The newlyweds, both in their early 20s, sought excitement and adventure. They wanted something different, an exotic posting perhaps?

Their wishes came true and they soon found themselves heading to the frozen northwest territories of Canada, to an Arctic medical outpost in remote Fort McPherson, where their new patients would be an Indian band of people known as Gwich'in.

The posting would mean that the two young professionals would provide all the medical help available to the residents of this isolated village and would be first on the scene in any situation or emergency.

As a result, the next six years were to be filled with all manner of medical procedures from delivering babies to dealing with the tragic deaths of children, tending gunshot victims to treating a whole range of illnesses made worse by the isolation.

In return the Gwich'in taught their medics how to snowshoe, choose a dog team and live off the land.

More importantly they welcomed them into their way of life and took them to their hearts.

The Billingtons' big adventure may have begun more than 40 years ago but their experiences are just as fresh today as they were back then.

And now they can be shared with others, thanks to Keith recalling them in a new book, House Calls by Dogsled.

The Billingtons' story, which began when they started their new jobs in September 1964, tells of caribou hunts, fishing in summer lakes and travelling in winter by dog team, of sun-returning parties and New Year feasts.

"It was a life-altering experience, not least because these people adopted us. They took us under their wings," says Keith.

"We thought we were going out there to teach the Indians and the Eskimos all about health and, in reality, they ended up teaching us. We learned so much from them and will always be grateful for that."

The couple, now both retired, still live in Canada, but in Prince George, British Columbia. They still keep in touch with family and friends in Yorkshire and have recently been over on a visit.

Keith is originally from North Wales and says his mother was living in Illingworth while he was undergoing his nursing training, so the town was to become his home too.

It was while training as a nurse – "there were few males in the profession then" – that he met Muriel, originally from Bradford.

"As we neared the end of our training – Muriel as a nurse-midwife and me as a nurse with an emphasis on surgery and the operating room – we began to think about the future together.

"We knew we wanted to do something exciting. We didn't want to stay working in a local hospital and so we would scour the adverts in the Nursing Mirror," he recalls.

The couple looked at posts in the Congo but changed their minds when political troubles broke out.

And then the perfect job came along.

In May 1962 they set sail for Canada to live in Alberta for a year to obtain Canadian nursing registration and acclimatise themselves to their new home – although Keith admits nothing could really prepare them for Fort McPherson, around 1,700 miles north of Edmonton.

"We did have some strange looks when we first arrived, because obviously people were checking us out. It didn't take long to get settled in at the medical station which was to be our home for six years," he says.

Keith describes the tough conditions and harsh elements, as well as the differences in culture.

As a result, the book is a collection of wonderful adventures and uplifting stories.

It tells of not just their medical careers in this remote corner of the world but how they forged friendships and settled into a new community, making it their home. Their first two children, Helen and Stephen, were born in Fort McPherson in 1964 and 1966. Younger son David was born in Prince George.

Keith recalls how natives like William and Mary Firth became their children's honorary grandfather and grandmother or Jijii and Jijuu and others were so supportive during their time there that he dedicates the book to all the Gwich'in people of Fort McPherson.

He also reveals the sadness at finally deciding to leave.

"We came over to England for a visit once and it was when Stephen, only young then, pointed to cows in a field and said 'Look, caribou' that we realised we needed to give our children a taste of our culture too," he says.

Keith says the idea of a book had been "percolating" for some time and he finally decided to begin in 2001 after finishing work.

"I kept a diary the whole time we were in Fort McPherson so that has helped but once I started writing I was amazed at how fresh those memories were of our time there. I relived them all and they were – and still are – very special to us. We have been back to visit since and they gave us a real home-coming. It was wonderful."

House Calls By Dogsled by Keith Billington is available at Fred Wade, Halifax.