Well this, Spitsbergen, was my ultimate destination.
I wasn't sure if I would achieve it logistically and price wise. However managed to buy reasonable flights with Norwegian Airlines only £200 rtn and stayed at one of the miners cabins in Nybyen 2 kms from the town - Guest house 102. I booked a mixed dorm keeping in mind that I would upgrade to a single if necessary. In the event I shared with a French and a German fellow so I wasn't complaining. There were many interesting people to talk to and everyone one a mission to do adventurous things like dog sledding, snowmobiling, boat trips to in reachable places on land, hikes to ice caves and up mountains- with high powered rifles of course. There were many gory stories of incidents with polar bears.
Longbearbyen has a population of only 2500 predominately Norwegian but there are 42 nationalities here. Quite a few Thais. Coal mining is and was big industry here
The weather started out sunny, crisp, -8c but now it is slightly warmer but snowing - light fluffy flakes. The air is so clean and unpolluted.
Plenty of whitish relaxed reindeer wandering around. No sightings of polar bears just as well as they are carnivorous and can be aggressive. Any hikers away from the town have to carry loaded rifles.
Two German girls had a delayed flight so decided to hike up near our guest house. A bear attacked one and as the other ran away it turned and chased and attacked her instead. The first girl slid down the ravine and got help but it was too late.
I am just about to leave and Olen the Ukranian girl on reception has been most helpful running me to the shop for presents for Kristina who is looking after Sacha. Olen then took me and Therese who has just finished cross country skiing for a week with friends- they are all highly experienced Norwegian skiers. She is smuggling a bottle of whiskey for me amongst her luggage of skis and sled etc. There are so many weird regulations. I had to throw a good bottle of wine away at the airport on the way here as I only have hand luggage and security won't allow that through.
Enjoyable flight back to Oslo chatting with enthusiastic French triathlete who is also visiting as many countries as he can.