Iceland Trip

After a six month delay due to COVID, we saw the successful launch of the science trip to Iceland over October Half Term, from Monday 31st October to Friday 4th November. Mr Jeavons shares his account with us…

It was a truly unique and special educational experience that the students shall not soon forget. We were fortunate with the weather and blessed with clear skies; thankfully, it wasn’t too cold either! 

Monday 

The trip started with a visit to the Perlan: Wonders of Iceland museum, which was a tantalising taste of what to expect for the week ahead. We watched an educational film in the planetarium, explaining the science behind the northern lights, and explored the world’s first indoor ice cave.

Tuesday

We ventured to the Lava Volcano and Earthquake Centre where we learnt about different types of volcanoes and eruptions and were treated to a live lava show! Each student was gifted some cooled lava as a souvenir. We then visited various magnificent waterfalls and explored an area of Iceland known as “The Golden Circle”. 

Wednesday

Students learnt about sustainability at the Solheimar Eco village, and what is needed for life at the Fridheimar Tomato greenhouses, where tomatoes are grown year-round; we were even treated to tomato ice cream!

Thursday

We visited a geothermal power station, where the students learnt how Iceland manages to be a low-carbon economy through their clever uses of natural resources. It was then on to the geothermal park, where we ate egg and bread that had been cooked in the ground, using only the energy of the Earth!

We then walked and explored the inside of a lava tunnel, and were introduced to a new bacteria that is unique to the interior walls of these tunnels, a very recent scientific discovery

Afterwards, we journeyed to the Flyover Iceland ride simulator, where students realised we had only scratched the surface of this magnificent island.

Our final evening in Iceland was by far the highlight of the whole trip for most. We were treated to the most spectacular northern lights, where ionised particles from the sun interacted with the Earth’s magnetic field to produce a sky of dancing green bands, which many students found emotionally moving.  

Friday

After a full week of activities and some early starts (some students commented that they had never seen 6:30am before), it was time for some rest and relaxation in the world-famous Blue Lagoon.