15 June 2016 Dear Parents Thank you to those who attended the parents evening; as promised I have now got a final update on the Geography and Science department trip to Iceland. Please find enclosed a brief outline of our intended itinerary and also an OV5 form that needs to be completed and returned by Wednesday 22 nd June. Thank you for sending in your child s passport and EHIC cards. I have records of this information for security reasons; however, please be aware that they MUST have their passports and EHIC cards on them to travel. A brief itinerary for the Geography and Science Iceland Trip 2016 The following itinerary is a brief outline of our intended trips for each day, due to variable weather conditions etc we will need to have a degree of flexibility and some days may be altered or changed around. Depart from Fairfield High school for Luton Airport at Midnight Sunday 3 rd July to catch Easyjet flight EZY2295 at 06.35 for Keflavik arrive 08.35. Luggage allowance is 20kg for hold and 8kg for hand luggage. Dimensions for hand luggage bags are as follows: no bigger than 56cm x 45cm x 25cm In hand luggage students will need their passport, EHIC, money, any medication, swimming costume and towel. Please remember that there should be no liquids or sharp objects. A checklist is available on the Easyjet website. Student handbooks, which are heavy, can go in the hold as we will not be using these until we arrive at the hostel. Our first included meal will not be until lunchtime so please can you send a packed breakfast or English pounds to buy a meal deal on the plane which is usually around 7.00.
On Monday When we arrive we will first visit the Blue Lagoon. This amazing lagoon is a unique, mineral-rich lake, formed from geothermal seawater. Five to six million tonnes of fluid, containing two thousand tonnes of silica are released into the lagoon each year. The blue-green algae and white silica mud give the lagoon it s milky, aquamarine colour and provide a natural source of minerals which are renowned for their therapeutic properties. The lagoon has an average temperature of 37 C. Krýsuvík geothermal area (mud puddles) Hellisheidi Power Station The Hellisheiði Geothermal Power Plant began producing electricity in 2006. It was only after much exploratory drilling that was it decided that this area had the potential, economically, to be the site for a major power plant. The power plant s purpose is to meet increasing industrial and domestic demand. On Tuesday Heimaey day In 1973, the island of Heimaey (the only inhabited Westmann Island) awoke to a volcanic eruption that threw out vast amounts of tephra (ash and dust) and lava over a 5-6 month period. The dramatic 1973 fissure eruption threatened to close down the fishing harbour. On arrival at the Heimaey ferry terminal, the group will guide themselves to the Eldfell volcano and down to the harbour area. On Wednesday Þingvellir Rift Valley Þingvellir is one of the most important sites in Iceland, both historically and geographically, thus becoming the location of the Alþing which began in 930. Nowhere else in Iceland is the rift between the European and North American plates more obvious, with long deep cracks running from the north-east to the south west giving the landscape the appearance of a crevassed glacier. The greatest of these rifts is the Almannagjá. Geysir Geothermal area Whilst at the Geysir Centre you are able to see Strokkur Geyser (Icelandic for Churn) erupting every 6 to 8 minutes with its boiling water emerging from the ground and shooting its water skyward to a height of 15 metres. Nearby is the Great Geysir, once inactive but since the June 2000 earthquakes, it now erupts twice a day. Around this thermal area there are steam vents, boiling springs and beautiful turquoise blue pools.
Gullfoss Waterfall Gullfoss (The Golden Waterfall) is Iceland's most famous waterfall. It is located on the mighty glacial river Hvita (White River). The enormous white glacial cascade drops 32 metres into a narrow canyon, which is 70 metres deep and 2.5 kilometres long. Its spectacular two-tiered cataract hangs in the air like fine drizzle, which in turn forms a rainbow in the sunlight. Firstly go to the Upper Viewpoint for a grand overview of the spectacular waterfall. You can then follow the walkways and paths to the various vantage points. Friðheimar tomato greenhouse farm A geothermal greenhouse that grows tomoatoes. Kerið Crater The explosion crater Kerid is the northernmost one of a crater row called Tjarnarholar, which together with the surrounding lava field dates back 6000 years. In the late 19 th Century a concert was held on a raft on the crater pond with the audience sitting in the grassy slopes inside it. On Thursday Stora Dimon The Stora-Dimon is a small volcano that rises dramatically 78m above the flat sandur outwash plain. From here you have a view towards the interior, across the braided Markarfljot River and the Mordalsjokkull Icecap and, on a clear day, it s hanging glaciers. To your southeast are the Westmann Islands and Heimaey. Seljalandsfoss waterfall In the river Seljalandsá the Seljalandsfoss is a waterfall spilling from the high Basalt Cliffs, as a result of isostatic rebound of the land and its lava flows. It is 40 metres high with a foot path behind it at the bottom of the cliff, but with a thin cascade. It is the only known waterfall of its kind, where it is possible to walk behind it Skógafoss Waterfall The impressive 60 metre-high Skógafoss is the greatest attraction in the Skogar area. As the waters thunder down into the pool below, huge amounts of spray react with the sunlight to create a myriad of rainbows for all to see. Black Glacier the Sólheimajökull This massive black glacier comes from the Myrdalsjökull icecap and is extremely impressive. Towards the snout various moraines and moraine ridges are crossed with kettle hole lakes. One of the dominant features of the glacier are the dirt cones that cover the lower snout area.
Vik Vík in Mýrdalur is Iceland's most southerly village. Vík is the only seaside settlement in Iceland left without a harbour due to natural circumstances. Nevertheless Vík's inhabitants go fishing with the help of their amphibious boats, which enable them to drive, literally, out to sea. The natural beauty of the area is spectacular and just east of the village's outskirts lies one of Europe's biggest arctic tern breeding grounds. On Friday 6.00 am leave hostel to catch plane at 10.15hrs: Easyjet flight EZY2296 departs for Luton Airport arriving at Luton at 14.10hrs. We will be returning to school for 6.30 pm. Please be aware that flights may be delayed or we may get stuck in traffic; if this happens we will contact you with as much warning as possible to let you know our new ETA. Hostel information We will be staying at Husid Guest house, 861 Hvolsvollur, Iceland tel 003548923817 (please only use this number in emergencies) School contact number 01981550231. School can contact staff should you need to get a message to staff in Iceland. Although most things are paid for souvenirs, extra drinks and sweets will need to be paid for by individuals. Please get currency exchanged to Icelandic Kroner; we have found that the post office has been a reliable and quick service. Students will be responsible for their own money. Iceland has a very low crime rate but students are advised to keep money spread around their person. In Iceland as in most Scandinavian countries it is considered extremely rude to wear outdoor shoes indoors and therefore students will need slippers or slipper socks with grips to wear inside hostel. European travel adapters will be needed if students are bringing an electronic device. Many students will have these already and if they don t have one they should check with their friends to see if they can share. If students have prescribed medicines please make sure that the medicine is clearly labelled with instructions of dosage etc. We will collect in medicine at the hostel and give as directed. Many students suffer with travel sickness, please give medication to your child to hand in to staff to take to help relieve this (we will be on buses/planes/ferries). Please do not send any other medication, if you are happy for your child to have paracetamol and for staff to give please indicate on the letter, there is no need to bring paracetamol. Please can I remind you to check that vital clothing eg waterproof jacket/trousers/walking boots are in good condition. There will be numerous opportunities to go swimming as it is a big part of Icelandic culture. There will be a daily update on the Rayburn tours website blog page.
Please see the following link http://www.rayburntours.com/education/blog/ the trip will be run by Cath Close and it is her blog that you will see. (There are current blogs on there at the moment if you would like to see what other schools get up to). We shall also send photographs and updates to be uploaded on the school website. If you have any queries of questions please do not hesitate to get in touch Yours sincerely Mrs Helen Rodgers Geography teacher Miss Vicki Harold Science teacher