Sunlit fun from start to Finnish

There's something decidedly unnerving about being in a country where the sun doesn't set.

Sure, for the first few days my imagination ran wild with the prospect of an endless summer, but after 15 days in Scandinavia my body clock decided it was going on strike indefinitely.

So why did this lad from Geraldine decide upon Scandinavia as the destination of choice? Two reasons, actually; I was keen to explore beyond the traditional boundaries of Western Europe, and my brother's Finnish girlfriend had filled my head with tales of an exotic land (even more exotic than Christchurch) where Vikings once roamed freely and a lack of cellphone reception was unheard-of.

And so I flew in to the Norwegian capital of Oslo.

My tramping pack of winter clothes was rendered useless as I stepped off the plane into bright sunshine and 22degC, much to my surprise.

Oslo had a few surprises in store for me, as my carefully prepared euros didn't serve me too well in a country which deals exclusively in Norwegian kroner: once again a reminder that planning is everything when it comes to travel.

And boy did I need those kroner - a pint of local tap beer on the waterfront in Oslo will set you back NZ$21.50.

Needless to say, none of the boys was overly keen to shout a round in that neck of the woods!Despite the seemingly exorbitant prices everywhere, the locals assured me it was a great place to live and work.

Oslo was alive and kicking in early June as the population emerged from six months in the winter dark, which did not sound overly pleasant. (There are severe alcohol restrictions in place in Norway to prevent alcoholism in the winter months).

There is a strong sense of culture in the capital, as we visited places such as the Edvard Munch Museum (home of the famous painting The Scream), the originally named Viking Ship Museum (you'll never guess what's in there), and the Nobel Peace Centre, all of which were conveniently close to the town centre.

After the cultural and financial shock of Oslo, our tour headed towards the north of Norway, and we spent a glorious morning in Lillehammer.

Famous for hosting the 1994 Winter Olympics, Lillehammer is a small town still clinging on to the event as best it can.

It was wonderful to experience Olympic locations that had captivated the 8-year-old me, and when the opportunity to go bobsleighing on an Olympic track arose I jumped at the idea, without a second thought.

I now have delightful memories of my spine crushing into my tailbone under 3Gs of pressure at 120kmh, screaming like a little girl the whole way down.

When we reached the base of the track and had recovered sufficiently, the driver turned around and politely informed us that in Olympic events they can reach over 200kmh, and that my future as an Olympic athlete was decidedly doubtful.

At NZ$40 a run, this activity was a steal, especially considering the added value of three hours of Cool Runnings impersonations that took over the bus.

As we headed further north up the Norwegian coast, I felt as if we were driving into the centre of a New Zealand postcard.

The beautiful landscapes, spectacular fjords and exciting wildlife, while mesmerising, provided more than a touch of homesickness.

The mountainside village of Andalsnes was a real standout in a country full of wonderful overnight stays, and it was in Andalsnes that the sunlight started to become a major factor in sleep deprivation.

We were able to take a six-hour hike that left camp just after 8pm, watch a beautiful sunset at around 11.30pm, and still clamber down a reasonably treacherous mountain with plenty of natural light to arrive home at 2am.

To put it in perspective, midnight in the Norwegian spring is similar to 7pm in an Otago summer - great for all-night adventures, but not so flash for a healthy eight-hour kip.

Norway feels undiscovered, with a minimal population yet excellent landscapes and scenery that leave you constantly wondering what's around the next corner.

After more than a week on the road, we arrived in Nordkapp, the top point of Norway and also Europe.

Nordkapp (North Cape) is famous for its midnight sun: it is the one point in Europe where the sun doesn't disappear below the horizon at night.

While the midnight sun visitors' centre on the cliffs at Nordkapp was one of the most blatant tourist traps I witnessed in all of Europe, its location was ideal and the experience was worth every cent.

If you are a big fan of Christmas animals, then Norway will not disappoint.

Reindeer were as prevalent in northern Norway as dairy farms are on the Canterbury plains.

In fact, they had an unfortunately similar road-sense to possums, and it was not uncommon to hear the slamming of brakes and the tooting of horns as Prancer and Rudolph skittered across the road.

From the freezing highs of Nordkapp (three thermals, two T-shirts, two jerseys, one jacket and I still caught a cold), we headed across and down into Finland.

The trip from the northern border of Finland right down to Helsinki in the south can be summarised into two sights: forests and moose warning signs.