I went solo today on an adventure called ice fishing and snow mobiling with a tour company called Safartica. Headed into town on our now usual walk (1.5km on the snowy/icy path) to the office and got dressed in the extra warm clothes! Some challenges getting the right sizing of both boots and overalls...wishing the left shoulder wasn't quite as dodge!!!

Anyway, walked down to the frozen river for a quick lesson on how to drive the snow mobiles and off we went. It was quite a tricky new skill. The front "skis" have spikes that move through the snow and there is a rear track like a caterpillar track that spins creating drive. The first 15-20 minutes we were travelling along the frozen river. Since there have been some warmer days, some of the surface ice had been cut up a bit by other users and then had frozen hard before today. That caused the snow mobile to pull suddenly from side to side a bit and made steering a bit tricky. Once I learned to try and be relaxed and go with it, without getting thrown almost off the saddle, it was a bit easier.

My visor got wet then the water froze too, so I needed to have it up the whole time...cold eyeballs!!! We turned off the river and made our way across country along a road/track similar to the Gibb River Road in WA, except it's harder to see than normal corrugations when it's all white! Still fun.

After about an hour we arrived at ice fishing, as it started snowing. Very pretty. We learned how to use the auger to drill the hole, then how to let the lure sink to the bottom and then bring it up to about 10cm from the bottom and jiggle a bit. Wait for a nibble then draw it up to make the fish strike. Since it was winter, the fish aren't very active so if there wasn't a bite after a few goes, then time to drill a new hole. I had a few nibbles but couldn't hook the fish.

Kept at it for about an hour then back on snow mobiles to a forest yurt where my guides made a delicious soup (veges, spices, cream, herbs, Finnish cheese, reindeer meat, salt and pepper.) Along with it was a local potato based bread and some hot juice. Lovely by the birch log fire. I also had a solo guide session while it was cooking (the other people in the group weren't keen for extra) which was scenic fun.

As the sun set and twilight dwindled we snow mobiled back to Rovaniemi. The guide was happy to change my setting from learner to regular so I could go fast on the way back. Not supposed to but said i was obviously a good driver and so wouldn't crash (and therefore he and I would be in trouble). Extreme fun.

Back to the office and changed into my regular clothes and a walk back home. Felt pretty wrecked...a physically demanding day out really.

After tea, the aurora app buzzed so at about 9pm I looked outside our window and yep, nice aurora clearly visible. At the temp had clearly dropped, I tried to put enough clothes on the get by for a little while at least. Went out and across the road to a nearby park where Bronnie took her pics the night before. A great display of the strongest night shows I've seen. Even got some video to show what it looks like before being enhanced by the phone camera. Very cool (and very cold on un gloved hands at night). Collapsed into bed eventually...slept soundly, but another great day as we near the end of our Scandinavian adventures! Bittersweet. Definitely excited about the UK leg of the trip but nostalgic about the amazing sights, sounds, smells, foods, places we've visited and seen on the epic adventure so far :)