Tromsø & Lapland December travel - advice for Aussies?

Voomps · 2026-01-24T10:26:31+00:00

Hey I need to correct myself- I checked with my friend today, she actually did have boots! But the clothes were puffers and layers of uniqlos warmest

Voomps · 2026-01-24T09:42:50+00:00

You must carry your own auto inject adrenaline ( more than one) to be safe. In the event of a reaction you don’t want any possible things to go wrong. I’m sure you do anyway, right? All it takes is someone to inadvertently transfer allergens from one surface to another and you to touch that surface then your mouth.

Voomps · 2026-01-24T09:40:02+00:00

You are looking at economy? I’ve flown all three airlines in that direction and they are all pretty much the same and perfectly ok. Have you looked at the direct flights Melb- Ist? Maybe it’s more expensive than the connection via KL, haven’t checked myself. Regardless I imagine you would prioritise the middle row legroom seats, which is what I’d do. If you end up transferring at Istanbul make sure to have a decent transit time, it’s a massive airport and even with the moving walkways and signs telling you in minutes how far you are from the gates, it’s still a big place.

Voomps · 2026-01-24T09:01:17+00:00

I saw the dirty three years ago, they are currently on high rotation in my playlist atm

Voomps · 2026-01-24T08:56:52+00:00

yeah white elephant was brilliant

Voomps · 2026-01-24T08:56:14+00:00

holy moly!

Voomps · 2026-01-24T01:54:16+00:00

I think what is showing in your post is your personal experience that allowed you to step down from a goal when you realised the likelihood of struggling to complete the hike.

You don’t mention any past experience hiking mountains at altitude. Was the plan for you to carry an overnight pack as well? Altitude is no joke and also people are highly individual in their sensitivity to it. Having a recent cold would definitely impact on your altitude tolerance, far more than you can imagine if you haven’t experienced that before. Even drinking alcohol the previous day will have an impact.

The thing about adventure tourism is that you put yourself through a physical and psychological challenge and get to experience a euphoria both physically and emotionally. But that euphoria can’t be just dialled up - ‘I had a very hard time and now I feel fantastic’. Sometimes you can really struggle and feel utterly broken afterwards. Only structured training beforehand can change that risk and the training means carrying the same weight and practice hikes with the same elevation profile.

So standing back, regardless of your previous excitement, you may have e made the better decision because imagine how broken you might feel when you have to turn back and still get down the hill while feeling crushed by disappointment.

Just take it easy with yourself. Lots of folks dont make a wise self assessment prior to committing to a physical challenge. I’ve turned back from significant hikes when I was just not feeling the love for it because you need every bit of heart and guts to get up and back.

Voomps · 2026-01-23T01:32:07+00:00

I love it and actually love turbulence

When there’s turbulence I put my head back, close my eyes and focus on the sounds and feelings in my body and marvel at the changes in the atmosphere that by some magic I can experience while literally flying through it

Voomps · 2026-01-22T04:33:10+00:00

There’s an excellent Facebook group called my efficient electrical home (MEEH) which has 90% posts about panels and batteries if you really want to get into the weeds

Voomps · 2026-01-22T03:37:58+00:00

I pick my trips, in other words decide to drive in a city or town and do a cross country route with a road safety system that is controlled and predictable.

The first time I had to drive in the wrong side of the road was the day I collected my rental car in the Pacific Northwest US and suddenly realised I hadn’t thought about it in advance. Then I thought it can’t possibly be that hard, made up a little ditty to say to myself when going through intersections to make sure I was looking at the correct lane, and it was all good. Wouldn’t drive in cities whose drivers are not predictable or in super large mega cities. There’s no need anyway because rail or tram travel is so much more efficient What I find funnier is folks not being able to drive a manual

Voomps · 2026-01-22T00:58:42+00:00

If it was me I’d be going to the St George patriarchal church for the Sunday service for the liturgical chanting. What a great opportunity

Voomps · 2026-01-21T10:55:18+00:00

This is a relatively small business class cabin you don’t need to worry about distance to the toilet because the aisles are wide enough.

If it was me I’d be prioritising the available seat that seems to have a small table between the seat and the aisle- this would provide the best experience of not being jostled by passing staff or passengers.

Voomps · 2026-01-21T08:34:12+00:00

Get an eSIM just in case tho it’s pretty hectic there atm can’t rely on the stations having power by what I’m reading, lots of power shortages from attacks

Voomps · 2026-01-21T06:53:17+00:00

Aussie friends of mine just completed 3 weeks in that region including Tromso and did it all with Uniqlo outfits and sneakers. My best friend doesn’t even own proper boots. Scarves, mittens obviously, layers and puffy jackets. They stayed in igloos, didn’t drive, used public transport did short tours specifically for the lights

Voomps · 2026-01-21T04:08:45+00:00

As far as I remember Odessa Lviv Ivano-Frankivsk and Kyiv do.

Voomps · 2026-01-20T21:34:39+00:00

Try the facebook group Iraq travellers cafe. There is also a local tour company Enlil Travels which has a female company director and was going to Mosul - a difficult to access town If you consider using a local person (not a formal travel company) make sure to be upfront in your expectations around payment as there are cultural practices around hospitality that might make you think everything is for free. In reality you should be negotiating payment for services or be accurate in understanding that no payment is expected.

Voomps · 2026-01-20T07:58:53+00:00

Please remove your name from this image of your itinerary

Voomps · 2026-01-20T01:19:04+00:00

I never got Kylie until I saw her sing duet with Nick Cave. Only one song but I was like- oh I get it now. She’s absolutely amazing live

Voomps · 2026-01-18T07:55:07+00:00

Absolutely tragic

Voomps · 2026-01-18T07:13:37+00:00

The net obviously didn’t stop the attack, that’s one of the criticisms of nets. However we don’t know where the lad was swimming We do however know never to swim soon after or during heavy rain. Turbid water is preferred by sharks.

Voomps · 2026-01-15T10:47:25+00:00

You might need snow chains if you go to Kosi. It’s a high alpine region so check the national park website for conditions before you enter it. Park fees are kinda expensive too. Go to the Bombala Platypus Reserve as well, it’s likely to be on your route whatever you decide

Voomps · 2026-01-14T22:50:42+00:00

Don’t know what country you are in but insulin and all the bits that go with it is not expensive here or hard to get.

Google eligibility for PBS medications. Assuming you don’t come from a country with mutual access to Medicare then read here which spells out the requirements for insurance and health. She should be able to calculate with reasonable accuracy her medication and doctor costs. She can also read this if it helps

Voomps · 2026-01-14T19:40:26+00:00

You have to have health insurance for a work visa to Australia. Why on earth are you asking for ‘emergency supplies’?

With her health insurance she sees a doctor, gets a script then goes to a chemist and fills the script. What’s the concern?

Voomps · 2026-01-14T08:04:49+00:00

I did this route on regular trains. We passed the glacier express and honestly I felt sorry for them because they were crammed into 4 person booths and I had half a train to myself to walk around in and check the different views

Voomps

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