COVID lockdowns, record heat won't stop German retiree Kuno Penner walking around the world

Kuno Penner is a German retiree who has walked 41,000km and counting across 25 countries. (ABC Pilbara: Amelia Searson)

Jakob Penner, or Kuno as he is better known, has become a bit of a social media star.

The German retiree left his home five years ago, armed with only a small cart of supplies and a goal to walk around the world.

"I think everybody would like to see the world and I just do it," he said.

"Most people when they are retired, and they think they are old and weak and cannot move and they are sitting at home, watching TV — I don't like it, I would like to see the world."

Mr Penner has crossed 25 countries covering 41,000 kilometres from Germany through much of Europe, the Middle East, India, and South-East Asia.

In February 2020, just before the world closed down due to the pandemic, Mr Penner planned to spend three months walking from Cairns to Sydney.

Mr Penner has been recognised around the world for his on-foot travel style. (Supplied: Ji Ingobi Chingtham)

He found himself locked down in a friend's house in Brisbane, where he applied for an extension to his visa.

His next plan to walk to Melbourne and then fly to New Zealand was again impacted by lockdowns.

With another visa extension, he has walked all around the east coast, down to Tasmania and then across the Nullarbor into Western Australia.

Mr Penner is armed with just a small cart of supplies and a goal to walk around the world. (ABC Pilbara: Amelia Searson)

Last week, Mr Penner found himself in the middle of the Pilbara's record-breaking heat.

"Never I have seen 50 degrees. I was on the road, just north of Carnarvon, near the Minilya Roadhouse," he said.

The sleepy beachside town of Onslow reached 50.7 degrees Celsius last week, while many other Pilbara towns sweltered through their own record-breaking temperatures.

People from around the world are keeping up with Mr Penner's travels on social media. (Supplied: Binay Kumar Shahu)

Mr Penner said when it was hot, he had to take extra precautions.

"I have a long rest in the hottest hours of the day, between two and five o'clock was the hottest. I have a piece of plastic to make a shadow and I rest," he said.

Mr Penner said the people he had met during his travels around Australia had stood out to him the most.

"It is the kindness of the people, they ask me 'Do you need anything, can we help?'" he said.

Mr Penner is often recognised around Australia, with Karratha locals frequently beeping their car horns at him to say hello. (ABC Pilbara: Amelia Searson)

"If not, it can be very dangerous. I think we have a responsibility about other people."

Mr Penner is taking a short break in the Pilbara to get repairs done to his cart before he completes the journey across the top end of Australia, weather permitting.

He has six months to be back in Cairns before he finally makes it across to New Zealand.