HIGH OVER NZ: An image of part of the North Island, taken from the Project ROAR balloon.

Two Waikato University students have sent a camera to the edge of space and have spectacular pictures to prove it.

Twin brothers, Zac and Josh Lyon, 20, launched their homemade weather balloon from the university's sports field with two cameras on board taking videos and photos.

ZAC LYON, JOSH LYON VIEW OF PARADISE: A view of the Firth of Thames and Coromandel Peninsula.

The balloon reached 31,882m before bursting and descending back to earth.

''We were inspired by a father and son team from the USA who had done the same,'' said Zac Lyon.

The pair had heard of another New Zealand team who had sent a balloon to around 15,000m and they wanted to go one better.

ZAC LYON, JOSH LYON HIGH OVER NZ: The central North Island, taken from the balloon.

''That was our main motivation, to do something that no-one in New Zealand had done.''

The twins imported a balloon, parachute and pressure sensor from the America and built the housing out of a polystyrene chilly bin.They used possum fur socks and heat packs to protect the electronic devices from the -34 degree temperature.

A GPS locator allowed them to track their balloon from a computer at their student flat.

''It landed at the foot of the Kaimai Ranges about 40 kilometres from the launch site.''

''It was pretty banged up but we got some really good photos.''

* Elton Smallman is a Wintec journalism student.