Cat from New Zealand went on 18-day voyage to Australia

Curiosity is said to have killed the cat, but one lucky moggy has lived to tell his tale. Stowing away in a shipping container in New Zealand, curious Douglas went on an 18-day, 3500km adventure across the sea to Adelaide, making stop-overs at Sydney and Melbourne. After several days without Douglas crawling under their feet, workers at Tesco Singapore's New Zealand plant in Tauranga became worried about their beloved site cat. "These big burly guys on the rigs were really worried about this one little cat," said regional service manager Bruce Clark.

Fearing the 18-month-old cat might have hitched a ride in one of the containers, Tesco workers contacted the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service about the possible illegal immigrant. Quarantine officer Emma Cook opened the three containers - packed with drilling equipment - in Adelaide. And after the first two containers failed to reveal the missing moggy, she was not confident. "I went down there at five o'clock to open the containers and at first we couldn't see anything because of all the machinery," she said.

"We started to unpack and he was just sitting there. We were speechless. He hadn't made a mess at all and he just came out and sat there." The only survivor of a litter dumped in a plastic bag in a Tesco worker's driveway, Douglas has always been a survivor. The mischievous kitten has always been closely involved in the workings of the company, often overseeing production from the top of shipping containers, or sleeping on machinery to be exported.

Quite the adventurer, Douglas often hitches rides around New Zealand with Tesco workers and can sometimes travel undiscovered for several hours. Mr Clark was in Singapore on a business trip when he found out about his company's beloved cat and changed his flight plans so he could meet Douglas in Adelaide. "I was meant to be home on Sunday, but I caught an earlier flight so I could see him," he said. "It's great to have him back safely and I know the boys are really looking forward to seeing this little fellow again." Douglas has been given the all-clear from a vet to fly home to New Zealand.