Wellington  - A German tourist died when he was hit by a truck in New Zealand a week before flying home after a three-year cycling trip around the world, according to news reports on Wednesday.

Police said that Stephan Stoermer, 38, had a ticket to fly back home in Frankfurt on Friday after travelling through 26 countries in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia since early 2006.

He died on the way to hospital after his bicycle was hit by a logging truck near Te Puke, in the Bay of Plenty, on March 12.

He was not wearing a cycle helmet, which is compulsory in New Zealand, at the time he was hit, the Bay of Plenty Times reported. It was hanging on his handlebars.

Police sergeant Ian Campion told the paper that Stoermer arrived in New Zealand on December 30.

He said police were still investigating the accident and it may be some time until its cause was determined.

The newspaper said that Stoermer had a website on which he talked about being on the move all of his life, but not for the purpose of arriving at a destination.

"I'm always looking for a new, different mode of travelling," he wrote, saying he enjoyed meeting people as he toured the world on a bicycle. dpa