The Greenhithe man has built his own aircraft from scratch and circumnavigated New Zealand without stopping.

His 3374km, 15-hour 53-minute solo flight has broken a world record for that journey.

Tired but overjoyed, Mr Matthews says it was a "great thrill".

"It was a beautiful moonlit night. I flew over the Southern Alps at sunset and could see the city lights of Christchurch, Wellington and Napier."

He says it was a great feeling to be over the open ocean in a machine he made himself.

The building of the plane, a two-seater Thorp 518, was a five-year task.

A former boatbuilder and builder, Mr Williams says this project was a lot harder than making a boat.

He had to keep a detailed log and take pictures throughout the construction process.

Once it was completed, the Civil Aviation Authority had to check the aircraft, which Mr Williams says helped give him peace of mind.

He has also flown to Australia and back and clocked up 500 hours in flying time in different planes.

"You obviously have to be very careful, and precise. "You also have to keep it as light as possible."

The high-performance plane can fly more than 6000 metres and reach speeds of 400km per hour.

It has six fuel tanks which enabled Mr Matthews to keep going for nearly 16 hours.

The aircraft also has retractable wings that can be folded back so it can be stored in a garage.