shore with mountains rising behind them. It was just what I expected of Lofoten!

We drove to the town of A, which is the southernmost town on the island, and only 8 minutes from the ferry. It was here we found all the other campervans parked up for the night, so we joined them.

We tried to do a hike around the lake, but it was a bit boggy, so we walked out to a scenic point, when the mountains plunged straight into the water. Then we walked into the village. This was where we saw the iconic red timber pole houses, reflecting perfectly in the water, mountains in the background. It was just stunning. And we were all alone, at midnight, taking in the beautiful views and the midnight sun which had dipped behind the mountains.

Km: 180

Lattitude: 66.33 – We’re at the Arctic baby!

Today we continued on driving north. As we crossed yet another ferry we were transported into the mountains again. How does that even happen? The drive was incredible, with snow covered mountains plunging straight into the fjord. 

We have changed our minds yet again. We have now decided not to go to the touristy Lofoten Islands, as it requires a long ferry ride which needs to be booked in advance, and this is impossible for us as we never know where we will be from one day to the next. So we have decided to explore the less touristy, but equally as beautiful, Senja Island. 

Today we climbed up and up into the mountains and we finally reached the arctic circle. This was a completely different experience from last year. Last year we were at the arctic circle sign, alone, dressed in singlets and shorts as it was so hot. This year, there are lots of campervans and the ground thick with snow, some of it taller than Mike!

But it’s no less of an adventure and we are loving it. We are camping at the Arctic centre, surrounded by snow with spectacular views of the mountains. We decided to spurge and ate at the restaurant here. We had the reindeer stew, which was very delicious, and I tried not to think about the reindeer family we saw yesterday.

Km: 382

Lattitude: 66

We had the best night in our camp spot overlooking the fjord. We expected other campervans to join us, but nobody did. We were all alone. But that didn’t last long.

Today, we got back on the tourist trail. A local we met a few days ago mentioned that Route 17 offers a scenic drive up to the Lofoten Islands, so we decided to take it since it’s less traveled than the main highways. It seems others had the same idea, though it’s not too crowded yet. I think most campervans just tend to gather around the ferry crossings.

A highlight of the day was seeing a family of reindeer. It’s my first time seeing one in real-life so that was super exciting. Dancer, Prancer and their baby Rudolph (named after the legend). Reindeer are different from normal deer as they all have antlers, even the baby ones. It was very cool!

Today’s drive was along winding coastal roads with multiple ferry crossings, weaving our way from island to island.  With each ferry ride, the scenery changed. From green fields and villages, to forests to rocky outcrops. The weather was all over the place. One minute we’d have rain, followed by brilliant sunshine.

All the supermarkets were closed as it’s Ascension Day. How come we don’t get a holiday for that? So we stopped at a service station for another bacon-wrapped sausage. The bread on this one was a bit stale, but it was still delicious. I must stop eating them!

Today we just drove, and drove. Most days we’ve been covering 100 to 200 kilometre, but today we clocked about 382. There wasn’t anywhere we felt like stopping, so we kept moving, with the ferry crossings giving us a chance to stretch and take a break.

At 9pm, we found a quiet camping spot at the start of a hiking trail. So what did we do? We went for a night hike! Ok, the sun doesn’t set until midnight, but it was still night time. Right? We only walked for about an hour, but it was nice to burn off all that pent up energy from sitting in the car all day. And we had a wonderful view over the seven sisters mountains.

We are now at latitude 66 which means we’ll be crossing into the Arctic soon. Exciting!

I am having trouble plotting a route from here as there are a lot of long tunnels coming up that seem to be unavoidable. Oh well.

Km: 138

Latitude: 63.79

We had a lovely nights sleep in our secluded spot overlooking the small lake. When we awoke this morning about 6 other campervans had joined us overnight, and a couple in a roof-top tent were parked next to us. So much for thinking we were in the middle of nowhere!

Today we meandered through quiet country roads, avoiding the main towns around the area. We stopped at a train crossing, excited to get some “different footage.” But the train never came. 

The barriers were down, so we were trapped. One by one, cars gave up and turned around, but not us. Oh no, we were committed. Either a train would come, or someone would fix the barrier. Neither happened. So eventually, we admitted defeat and took a dramatic detour up a massive hill. At the top, I looked back down at the crossing… and yep, you guessed it. The barriers were up. Typical.

I’ve been seeing these hotdogs wrapped in bacon everywhere and they look really yummy. It’s not the sort I think I’d normally eat, but they are on every ferry and in every service station, so I figured it’s the Norwegian equivalent of a meat pie. So I decided to order one to share. It wasn’t cheap, about $14, but we didn’t come to Norway for cheap. We came for the experience. 

The long sausage came in a short brioche bun, so sausage was hanging out each end. We weren’t sure of the correct etiquette to eat it, so we made one up. Mike and I tried taking a bite from each end at the same time. Big mistake. Not only did we look ridiculous, but cheese oozed out all over us! So I decided to eat my half first, while Mike watched on longingly. It was actually really delicious. Cheesy, hot-doggy, and bacony. I’ll probably have another one at some stage.

Then we caught another ferry. Everyone got off and turned right. We turned left. No idea why. Everyone else seemes to know where they were going. Meanwhile, we’re out here winging it, changing our plans daily and trusting our gut… or occasionally Google. The problem is, Google loves main roads. We don’t. But Google doesn’t really get that, so sometimes it refuses to show us any scenic alternatives until we’re there.

The road we followed was the 720 and it was narrow and beautiful. I turned off to a little place I saw on our app which sat on the edge of the fjord. We drove down even narrower roads in the pouring rain until we found the spot. It was only 2.30pm, but the location was so idyllic, we decided to stay the night. The sun came out and we were even able to sit outside for a while. It was so peaceful, just the sound of the stream trickling into the fjord, the birds chirping and a cuckoo doing his thing. 

I was still patting myself on the back for a job well done, when a man on a digger arrived and started taking stones from the stream and making piles and shattering our peace! It wasn’t too big a deal. We were inside by this time, and I was busy working on a video.

I expected other campervans to join us, but after the digger man went we were all alone. It seems like we’ve gotten off the tourist trail a bit. Just the way we like it!

Vestnes to South of Orkanger – 218

Lattitude: 63.3

Today we caught the ferry from Vestnes to Molde, but this was no ordinary ferry. It was a super fast and super quiet ferry. It was an electric ferry! They are able to recharge the batteries while the cars are embarking and disembarking. The ferries are also super flash complete with cafeterias and toilets. All for a 20 minute crossing! Norway is very much about electric cars here. Most of them on the road seem to be electric, and there are charging stations everywhere. I’ve never seen so many electric Mustangs in my life!

Today was a day of following the main roads as there is no other choice. We had about 3 or 4 ferry crossings, a few long bridges and one 750 meter tunnel.

The day turned out gorgeous, bright blue skies, and Mike was down to shorts and t-shirts. To avoid the main city of Trondheim, we turned off onto quiet country roads which then turned into a dirt road. It was about 3.30pm when we found a beautiful spot just off the gravel road, overlooking a small lake. We decided to call it quits for the day and had an afternoon nap. 

Then it started raining.

I did a bit more plot-planning, and it seems like we’ve changed our minds yet again. 

We’re not quite at the midnight sun yet. Sunset is currently at 11pm, and sunrise is at 3.40am.

Oye to Vetnes – 138 kms

Lattitude: 62.6

Remember that long, low rumble we heard echoing through the valley last night? We brushed it off as just another mountain doing mountain things. But this morning, a quick Google search turned eerie.

Exactly 117 years ago to the day, just five minutes up the road, there was a massive rockslide which blocked off the river completely. Within a few days, the entire village was completely underwater. The cold has kept it intact, like a ghost town frozen in time. 

We stopped and had a look. The lake was smooth like glass, with reflections so perfect it was hard to tell where the water ended and sky began. Near the shore, we spotted a brick wall just beneath the surface, and the outlines of old buildings made from bricks. It was strange and a little haunting. Apparently, people scuba dive here to explore what’s left beneath. We wished we’d thought to send the drone up. That would’ve been the perfect way to see it from above.

We carried on to the small town of Oye, where the sun came out and everything looked like it belonged on a postcard. A beautiful lake, towering mountains, and a really fancy hotel that looked like something out of a fairytale.

Even better, they had showers in the public bathrooms. Actual showers. So we each had a much-needed scrub, emerging slightly less smelly than before. We also did some laundry by hand, since laundromats, are more like a distant memory on this trip.

After our shower, it was really warm and I dressed in t-shirt and shorts. Then we caught the ferry onwards, and the weather turned cold and we were back to layers and puffer jackets.

We drove into a large town and both decided we needed coffee. Norway doesn’t seem to have a big cafe culture here like the rest of the world. We found a cafe in a mall that had wifi as I thought I’d better get a video up. We had a coffee but it was really bad, so we won’t be drinking coffee out again. I don’t know why, but I thought Norway might have had nice coffee.

After this, the day turned a bit ordinary. We were back onto more main roads, and even though the scenery was still beautiful, it felt less remote. We continued on towards Vestnes where we would catch a ferry to Molde, and it started raining quite hard. We found a pull-off to take a break, and ended up staying the night. It’s actually a nice spot with toilets and a dump station. It’s off the main road a bit, and we didn’t really hear any noise.

I spent the afternoon trying to plot a route without tunnels, but it’s easier said than done. I don’t know what I was thinking coming to Norway with a tunnel phobia, but I thought I had it under control. And I did, until we arrived here and were thrown into tunnel after tunnel with no warning. Now, my irrational fear is back. But, it has been leading us on some interesting adventures so far.