The first carvings were cut into the rock when the sea level was between 8 and 26m higher than today, but the land rose as the north European ice cap withdrew, exposing new rock surfaces to the carvers. The red paint is done by archaeologists to make it easier for the untrained eye to see the carvings. After a 2 hour or so stroll around the boardwalk, we had a brief look around the museum, which shows various artefacts from the region; axe heads, re-constructed boat models taken from rock carving pictures, copies of fish hooks etc.

We returned to the hire car to find Kate wandering around the car park. I had a sneaking suspicion she had seen the rock carvings as well and sneaked in her usual way. Her next destination was the city of Tromsø, which was where we would have liked to have gone to as well, but we did not have time to go there by now (maybe another time in winter to see the Northern Lights) so at this point, we went our separate ways as she put her back pack on to head for the nearest road to hitch another lift. Our next and final task was to get back to Tampere. Dropping the hire car back in Rovaniemi on the way. And so it was, my brother and I set south from Alta down the 93 road through forests, lakes and rivers until we crossed into Finland at a place called Kivilompolo. Finland has a lot of forest.  I repeat a lot.