Thor Pedersen departs Australia for New Zealand on final leg of round-the-world trip without flying

Thor Pedersen arrived in Australia on a cargo ship in April.  (ABC North Qld: Lily Nothling)

Torbjørn "Thor" Pedersen never expected his ambitious round-the-world trip would take him the better part of a decade when he left his native Denmark.

The 43-year-old traveller has his sights set on becoming the first person to visit every country on the globe in an unbroken journey without air travel.