GEO caching Farsund

Adam from Visit Sørlandet had a day out in a boat GEO caching in Farsund.

Geocaching (also written GEO caching) is an activity where people us a GPS to hide and seek containers called geocaches that are placed (sometimes hidden) in different places around the world.

The container usually has something in it, a gift, instructions on where to find the next one, toys etc. The general rule is that if you locate a geocache and take something from it, then you need place something in the box as an exchange.

It is getting more and more popular over the years and there are millions of people currently registered in the GEO caching datatbase.

Farsund is a perfect place to go geocache treasure hunting as there are many little islands and areas where they can be found.

I met with the tourist chief Ann Helen for a boat trip around the islands to place some containers and to find some. Our driver was Cecille Buch Boyer from Farsund Båt og Motor.

We started from the Farsund Harbour and drove to the Farsund Resort to have a chat to the staff. From there we went to Vikelen where we found a container at the top of a mountain overlooking the sea. 

The hike to the top took about 20 minutes and involved some steep climbing. 

We signed the book and added some things to it.

We also stopped at Skarvøytoppen which is a little island. There had not been a geo cach there, so we placed a little container with a guest book and some other things in it.

The next stop was Kveldsundet på Langøy where we placed another container. 

This little island has a fantastic set up for visitors. It is maintained by the local boat club so there is a grassed area, barbeque area and a little beach.

Katland Fyr (lighthouse) was the next stop where we hid a container which will be a little difficult to find, but with the correct GPS settings, no problem.

The final stop was Paradisbukta which is a popular place for the locals in Farsund during the summer months. It is a large island with a playground, barbeque areas but it can be difficult to get aplace to park the boat in the summer holidays. Get there early!

It was a great day out even though the weather was overcast and rainy. Take the kids for a little boat trip and geocaching adventure. If you do not have a boat, you can rent one from Farsund Boat and Motor.

There are also geocaches dotted around Farsund, the lighthouse and other places. Just get the app, login and let the fun begin! Dra på ferie til Farsund

Contact Farsund Båt og Motor to organise a rental boat:

FARSUND BÅT & MOTOR AS

Lundevågveien 10

4550 Farsund

Tlf: 38 39 18 70

E-post: kundeservice@farsundbaatmotor.no

http://farsundbaatmotor.no/

Cable water skiing Southern Norway

Adam from Visit Southern Norway went to Rixen cable waterskiing park in Flekkefjord.

I remember one of the first summers I spent in Norway, I visited the Rixen water sports centre in Flekkefjord.  It is on a large lake with a water skiing cable system that pulls skiers around the lake. There are jumps on the way and visitors can use skis, wake boards, surfboards, knee boards and some have even used their Stand Up Paddle Boards.

At that time I tried skis.

This year, my kids were keen to try it out. We drove along the E39 where you can stop at the top of a hill and take a picture of the waterpark.

We were a little early, so the kids made use of the sand volleyball area and the half pipe skate ramp.

We met the guys working there:

Shaun Huson  - Manager, Magna Gyr - Operator, Bendik Espenes - Instructor.

The guys are very professional and helpful. Shaun supervised the centre, Bendik talked the riders through the rules and Magna operated the cable.

My wife Julia was the first to try the cable on waterskis.

Levi then tried the skis...

And Jet went on the knee board...

I then had a go on the wakeboard.

It is a great workout and fun for the kids. I could hear my two boys screaming out for joy as they went. They want to come back as soon as possible.

You can rent skis, wake boards, knee boards, wetsuits, helmets and life jackets from the centre.

If you fall off, there is a boat that will come and pick you up.

Costs are:

Membership 200 kr

Membership family* 500 kr

1 hour 150 kr

3 hours 300 kr

All day 450 kr

Season card 3000 kr

Season card family* 5000 kr

Rental of wetsuit 50 kr

Dra på ferie til Flekkefjord

Contact Info

Rixen Waterpark
Selandsvegen

4400 Flekkefjord, Norway

Phone   38 32 23 23

Email     rixen@rixen.no

https://www.facebook.com/rixenflekkefjord

(website under construction) http://rixenflekkefjord.wordpress.com/

Norwegian info http://www.visitnorway.com/no/product/?pid=76782
English info http://www.visitnorway.com/en/product/?pid=76782

Rail bike adventure in Flekkefjord

Adam from Visit Sørlandet took his family to Flekkefjord for some adventure cycling.


You know the old movies where people are on a railway line on some sort of platform with a handle they move up and down to get speed? I used to see that in old Western Movies. Well, you can find a similar sort of thing in Flekkefjord.

Locally it is called Dresin sykling which translates to Rail Biking. There is about 20 rail bikes that are based in the city centre of Flekkefjord on an old railway track.

The track itself is not used by trains. The last train trip along the tracks was in 1990 for a New Years Eve celebration. Since then, it has become a tourist attraction where anyone can hire a rail bike. 

You need to be over 16 years of age to hire one and when you do you will receive a map, helmet, reflective vest, a little basket to put everything in and some torches. Why a torch you ask? 

Because there are 17 tunnels, the longest being 1.12 kilometres long. It is pitch black and cold in the tunnels, so a torch is a must.

(I noticed here that the tracks were made during the German occupation in World War 2. This section of track was made in 1941)

Anyway, I went there with my wife and 3 crazy little boys. They could not wait to get started.

We met the railway manager Carl Hjoren and he gave us the rules and a run down of the track. He is a very nice and friendly man who knows all about the railway track's history. The do's and dont's and what to expect. 

The journey is a total of 17 kilometres, but you can do it at your own pace and stop along the way. The start times are usually 1200 and 1600. At a slow pace, you can finish the journey in about 3 hours.

We used 2 bikes. My wife was on one with Jet who is 8 and Indy who is 3. I went on the other with Levi who is 7. Ours was a tandem bike so he could also use the peddles.

(As the picture suggests, check out the map...)

Going through the first tunnel, you instantly feel the cold. I guess the outside temperature was 20 degrees celcius and inside the tunnel was about 10 degrees. It was pitch black, and so we made use of the torches.

One thing you need to know is that it is up hill most of the way to Sira. It is not a steep climb, but rather a gradual one. You really notice this on the way back. It is quite easy.

We stopped a few times along the way to take some pictures and enjoy the scenery. 

You pass by rivers on both sides and then a large fjord. At some points during the trip, there are very steep cliffs and you can see almost straight down. You also go over small bridges and it is a fantastic experience. 

We stopped at the water tower that was used to fill the train tanks with water and had something to eat before going on.

It is an experience for everyone, both young and old. It is great exercise but it is fun at the same time so you really do not think about it as being difficult.

Some advice for families, take food and drinks with you. The kids will get hungry and thirsty. If it is hot, also take sunscreen.

For those fitness buffs, it is a great few hours workout if you want to do it at a constant 15kmh. Enjoy the scenery and experience whilst exercising.

There are signs everywhere with speed warnings not to go over 15kmh. This is very important especially around corners because it can get wobbly. There are also some points where you will pass over roads, so you need to be extra careful with cars and pedestrian traffic.

At the end of the adventure, we were all very happy and appreciated doing something different.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Here is a link to a website with more information about rail bike adventure in Flekkefjord.

Flipside Indoor Skatepark in Lista Farsund Norway

Adam from Visit Sørlandet visited Flipside skatepark with his kids.

My kids love to skate and love to go fast at everything they do. It can be a little scary sometimes. I had told them about Flipside Skatepark and they were keen to try it out.

It is run by Reidar who does a great job. Here is Reidar and his wife.

During the summer season, there is Flipside camp which includes all sorts of activities for the kids. As a result, the skatepark is open Tuesdays and Thursdays after 5pm for the general public. Other days and times, the people at the camp use it.

When the camp is not on, it is open everyday.

Like I said, my kids are a little crazy. The smallest is 3 and the other two are 7 and 8 years old. They are full speed from 0700 in the morning until 2100 at night, every night. So it is great that there are places like Flipside where they can get some energy out and meet other kids. When they are old enough, I will definitely be taking them to the Flipside camp. They are asking about it already.

The indoor skate area is MASSIVE. In fact it is the biggest in Scandinavia so they are repeatedly having world class competitions there.

Kids can ride BMX, skateboards and scooters there. As soon as my 7 year old saw the BMX bikes, he needed to have one. So he was off. The smallest used his little plastic motorcycle and the oldest used his scooter.

They had massive smiles on their faces. And did not want to stop, apart from an ice cream break.

When it was time to leave, they did not want to. So we had to stay an extra 30 or so minutes.

Prices are
4 hours 150 KR
8 hours 225 KR

You can find more info on Flipside Skatepark here.
 

 Flipside is a large skatepark in Farsund Norway