Where we live in the heart of the Southern Alps in New Zealand, poking large logs into the log burner is an endless winter chore. The mountains had a good dusting of snow and it was only mid May, well May can be a bit like that. I knew worse was to come as winter hadn’t really officially started.

Throwing on a second merino top and tossing a beanie and gloves into my back pack, I was heading out for a hike in the mountains, answering the phone as I bounded down the stairs, wow! It was the agency I had been working with in Australia last winter. They were not only bragging about the lovely temps of 26C in Northern Queensland, but offering me a 9 week contract in the Tiwi Islands 90km off the coast of Darwin.

Now we are talking turkey! Tropical Islands – Northern Territory – spelt out warmth and endless blue skies. Could I be there in 5 days – well – yes, I quickly rang the husband who was taking the rich and famous out touring the high points of our area, he was 100% keen, so off I went out walking with the friends and of course regaling them with the latest developments.

Back home tired and hungry I jumped into over drive and booked air tickets to Brisbane, the agency took care of the rest of the travel arrangements. So all I had to do now was gather up some clothes and buy mountains of reading material, I was silently wishing I had one of those ‘Kindles’ and mentally put that on the list of things I really do need.

I put the Gortex Jackets, icebreakers, gloves and beanies in moth balls and ha ha let everyone in the world know where I was off to. I rushed around saying goodbyes to my 3 kids and 9 special grandchildren, I knew I would miss them heaps, but I have Skype on my computer and oh I love that Skype. The husband would follow at a later date when he got sorted.

Whew – Off to Brisbane – landed – swapped planes and on to Darwin, temps were about 29C there – de-lic-ious – a dive into the hotels swimming pool, dinner, a sleep over and away on Tiwi Air at midday to Nguiu on Bathurst Island. There are two islands, Bathurst which I was to be on, and Melville, with a 500m stretch of water between them – brilliant sparkling turquoise crocodile infested ocean, I heard it was also shark hunting ground.

Some of the old boys on the island told me tales of how they used to swim between the two islands when they were kids, in the days when crocodiles weren’t protected and good money was paid out for their skins. In fact I had recently seen a TV programme on the value of the skins, hand bags fetching the prices of waterfront apartments at Double Bay. Now that they are protected the crocodiles have gone forth and multiplied, hence the numbers are increasing hugely and are the number one hazard in the Northern Territory.

The 20 minute flight from Darwin landed at Nguiu airport where Kim, another agency nurse was there to meet me in the clinic’s white 4WD ute. Kim was the Kids nurse at the clinic, a Queensland girl who had been there for 3 weeks and said “Don’t you love it” after every sentence. Well I didn’t know if I did or not, but nodded and smiled and loved the enthusiasm and was definitely warming up to love it.

At the clinic I was introduced to everyone, god I shall never remember all these names, the boss was in Hospital, the only person that knew the finer points of the clinic was on holiday and possibly had the dreaded swine flu. I was literally thrown in and don’t you love it? My accommodation was a solid 2 bedroom unit with a great garden, bananas; paw paws lemons, hibiscus, frangipani and bougainvilleas of many colours dripping off the branches. Gums and bamboo, a nice fern garden and the best part, there was plenty of water from a fresh water bore.

About 300m away was a nice long beach and the dreaded crocodile infested stretch of water and where the tide waxed and waned and on the other side of my house was a beautiful 25m swimming pool beautifully landscaped, clean and inviting. I was going to be just sweet here.

So down to the local totally fenced in super market, littered with plastic bottles, dogs, kids, pushchairs and red dust, I was so glad I had bought my old runners. Inside the noise was horrendous everyone yelling in Tiwi at their kids, families and each other. The food seemed thin on the shelves and I was so stunned I couldn’t think or begin to search for the basics, at this stage it looked like the basic’s where Coca’ Cola and potato chips and those ‘coke’ bottles were moving out the door so fast a greyhound couldn’t compete.

So this was my introduction to Nguiu – scary – now I had to get a handle on the culture, the people and the work. But that’s another story.

The Costa Blanca area on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in Spain is a hot spot for travelers to and from Europe. Ever since the concept of the Costa Blanca was developed by the British European Airlines as a way to spotlight this beautiful area and the airline’s new flight from London to the Alicante Airport, the Costa Blanca region has been a successful player in the tourism game. Millions of people flock to the south of Spain from all over the world yearly, and particularly from Great Britain, Germany and the Scandinavian countries.

Altea is a city located to the north of the very popular tourist area of Benidorm and to the south of Denia. It is an historic city filled with blue mosaic tile domed churches, whitewashed houses and tranquil natural surroundings. It is a beautifully landscaped region, with quaint shops and restaurants, and peaceful beaches. The climate is also mild year round, thanks to the bordering mountains that block the northern winds and warm Mediterranean Sea breezes.

It is considered a well-placed village, very respectful of its natural environs. It is a getaway for many of Europe’s so called elite traveling class, from the artists to celebrities and writers. These elites enjoy the old neighborhood surrounding the church with international and local cuisine served in the restaurants. Even the most modern part of the town located at the foot of the town’s hill has been built with respect to a less modern age of architecture.

Altea is a pedestrian town. The streets are small and intricately laid out in fabulous mazes. The Mestre la Musica Street is a good starting point. It is a small stone street surrounded by stone houses and leads up to the entrance of the walled village. Mayor Street is where the church is located. The church, called the Church of the Virgen of the Consolation, was constructed in 1910 and is the center of all the cultural activity in the town.

The blue mosaic tiles on the dome of the church were all handpainted and the ornately decorated interior of the church gives it a very Mediterranean feel. There is a very bohemian-chic market filled with crafts from local artisans located here from Easter to September in the square. There are also a few remains of a castle that was once located here as well.

The public fish exchange on the docks in Altea also provide a source of free entertainment everyday around 6 o’clock in the evenings. At this time, the fishing boats come in and the local restaurant owners haggle with the fishermen in Valencian. Altean restaurants benefit from the weather as well, with many fresh ingredients available year round.