A farm girls' holiday for Paula and Georgie

Aherla dairy farmer Paula Hynes takes a break from the farm for an adventure in the Artic Circle - agri style, of course!

Paula and Georgie having a ball in the Arctic circle

My Dad died tragically in December 2019 and for all of us, Christmas was a bit of a blur that year. Dad was a huge part of our daily lives and there was never anything planned in the Hynes household without a full discussion with Grandad first.

We got through Christmas for the sake of the girls, but it was extremely difficult with a broken heart. We went from dealing with the grief, into two years of a covid stricken world so visits to meet Santa had been off the radar for three years.

Christmas is the most magical time of the year - yes, it can be tough missing those who are no longer with us, but it is important to make memories. 

To inject a little festive magic back into our household, my husband Pete booked a surprise three-night stay at the north pole for me and our youngest daughter, Georgie, in early December.

The thought of having her own little 'women in ag' adventure with mom excited Georgie just as much as the thought of visiting Santa did. 

Santa had two elves waiting for us at Dublin airport so they could guide us on an early Thursday morning flight to the North Pole. Yllastunturi National Park is over 1000sq/km in Northern Finland inside the Arctic circle, known for having some of the cleanest air on earth, with winter temperatures known to drop as low as –42C.

It truly was a magical place, the snow on the trees and the landscape was magical in its winter wonderland state, the dry air feeling a little less cold than we would feel in our damper climate at home. 

Snow-suited and booted on arrival, we were introduced to an Elf named Snowdrop, who filled us in on the adventures that lay ahead. The following morning we headed were able to get out on some snowmobiles, but our farm-girl hearts were really ignited when we realized we would get to work with animals. 

A team of husky dogs awaited us to take us on a sleigh trek through the wonderful woodlands of the national park. It is such a magical way to explore without the roar of a motorized engine.

As every farmer knows, being cool, calm and relaxed around working animals is key. Huskies love their job; they are so powerful, and able to reach great speeds, so bonding very closely with them is key for communication. 

A little fire pit is always a welcome sight at a pit stop in such extreme temperatures, an opportunity to warm our hands and a warm local berry drink before venturing further to have lunch at the base of the ski slopes. 

Knowing we were used to livestock, Snowdrop was keen to take us to Santa's reindeer training base.

Georgie meets the reindeers

Georgie's love of cows meant she fitted right in - she was able to use her stockmanship to gingerly cox the reindeer to say hello to her. Their antlers really are a thing of beauty, so grand and magnificent. 

With Pete back at home keeping the cows milked and fed, we decided to get him a present of a wonderful reindeer hide, in many ways, it was a present that was supporting local Finnish farmers who farm reindeer for meat.

We had a few hours before we were to head home, and we took the opportunity to take a spin to the top of the ski slope behind our hotel, where we enjoyed a hot chocolate - and the views were breathtaking.

Back home, it was straight into drying off the last of the spring calvers in preparation for a relaxing Christmas - of course, keeping the work to a minimum this week. And on that note, I would like to wish each and every one of you a truly magical Christmas.