Gnome home after round world adventure

The British owner of a stolen garden gnome taken on a seven-month world journey said it enjoyed its adventures in New Zealand.

Murphy the 3.5kg gnome was taken from pensioner Eve Stuart-Kelso's Gloucestershire garden about 10 months ago and went on to traverse three continents and 12 countries.

He was then returned to Ms Stuart-Kelso's garden minus his feet, but with a photo album describing his adventures.

Ms Stuart-Kelso said today that among the photos was one of Murphy standing on the Franz Josef glacier in the Southern Alps.

"The young man (who took him) was called Simon Randall and he said that New Zealand was his favourite country – it was so varied," she told Radio New Zealand.

"We've got lovely snowy mountain scenes and the beach scenes and the lovely countryside scenes."

Ms Stuart-Kelso said she had met Mr Randall and the first thing he did was apologise for taking him and he hoped the album was fair recompense.

He told her he thought Murphy had lost his feet while abseiling down a mountain.

Murphy has achieved national celebrity status because of his exploits and Ms Stuart-Kelso is not taking any chances of him being whisked away again.

"So I think I'd better put him in the rear garden, which I can lock up."

The 48 photos also showed Murphy swimming in Thailand, visiting temples in Cambodia and riding a motorbike.

Murphy also collected a number of official entry stamps from various countries including South Africa, Swaziland, Australia and Vietnam.

A letter supposedly from Murphy blamed wanderlust for his sudden disappearance.

"I came to the conclusion that the world is a big place and there is more to life than watching the daily commuter traffic, and allowing passing cats to urinate on you," the letter read.

"There have been high points, low points and positively terrifying points. But I have survived."

"It makes me smile to see all the people he met on his travels," Ms Stuart-Kelso said.

"It was a wonderful surprise and of course it's so nice to get some good news."

-NZPA