Canadian crosses Sydney Harbour Bridge on global walk

A Canadian man who has spent the past decade walking around the world to promote peace crossed the Sydney Harbour Bridge Sunday, having travelled 66,700 kilometres (41,354 miles) through 62 countries.

A mid-life crisis prompted Jean Béliveau to begin his walk from Montreal, Canada in August 2000 and after thousands of days and nights on the road, he remains committed to his journey.

"I think the most important thing is very simple, just open your mind when you see other people," the 55-year-old told AFP. "Just smile and say 'hello'. The most beautiful word I can hear on my way is 'welcome'. When you hear 'welcome' all the tension of all the culture shock is released."

Béliveau, who is not raising money but wants to promote peace and non-violence for the benefit of children the world over, harboured a secret desire to walk around the world before telling his family in mid-2000.

He started on August 18, 2000 - his 45th birthday - and began by walking south from Montreal, across the border into the United States and down the east coast of the United States before entering South America.

In 2003 he was in South Africa, from where he travelled north and across to Morocco before heading into Europe in 2005.

The lone traveller, whose small number of personal belongings are contained on a three-wheeled stroller he pushes along his travels, then moved south through Iran, India, China, South Korea and Japan.

He arrived in the tropical northern Australian city of Darwin in October 2009, and from there walked into the harsh Outback and remote Aboriginal communities before making his way to the east coast and down to Sydney. AFP