Scottish actor Ewan MacGregor ended his 20,000 mile around-the-world motorcycle trip in New York City’s Battery Park yesterday. McGregor, star of Moulin Rouge and the recent Star Wars movies, paired up with fellow actor Charley Boorman for the trip. The pair participated in charity events for Unicef throughout the journey. They arrived in New York, bearded and bedraggled.

The two spent more than three months driving through exotic places such as Mongolia, Siberia and Alaska. Starting in London in April, they passed through three continents and 15 countries. 'It was a good excuse to ride motorcycles for a very, very long time,' the Star Wars actor said. They have filmed a documentary of the journey which will be shown on Bravo and plan to publish a book of travel memoirs.

McGregor and Boorman underwent survival training with ex-soldiers before embarking on the trip, and learned how to perform emergency medical treatment. McGregor told how he was hit from behind at 50mph in Canada and how he nearly lost his bike when crashing into a swollen river in Mongolia. The 33-year-old said crossing Mongolia was the hardest part of the journey. 'There were no roads there, just gravel,' he said. 'One day we rode 14 hours and went 30 miles. But we ploughed on and I'm glad we did. It was extraordinary. I learned a lot about humanity.'