It is primarily the dogs that have made the Kreek family move to Kokträsk.
Martin and Kairi Kreek and their children Kristen, 10 and Kert, 8, last summer moved from the village of Atla, which is in the Estonian county of Rapla, to Kokträsk. They also brought their 16 Siberian huskies. And it is primarily the dogs that have prompted the move.
– We simply wanted a real winter so that we can train the dogs properly. Last winter we had no snow at all in Estonia, says Martin Kreek who competes with the dogs in tough drafting dog races around the Nordic countries.
When they found the house in Kokträsk on Hemnet they did not hesitate. They had to quickly sell their house in Atla and moved to Sweden before everything around the property deal had been settled.
– We rented a house in Idre where we had the possibility of keeping the dogs before everything was in place and we could move into the house in Kokträsk, says Kairi Kreek.
”I take the visitors into the forest for 24 hours or several days. Then they’ll get to learn how the body reacts mentally and physically when they come out of their comfort zone”. says Martin Kreek.
With help from his family Martin Kreek built a kennel on the farm in Kokträsk where they could keep the dogs and when it was finished in the summer of 2022 the family moved into the house.
In Estonia they also had an experience-based company in which Martin has specialised in survival courses as a side-business. He was head of a department within the emergency services and also taught at the university in Tallinn while Kairi Kreek worked with development of the Estonian police’s brand.
In the kennel the Kreek family keeps 16 Siberian huskies.
– I still work part-time for the police remotely but when we have got our company started properly here in Kokträsk I’ll probably stop working for the police, Kairi Kreek says.
Many people thought they were a little bit mad who chose to break up from a life with a stable economy to go for a new totally uncertain future in Lapland.
”I still work part-time for the police remotely but when we have got our company started properly here in Kokträsk I’ll probably stop working for the police”, Kairi Kreek says.
– But for us all the boxes were ticked when we found the house in Kokträsk where we can live our dream life. The alternative for us would have been to sell our dogs and they’re a very important part of our lives, says Martin.
After they moved, Martin chose to lay low with the business plans until they had ensured that the children were settled in the new home country.
Martin Kreek competes with the dogs in long-distance races.
– They were really quick to find new friends here and Kert who was quite withdrawn in Estonia has now flourished here properly, says Kairi.
She and Martin thinks that Kert’s positive development largely is due to the school in Malå being better than the one in Estonia.
– In Estonia everything is very strict while here the teachers see the children as individuals and accept the pupils the way they are, Kairi observes.
”We simply wanted a real winter so that we can train the dogs properly”, says Martin Kreek.
So now it is full steam ahead with the newly started company Wildland Trail AB and the first survival courses have been booked.
– I take the visitors into the forest for 24 hours or several days. Then they’ll get to learn how the body reacts mentally and physically when they come out of their comfort zone, says Martin.
In addition to fixing food the participants get to experience different challenges in the forest such as crossing streams and climbing mountains.
Kairi Kreek and Martin Kreek have a great passion for Siberian huskies.
– In Estonia I worked a lot with team building for companies where they got to learn how to keep calm in stressful situations. I’ll continue with that here too, Martin says.
In addition to the survival courses he also brings guests on shorter hikes in the forest.
Kairi and Martin Kreek in front of the house in Kokträsk.
– We also have a concept in which the guests get to learn what it is like to be a dog handler and get to come with us backstage to the kennel, Martin Kreek concludes.