He's circumnavigated 8430km of New Zealand's coastline on foot, but for 'Wildboy” Brando Yelavich, writing a book was the more challenging adventure.

'Wildboy' Brando Yelavich and his girlfriend Ngaio Gregory after his skydive. Photos: Cameron Avery.

The 21-year-old finished his 600-day trek on August 28 last year. Now, he's releasing an inspirational adventure story of his spiritual, mental and physical journey – the good, the bad and the outright scary times. But Brando says the hardest part of his journey was recalling the experience afterwards.

'From the time I finished walking to the moment the book was published was much harder than the walk itself because I've had to adjust to society and slot into this world again.

'Before I was predominantly on my own, walking around the coastline, living off the land. I was the happiest I've ever been in my whole life.”

The first-time author suffers from dyslexia, impairing his ability to read, and admits, 'I haven't really read my book, but I didn't think I needed to.” He used a ghost writer, so he spoke while they transcribed.

Despite the difficulties of writing a book with a reading disorder, Brando wanted his story of conquering his personal Everest to be recorded.

'I was the first person to walk around New Zealand and I wanted that to be put into history. By writing it down, it puts it there forever.

'I wanted to be able to carry on the legacy that I tried to create of inspiring other people to do great things with their lives and that they can achieve whatever they put their minds to.”

Brando cheers after his skydive.

As much as the book is a tale of self-discovery, it's also a love story. During his stop in Coromandel, Brando met his 23-year-old girlfriend Ngaio Gregory.

'I was just walking along the side of the road when her dad invited me in for a cup of tea,” says Brando. 'He said I could stay the night if it was alright with his daughter.”

At first, it wasn't okay and Brando was sent on his way, but Ngaio's dog followed him. When Brando returned to give Ngaio back her beloved black Alsatian-cross, she invited him in for dinner.

'I think she felt really sorry for me standing out in the cold,” says Brando, who asked her on a date a week later. This time, the answer was yes.

'I went to every coastal town in New Zealand and I'm pretty sure I've found the right girl,” says Brando.

He's circled the entire coastline on foot – so what's next for the 21-year-old? Brando is unsure if he'd do the trek again, but does hope to walk the 3000km Te Araroa Trail with his girlfriend sometime soon.

'I want to keep exploring and expressing who I am to the world and hopefully inspire others to follow in my footsteps,” says Brando.

'I started with a troubled past. This was my way of proving to all the people who told me I wasn't good enough that I could achieve what people call the impossible.

'Anything is possible if you put your mind to it.”

During his trek, Brando raised more than $32,000 for the Ronald McDonald House, and to celebrate the release of his book ‘Wildboy' on June 26, Brando is completing a skydive in Tauranga this Sunday.