Bishop Auckland woman sells house to travel the world

So far Lynn Stephenson, from Bishop Auckland, has visited more than 150 countries.

Pictures taken during her adventure show her on the lip of a volcano, swimming in oceans with humpback whales and in some vibrant mountains.

She plans to visit even the most remote countries in her quest and she is currently on a tiny island in the Solomon islands.

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Ms Stephenson said: "I'm from the tiny mining village of Eldon Lane, near to Bishop Auckland.

"I have done a lot of travelling over the last 30 years.

"Last year I sold my house and am travelling full time.

"I will attempt to visit all of the 195 official countries in the world and a few more unofficial ones."

Lynn claims to have visited 150 countries so far.

She added: "I have had incredible adventures, climbed live volcanoes, swam with humpback whales, manta rays and whale sharks.

"I've visited some of the least visited countries on the planet. I've met such wonderful people along the way.

"For me though it is not about the number of countries, it is about the adventures and experiences I have along the way.

"It's about the incredible, kind and interesting people I meet and learning about the culture and history.

"I have just been to Vanuatu and it was one of the amazing experiences I've had."

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In total there are 195 countries for her to visit but she understands that some countries will be hard to visit.

Now she believes there are only around 45 left to go.

Currently Lynn is travelling around the South Pacific and she has a few countries still to visit in the Caribbean and Africa.

Her pictures from her travels show the range of experiences she has been enjoying: