"It's mostly point breaks where I live which reminds me of Salty Point, and the wave quality is as good as Australia in the fall and during winter storms," Taree born and raised William said.

"Many of us surf all year round in Nova Scotia and it is starting to become a popular sport here."

William is currently the manager of the air quality and climate change units of Nova Scotia's department of environment.

He was born at Manning Hospital and attended Chatham High from 1985 to 1990 before moving away to study and work.

He received degrees from Southern Cross University and Sydney University before getting a job as an environmental planner for the NSW Department of Planning.

During this time he met his wife Paula, from Halifax in Nova Scotia, with the couple deciding to move back to her homeland in 2007.

Here he reached his current role at the Department of Environment, managing a full time team of 13 staff.

"The air quality unit monitors ambient air quality and regulates emissions from industrial and other source of air pollution," William explained.

"The climate change unit works to tackle both Nova Scotia's contribution to the changing climate by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and to prepare Nova Scotia for the unavoidable impacts and opportunities."

William said that Nova Scotia faced similar problems to Australia such as flooding and erosion as climate change raises sea levels.

Despite its small size, William said Nova Scotia has made great progress in setting and meeting its own greenhouse gas and air pollution reduction targets, by regulating industrial emitters and increasing the use of renewable sources of energy such as wind, hydroelectric, solar and tidal.

The country is renowned for its chilly climate, but as mentioned prior, it hasn't stopped William taking up one of his favourite past times of surfing.

"Obviously the North Atlantic is cold for much of the year, but with a good winter suit, glove, booties and a hood you can surf in the winter," he said.

"The best time is in the fall (autumn) as that's hurricane season, July to November, and we get big swells and the water is warmest, up to 20 degrees."

William said he had often surfed in snow with icicles hanging off his hood, but he now had a rule that he won't enter the water when the air temperature goes below -10 degrees.

Back home, William's parents William and Jill Green still live in Wingham.

William and Paula now have a young family of their own consisting of Thomas, nine, Sully, three, and Charlie, nine months, meaning that trips back to Australia are a rare thing.

The long distance hasn't dampened any of William's affection for his homeland or town though.

"I love to come home, to catch up with family and friends and go to Saltwater to surf the point or go fishing.

"I love the heat after Canada's nine months of winter and it still feels like home," he said.