Discovering Northern Ireland
Day 4 – Thursday 4 July
Today we visited the Giants Causeway and learned about its geographical formation, alongside the myths and legends of how the famous World Heritage site came to be. From there, we travelled to Rathlin Island by ferry – thankfully having smooth crossings both ways! We had a tour of the beautiful island by “Puffin Bus” before visiting an RSPB Sanctuary where we watched nesting guillemots, puffins, razorbills, fulmars through binoculars. We also visited one of the island’s lighthouses – the one that is visible at night from our hostel back in Whitepark Bay. We then walked the 5 miles back down to the coast to catch our ferry, taking in the old churches, natural reservoirs, and beautiful green hills. After packing for home, we played “Capture the Flag” and other fun beach games.
Day 3 – Wednesday 3 July
We spent the morning exploring the rugged coastline at Carrick-e-Rede rope bridge, before lunch on the beach at Ballycastle. En route to our afternoon activity, we stopped off at The Dark Hedges, a beech tree-lined walk that has been the setting for the TV show Game of Thrones and the film Transformers. We then spent a few hours swinging through a forest in a treetop assault course, before hydro-zorbing down a hill! An adrenalin-fuelled and fun afternoon!
Day 2 – Tuesday 2 July
Happy Birthday, Pravin! We celebrated with an exciting day on the beautiful beach of Portrush, right next to the world famous golf course that will be the setting of next week’s Open Championship. We played beach games and learned to body surf in the Atlantic waters, very grateful for our wetsuits! We then learned to rock climb and abseil off the cliffs of Ramore Head, overlooking both Donegal in the Republic of Ireland to the west and the Scottish Isles in the distance to the east. In the evening we played a relaxed game of football on the beach before watching the film “Titanic” before bed – in readiness for Friday’s trip to the Titanic Museum in Belfast.
Day 1 – Monday 1 July
We arrived safely at the Whitepark Bay Youth Hostel near Ballycastle, after a fun afternoon exploring Belfast City Centre following a historical treasure trail. Sites included the Botanical Gardens, Queens University and City Hall.
To relax after dinner, students enjoyed playing on the beach, and some even braved paddling in the freezing sea. We are looking forward to a day of adventure activities tomorrow.
