A Midland veterinary nurse has said she plans to spend time relaxing after riding into the record books by becoming the first woman to trek across the Australian Outback on horseback.

Anna Hingley, from Stourbridge, finished her 2,000-mile trip in Cairns, Queensland, on Saturday, five months after setting off from Broome in Western Australia with her partner John Ostwald.

Miss Hingley said it had been an amazing adventure and that it was a real buzz to get to the end of it.

"Obviously out on those long tracks I had a lot of time to think and I used to think about what it would be like to arrive in Cairns but it's more than I imagined," she said.

The 24-year-old said there had been good days and bad days during the trek. The most difficult part was getting through a 300-mile section that was said to be impassable due to flooding from five rivers.

She said: "Some mornings I was thinking that I didn't want to get on the horse that day, but never not finishing the ride, never.

"The early days were very hard, it was so very hot when we left Broman Human. We got sores, we got rubs, we were dehydrated, we were very tired, as you can imagine, so that was definitely the hardest part of the journey."

Mr Ostwald and Miss Hingley also battled extreme heat and severe saddle sores during the trek and encountered crocodiles, snakes and wild pigs.

Ms Hingley's proud parents, Alan and Marlene, and sister Lucy travelled from the family home in Worcester to north Queensland to witness the final leg.

Her mother said: "I just thought it was going to be a good adventure, but it turns into now that it is this lovely English girl come to Australia, and met this super guy.

"He's a proper Crocodile Dundee; he's from the Northern Territories and it's a love story. I don't know what's going to happen now but whatever it's going to be I'm happy for her."

Ms Hingley said she fought back tears as she saw her family waiting for her on the finishing line.

"It was great to see them there. As we got to the Esplanade the hairs on the back of my neck and arms shot up. It was a real adrenaline rush. I couldn't stop smiling."

Following an emotional reunion the intrepid horsewoman said no further adventures were in the pipeline - yet.

"We're going to take our time and relax," she said. "Even though we were together 24/7 we were never really alone. We plan to hang around for a while and chill out by ourselves."

British filmmaker Tom Guerrier followed the couple to make a documentary about the record-breaking trek.

Back home in Worcester, Miss Hingley's former colleagues at the Clents Hill Veterinary Practice said they were proud of what she had achieved.

Practice nurse Becky DelliBari said: "It is magnificent. Anna has been so understated and modest about it that it's only now that we are realising the enormity of what she has achieved."

The trek raised £4,000 for the Angel Flight charity which provides support to ill families in the Outback to transport them to hospital.