MEDIA RELEASE
January 26, 2012

Record-breaking explorer to travel in style across the Tasman aboard Sea Princess

When British adventurer Graham Hughes left home more than three years ago to visit all of the world’s sovereign nations using surface transport alone he faced a major obstacle - getting across 'The Ditch' to Australia.

With just seven countries still to go to complete his amazing odyssey -- including one that didn't even exist when he started – Graham ran the risk of falling short of achieving his remarkable world record.

But the one-man destination expert will cross the Tasman in style thanks to another destination expert, Princess Cruises, which helped out with its luxury superliner Sea Princess, a regular visitor to New Zealand ports.

After many months of privation on the road and the high seas, Graham will be pampered on Sea Princess while visiting great New Zealand destinations on the way to Sydney after departing from Auckland on Saturday, January 28.

It will be in stark contrast to being thrown into jail in the Congo or the four terrifying days he spent taking a leaky wooden fishing canoe over 600km from Senegal to Cape Verde with no radio, phone, GPS and no-one on board who spoke a word of English.

"Over the last three years I’ve travelled on over 100 different ships, across channels, seas and oceans, on everything from banana boats to super-freighters, but I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to putting my feet up and relaxing on board Sea Princess.”

Princess Cruises' Commercial Director Stan Birge said Graham's adventurous spirit as the destination man rang a chord with the cruise line which is positioned in the travel industry as the destination experts.

"Graham has had some amazing adventures during his 37 months on the road and sea and we will be expecting him to work for his passage," Mr Birge said.

"He has a great story to tell and will do presentations on board Sea Princess telling our passengers of his amazing experiences. It is fantastic we could help him and even better that it is in support of a good cause.”

When he gets to Sydney on February 6, Graham faces another maritime challenge. He needs a boat to take him to Nauru so he can tick off yet another sovereign nation.

He then must backtrack to Northern Africa because, since passing that way, South Sudan has become an independent country and one still to be ticked off the adventurer’s country list.

Graham has previously broken the Guinness World Record for the highest number of countries visited in a single year in 2009 by setting foot in 133 sovereign states in 12 months.

Graham is using his Odyssey Expedition to raise funds for WaterAid which provides clean water initiatives and sanitation systems for impoverished communities.

Blog and video posts from Graham’s Odyssey Expedition can be viewed on his website, www.TheOdysseyExpedition.com

© Scoop Media