Enderby Island teems with albatross, assorted penguins, petrels, parakeets, gulls, shags and skuas, and its treeless meadows are ablaze with distinctive flowering plants, particularly the subantarctic megaherbs like Bulbinella, with its striking yellow flowers. These are the world’s southernmost plants, evolution pushed to its limits in this punishing environment.

An easy walk on Campbell Island climbs away from Perseverance Harbour, following a wooden boardwalk across hillsides carpeted with tussocks, to reach a high saddle. Many southern royal albatross, snow white, spread across the windswept slopes, hunkered down on their nests to mind an egg whilst their partner is out foraging.

One evening we pass two distant naval frigates travelling in convoy. New Zealand’s governor general, a cabinet minister and a gaggle of scientists are bound for Campbell Island to inaugurate a national bicentennial research program.

Not so fast, chaps. Next day, HMNZS Otago breaks down in “a remote subantarctic fiord” – yes, that’s Perseverance Harbour – and the dignitaries must await transfer to the escort frigate. It’s twenty seconds of fame for a lonely, austerely-beautiful corner of New Zealand’s southernmost islands.

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Stepping ashore at Sandy Bay, a windswept beach on this remote subantarctic island, we are the alien invaders, inspected and quizzed by fearless creatures which waddle up to greet us when not preoccupied with their own courtship and nesting rituals. Amidst these thousands of webbed feet lie dozens of corpulent elephant seals, strewn about like sacks of wadding, stretching and yawning as they moult.

At 54 degrees south latitude, a mere speck in the Southern Ocean, Macquarie lies halfway from Australia to the Antarctic continent, the only island on earth formed by rocks forced up from the ocean’s floor, and near-new in geological terms.

This is not the dry, icy expanse of the Antarctic continent – officially, it is Tasmanian territory – but it is a challenging and inhospitable outpost whose only human habitation is an Australian Antarctic research base.Visitors usually join an expedition cruise, often en route to Antarctic waters.

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Don’t wait for the movie to reach a cinema near you… experience the reality now, with a spell of self-indulgence in a villa set amongst the emerald-green rice paddies around Ubud. In the village of Bentuyung one Australian couple owns Castello Jasper, a coolly-elegant four-bedroom villa boasting a 16-metre pool.

At Bentuyung, where the movie’s Balinese scenes were recently filmed, have pocketed the location fees and gone back to what they do best: rice farming and ritual. Your progress up the main street might be blocked by white-turbaned men and kebaya-clad women escorting the fearsome Barong into the temple.

Self-contained villa accommodation is leading Bali’s renaissance as a top-end destination. Spa treatments, shopping and fine dining all tempt visitors at a fraction of the costs back home, whilst villas provide privacy, exclusivity and independence. And those who would like to share a little love around, could consider supporting the stray dog refuge which has adopted the slogan Feed, Spay, Love. More images

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If Koh Samui’s powder sand beaches and secluded bays dotted with sun-bleached rock formations are not enough then there are jungle covered mountains concealing waterfalls and cool rock pools, exotic butterflies, wild orchids and gigantic ferns. Millions of swaying coconut palms are indeed a cordial greeting, but the centrepiece of this 80-island archipelago in the Gulf of Thailand offers much more. 

The allure of the pocket-sized island of Koh Samui is strong, but more temptations await in Thailand's far north west, in the province of Chiang Rai. This highly fertile area has a history as a leading opium producer. The Thai Government, in a concerted move to  stop the practice, has curtailed poppy cultivation and instituted programs to teach hill tribe people new ways to earn their livelihoods  The scheme has worked well. An increasing number of tourists arrive each year, lured by the legacy of the region’s notorious past, its true scenic beauty and the distinct hill tribes of northern Thailand. 

Standing on the Thai soil of a steep hill overlooking this small outpost at the very apex of the Golden Triangle I gazed out and over the mighty Mekong.  On my left was mysterious Myanmar.  On my right was even more enigmatic Laos.  I had finally reached the edge of the Kingdom.

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Fraser Island has one of eastern Australia’s purest populations of wild dingoes, which, with the influx of tourists, are losing their natural fear of humans. Scavenging for food scraps has become increasingly troublesome behaviour for these cunning carnivores. Nearby, others had also noticed the dingo, amused as it idly sniffed through piles of belongings on the beach. Abruptly the dingo snatched a string bag in its teeth, bounded up the beach and disappeared into the bush with it.

“Hey that’s my bag,” one of the girls further out in the lake cried out in a German accent, while others in the group  laughingly captured the dingo’s fleeing rear end on their cameras. “It’s got my passport in it!” she shrieked, as she bolted up the beach, waving her arms in pursuit of the fleet footed dingo.

Retreating to the comfort of Kingfisher Bay Lodge many hours later, my feet resemble bleeding stumps inside my inadequate shoes. Though these wounds will heal in time, I can’t help thinking of the troubles in store for a German tourist trying to explain to disbelieving authorities that a dingo stole her passport. Sounds suspiciously like the old ‘dog ate my homework’ line. Guileful as they are, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if I saw one crafty dingo at the airport trying to board a plane to Berlin.

Looking for a humourous piece with a little tongue in cheek? Commission this piece by Fiona Harper which can run to around 600 - 800 words. Images are available.  www.pbase.com/fionaharper/fraserisland

The mountainous hinterlands of Samui seclude and nurture one of the most scenic golf courses in Thailand. 

Even the most jaded of golfing globetrotters, however, are impressed after a round at the Santiburi Samui Golf Club.

Perfectly positioned among the jade green hills of north western Samui, Thailand’s second largest island, the palm-lined layout offers a championship challenge along a 6932 metre sloping mountain tract.

A sea of green surrounds golfers playing this testing course while the blue of the Gulf of Thailand and idyllic islands beyond provide irresistible distractions. 

Waterfalls and creeks meander through the lush land adding even more spectacle to a pristine paradise.

An illustrated feature on the emerging golf scene in Samui can be written on assignment from 1000 to 2000 words, depending upon editorial requirements, and supplied with a selection of hi-res digital images.

In addition, a feature on the Thai holiday island of Samui can also be written to suit editorial requirements.   

Laucala Island, east of far-flung Taveuni in Fiji, opened in 2008 for just 50 discerning guests who don't mind shelling out upwards of 3800USD per night for a beachfront Plantation Residence. Set amidst a working coconut plantation, at this level of opulence, privacy, exclusivity and exquisite service is de riguer.  With astounding attention to detail, assisted by a guest to staff ratio hovering around 7:1, Laucala Island has perfected the art of fine hospitality infused with an element of Fijian warmth.

Fiona Harper is one of few journalists invited to visit Laucala Island. Contact Fiona Harper to commission your exclusively crafted feature or puchase the article for immediate download.

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With an eye to colour and a nose for design a brush applies paint to a canvas.  The only thing unusual is that this artist has four legs and a long trunk.

An entourage of jumbo sized ‘artist’ elephants, in fact, live and work deep in a protected jungle reserve outside Chiang Mai in northern Thailand.

Visitors to the unique boutique elephant camp not only watch masterpieces being created but can also observe elephants bathing in the cool waters of a jungle river and watch mahouts provide training to their eager four legged ‘students’.

An illustrated ‘filler’ story of 250 to 500 words about the pachyderm painters of Samui can be written on assignment, depending upon editorial requirements, and supplied with a selection of hi-res digital images.

Grinders cut and polish and welders spark and flash.  Another ‘monster’ is born at a unique workshop on the Thai island of Samui.

The all-metal creation may resemble an alien, a predator or some other extraordinary creature from science fiction fantasy.

The designs come from the imaginative mind of owner and chief monster maker, Khun Santo but the form is left to a team of 10 talented craftsmen working at Samui Robot.

The tiny Thai island of Samui is a holiday haven though few tourists realise that they must share their idyllic playground with an increasing number of towering monsters!

An illustrated ‘filler’ story of 250 to 500 words about the ‘monsters’ of Samui can be written on assignment, depending upon editorial requirements, and supplied with a selection of hi-res digital images.