But the real journey started 10 years ago for Irishman Paul Mack when an Australian policewoman stopped him from committing suicide in Sydney.
That moment made him change his life and eventually took him from homelessness to successful businessman.
The energetic 47-year-old is now six countries closer to his goal of cycling through 42 nations in eight years, to raise awareness of issues such as homelessness and suicide.
His next stop is South America.
Along the way, he aims to bring a message of "love, hope, change and kindness" by encouraging communities to support welfare organisations and getting schools to make a part of a giant blanket which will be presented at the London Olympics in 2012.
The idea for Blanket Earth came when he found a blanket and handed it to a homeless man in 2004.
Mr Mack arrived in Dunedin on Monday and was staying for a week while recovering from an operation at Oamaru Hospital last weekend to a remove a cyst from his leg.
He started out in New Zealand on March 8 and was robbed of almost everything apart from his bicycle while attending church in Thames on March 15.
Nothing was recovered.
While in Tauranga, he was robbed again, but this time got his cellphone back.
He has been relying on the generosity of the New Zealand public.
"New Zealand is amazing. The people here are amazing. They are just like family."
Mr Mack has nominated schools in Kaiapoi and Thames to make parts of the blanket and to raise funds for their community.
