Mileage 113 from Rabjerg Mile Camping to Hvirvelkaergard Camper stop on 541 between Hurup and Als.
Parking Co-ordinates 56.76426, 10.28449
This morning we left Rabjerg Mile camping and headed for another building that the roving sand had claimed for it's own and that was Rubjerg Knude Lighthouse which was built in 1900. At that time the lighthouse was more than 200 metres inland so it's positioning probably felt quite safe, however as the years went by sand drifted around the tower and the houses belonging to it. Initially attempts were made to try and control this but the dune grew to proportions where the light could no longer be seen from the sea and part of the tower was completely buried, so in 1968 defeat was admitted and the building was decommissioned. Soon after that the dune began to move towards the northeast and away form the lighthouse leaving more of it exposed again - but danger still lurks - and that's because the cliff on which it stands is being eroded by 2 metres each year so eventually the tower will fall into the sea!
Next we aimed T4rdis2 at a place called Lille Vildmose which at 7,600 hectares is the largest raised bog and nature reserve in Western Europe, and the only one in Denmark. Besides loads of birds other animals that inhabit the area include a very large population of red deer, moose and wild boar - but of them, while we were there we were only fortunate enough to spot deer!
Apparently this is also the best place in Denmark for seeing eagles because since 1999 Golden Eagles have bred every year in the forests of Lille Vildmose, and the larger white tailed eagle has also established itself in the area - but we didn't have any luck in that department. We did however see loads of wading and water birds and that included several graceful cranes going for a paddle.
Once we'd completed our visit there our next objective was to find somewhere to sleep, and we thought we might be able to find a spot to wild camp - but OH NO! All the beautiful coastal parking areas displayed NO CAMPING signs, but in the end that did us a favour because we quickly located a camper stopover on Route 541 between Hurup and Als. It was behind a craft shop, and after being given a very warm welcome by the owners we pitched up in a lovely open grassed area that was surrounded by trees and all for the princely sum of about 12 quid. We had the whole place to ourselves so it didn't take us very long to put our feet up and crack a nice cool beer while we soaked up the very warm afternoon sunshine.
Wednesday 22nd August 2018 🌞🌞⛅⛅⛅🌞⛅
Mileage 25 from Hvirvelkaergard Camper stop to Rold Storkro Hotel
+ about 6 👣👣miles in 2 separate outings.
Parking Co-ordinates 56.82672, 9.81875
This morning, rather than rush away from our idyllic spot we decided to stay and go for a walk along a coastal path that ran beside the tranquil Kattegat Sea. In the morning sunshine it was really beautiful, and there were also several bridges/platforms where you could potter out over the calm waters. Additionally, to add to our pleasure there were several seating areas where we could sit and sip our morning coffee - but these were so plentiful I really needed more than one flask😎😂!
After a couple of hours we returned to T4rdis2 for lunch and then turned our wheels inland towards Rold Skov Forest where we were hoping to explore some of the many paths that traverse through the 8,000 hectares of gnarled beech, oak and pine trees.
Our guide book also told us that the area is supposed to be the domain of trolls, but in today's sunshine we were fairly certain we wouldn't meet up with any of those. Once we'd settled in (at a hotel that invites motorhomers to stay for free) we pottered off to see the Troldeskoven Tower but on the way we found a camping hut complete with fire making equipment that included a bow saw and an axe, however it didn't offer any of the comfort or refinement that T4rdis2 does so there was no chance of us staying there overnight!
Troldeskoven Tower is a tall wooden tower that has an open structure and a small base - therefore, as you climb up it sways quite alarmingly, and this can be made 'worse' if you stomp from one foot to the other right at the top! So - when John told me that the motion was giving him Vertigo guess what I did 😇😇😇😈!
From the very top your supposed to have 360 degree views of the forest - but I think that might only have been true about 10 years ago! Now the tall trees that surround it have partially obliterated the vistas but going up was still well worth the effort 😂😂
Thursday 23rd August 2018 ☁☁⛅⛅⛅⛅⛅
Mileage 84 from a Camper stop to Rold Storkro Hotel to Krakaer Camping in Djursland
Parking Co-ordinates 56.25251, 10.60237
This morning our first stop was only a very short distance down the road - it was The Rebild Bakker National Park. The Park originated in 1912 in a collaboration between Danes and American emigrants, and since then it's been kept as much as possible as a natural space with lots of hilly viewpoints that look out over the countryside.
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| The statue symbolises an emigrating family - a mother with a baby, a father and 2 older children all looking forwards - but Grandma was tucked in at the back and she was looking at what she was leaving behind! |
The landscape is mostly made up of pine trees, and moorland that is covered in purple heather, and it seems it has been left most undisturbed for over 100 years, however every year on the 4th of July (American Independence Day) festivities and celebrations take place, but today, apart from a few sheep, we seemed to have the whole park to ourselves so it provided a lovely place for a peaceful but sometimes challenging walk.
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| Wrong Spring😂😂😂 |
However, the terrain could easily have caught us out because the whole park is plonked on top of a chalk and limestone base, and many of the view points could only be reached by ascending a couple of hundred old rickety steps. So as we continued on from one huge mound to the next, many of the ways down were just steep slippery slopes, therefore unless very great care was taken it would have been quite easy to reach ground level much quicker than planned😱!! But John being the gentleman he is caught me when I stumbled so we both arrived back at T4rdis2 unscathed!
Once we'd finished in the park we continued our journey to the Djursland region of Denmark and this is likely to be home for the next 4 days while we explore the region and we'll let you know how we get on in our next episode
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Click here to see our Danish camping spots
