Peter Greste's family say they are ecstatic he has been released from Egypt and that the ordeal is over. Courtesy: Sky News

AFTER 400 days behind bars in a notorious Cairo prison, freed Australian journalist Peter Greste and his brother Mike dined on pork, washed down with cold beers.

“Two of the rare commodities in an Egyptian prison,” his brother Andrew said.

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Flanked by parents Juris and Lois, the northern NSW cotton farmer expressed the family’s relief at Peter’s release.

“Peter Greste is a free man … he is safe, healthy and very happy to be on his way home,” Andrew said.

Greste, 49, was jailed for seven years after an Egyptian court found he and his employer Al Jazeera had spread false reports supporting the Muslim Brotherhood.

A successful campaign led by world leaders including Prime Minister Tony Abbott and US President Barack Obama led to his unconditional deportation early yesterday morning.

The release was kept top-secret with the Greste family kept in the dark and his deportation to Cyprus occurring just a few hours after he left the Cairo prison.

He was met outside prison by his brother Mike and Australian ambassador to Egypt Dr Ralph King, who had promised the Greste family he would not leave the country without securing the journalist’s release.

Dr King and the DFAT crisis management team led negotiations to secure Greste’s release after he was arrested in late 2013.

Mother Lois, who spent months in Egypt supporting her son, said he would need “space” and “privacy’’ before returning to Australia.

While in prison, Mr Greste practised meditation and exercised regularly to maintain his mental strength.

“I think he’ll recover well. He needs that space to start off with,” Mrs Greste said.

Foreign minister Julie Bishop spoke to Mr Greste shortly after his release and said he was “desperate to come home to Australia”.

“From my discussion with him he was very keen to be back on a beach and be lying in the sun in Australia,” Ms Bishop said.

The last time Mr Greste was in Australia — in August 2013 — he travelled to the Whitsundays for a family getaway.

The award-winning journalist’s family is planning a similar getaway when he gets home.

Mr Greste’s colleagues, Egyptian-Canadian Mohamed Fahmy and Egyptian Baher Mohamed, remained behind bars yesterday.

Mr Fahmy is expected to be released in coming days. Mr Greste said his brother would not rest until his colleagues were released.

Hard to believe but YES @PeterGreste is a free man. His butt has left Egyptian airspace yippeeeeee!!!!! Think I'll go and get drunk :):):) — Andrew Greste (@AndyroosteG) February 1, 2015

News conference at 10am AEST in Brisbane for us. Spoken with @PeterGreste he is in great spirits with Mike — Andrew Greste (@AndyroosteG) February 1, 2015