An adventurer who was rescued in the Australian outback after writing a desperate message in the sand has revealed he is “puzzled” by the amount of attention his lucky escape has received.

Geoff Keys, 63, was lost in the 900 square mile Jardine National Park in Queensland without food for two days.

The retired AA mechanic ran into trouble after he went swimming to visit a waterfall and realised he could not find his way back to his camp.

He scrawled the message ‘HELP 2807’ followed by an arrow - indicating the date and his direction of travel. The message was spotted as police officers searched the area from the air.

The story has featured in several national newspapers in the UK and abroad this week with Mr Keys interviewed on TV and radio.

But the father-of-three said he cannot understand the “fuss” surrounding his escape.

He said: "I’m amazed to be in the news across Europe. I’ve been in newspapers in Holland, Hungary and Denmark. I’m puzzled about why there is such a fuss.

"I could have died but I had a plan.

"I had it in my mind I needed to swim north where I would pick the track up and I was right, what was foolish was trying to cut across the bush.

"I didn’t have any shoes on as I’d been swimming and there were snakes, deadly ones, so I was at risk of bites but luckily I hadn’t thought of that."

Mr Keys set out on his round-the-world trip last April.

In Australia, he was camping with two families while exploring the Old Telegraph Track - a popular tourist spot.

But after he failed to return from having a swim, they raised the alarm.

He added: "I put them though a tough couple of days which was unfortunate. They didn’t know me, only that I’d travelled across Europe.

"I’ve always been resourceful and self-reliant. I rode a motorbike from London to Australia so I must have something about me.

"I was in the creek when I spotted the sandbank, I almost swam past it but then I realised I could write a message.

"I heard the helicopters around so I knew they were looking for me."

Back home, he was worried his wife and three children would panic but thankfully just 30 minutes after the Foreign Office told his eldest son of his disappearance they called again to say he had been rescued.

Mr Keys confirmed he would continue his travels to Asia, America and the Middle East.

To read adventures of his blog click here.