Kiwis in London to Auckland jet-ski attempt

LATEST: A group of six New Zealanders is attempting the daunting task of jet-skiing from London to Auckland, via Sydney, later this year.

The 32,000km world record bid will start in August and aims to boost awareness of healthy living, cancer prevention and to raise funds for cancer research.

The team will be led by Auckland pilot Jeremy Burfoot, who was the first to circumnavigate New Zealand on a jet-ski.

"We're tackling one of the world's most iconic routes; the London-to-Sydney journey has been made famous by all kinds of intrepid travellers - though none have tried it on a personal watercraft," Mr Burfoot said.

"The ultimate joy for me would be to get the message about early prevention of cancer, and the need for regular health checks, out to as many people around the world as possible."

The team will be working with cancer organisations in each country they pass through to help raise the profile of the event and its goals.

A catamaran will ride as a support boat alongside the jet-ski for the whole of the journey.

The trip, dubbed The Ultimate Ride, will set off from London on the Thames River outside Parliament buildings on August 1 before heading across the North Sea to Holland.

The team will travel more than half-way around the globe, enduring challenging weather and treacherous oceans with piracy, shark infested waters, language barriers and bureaucratic nightmares just some of the hazards along the way, Mr Burfoot said.

The team will pass through 15 cities, including Frankfurt, Belgrade, Istanbul, Cairo and Mumbai.

They will also travel along 12 waterways including the Rhine River, the Black Sea, the Suez Canal and the Great Barrier Reef.

Their route takes them through Europe to Turkey, past Greece, along the west coast of the Red Sea and into the Gulf of Aden at Yemen. The team will then be given a naval escort as they travel through known danger pirate hotspots by Somalia.

They will then cut across to Pakistan and travel along the Indian coastline. From there they will jet ski to Sri Lanka, Thailand and Singapore.

The route continues to Indonesia, through to Australia and along its east coast until Sydney. The team will then cross the Pacific Ocean and hopefully land at Auckland at the end of November.